Baccarat
Baccarat is one of the oldest and easiest casino games. It also offers one of the best house edge opportunities with the house edge 1.06% for betting on banker and 1.24% for betting player. Baccarat has a certain amount of glamour associated with it as it is the game James Bond plays in the early Bond movies.
The main difference between Blackjack and Baccarat is that the only decision that a player makes is taken before the hand is dealt. All you have to do is decide which hand you think might win. Players can bet on the side of the banker, the player, or for a tie.
In Baccarat there are two hands dealt in the middle of the table, you do not receive any cards. These hands are called Player, which is dealt first, and Banker which is dealt second. The object of the game is to predict, prior to the deal, which hand will get closest to a points value of 9.
This gives three betting options:
Dealer gets closer point’s value to 9.
Player gets closer point’s value to 9.
Both hands have the same point’s value, a Tie, pays 9 to 1.
Any combination of the above can be wagered on.
Points Values
All picture cards and tens have a value of 0; aces have a value of 1. The rest of the pack count as face value.
Baccarat History
The early history of Baccarat is vague, it is generally believed that it was first invented around the middle ages in France or Italy and Tarot cards were used.
From there it moved and evolved through the centuries. In England the French version of Baccarat called “Chemin de fer” was altered and renamed “European Baccarat”.
From Europe it spread to South America and specifically Cuba, where it was one of the Casino games played in pre Castro casinos.
Baccarat was then introduced to Las Vegas in the late 1950s and evolved into “American Baccarat”.
Baccarat Rules:
Baccarat - Rules
The objective of the game is to choose whether the Player or Bank is going to accumulate a points total nearest to 9, or the two hands have the same point’s value, a Tie. You can choose one or a combination of these bets.
Once each player has chosen which wager they are going for then the Player and Bank are dealt two cards face up. The Player is then the first to act. All picture cards and tens have a value of 0; aces have a value of 1. The rest of the pack count as face value. If the points value of the cards exceeds 9 then 10 is subtracted from the point’s total.
Example:
8+3=12 so point’s value is 2.
9+8=17 so point’s value is 7.
10+9=19 so points value is 9, called a Natural.
If the Player hand and Bank hand are the same points total the hand is a Tie.
If the Player or Bank points total is 8 or 9 no more cards are dealt.
If the Player’s points total is 0 to 7, the Player draws following the “Third Card Rules”.
Third Card Rules:
No hand receives more than three cards
if the Player’s two cards total:
0-5 Player’s hand must draw
6-7 Player’s hand must stand
8-9 “Natural” (both hands stand)
After the Player’s Hand acts on a third card draw, the Banker’s Hand receives a third card according to these rules:
0-2 Banker’s hand must draw
3-6 Third card to Player’s hand determines draw or stand
7 Banker’s hand must stand
When the Banker’s two cards total between 3-6:
Banker’s Hand Banker’s hand draws when Player’s third card is: Banker’s hand does not draw when Player’s third card is:
3 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-9 8
4 2-3-4-5-6-7 0,1,8,9
5 4-5-6-7 0-1-2-3-8-9
6 6-7 0-1-2-3-4-5-8-9
7 Banker’s hand must stand Banker’s hand must stand
8-9 “Natural” - Bank stands “Natural” - Bank stands
If the Player’s hand stands on two cards (6, 7), then a two card Banker hand totalling 3, 4, 5 must draw and a Banker hand totalling 6 must stand.
Payoff
Player wins 1 to 1
Bank wins 1 to 1
Tie 8 to 1
Baccarat - Strategy
Baccarat is a pure game of change with each player only making the decision on which hand or combination of hands to bet on.
The house edge in Baccarat is very low:
Player 1.06%
Bank 1.24%
Tie 14.36%
No Baccarat system can be mathematically proven to work; however, there are several systems that are very popular amongst Baccarat players:
Baccarat Systems
Ride the Streak
The basis of this system is that you only bet when a winning streak occurs. You are effectively backing a winning streak with the hope that the streak continues.
It must be remembered though that the probability of any outcome on any given hand is 50/50.
1 3 2 6 Baccarat System
The basis of this system is that you risk small units for large returns.
Here’s how it works:
* Bet 1 unit on the first hand.
* If you win, you double up and now have 2 units. Add 1 unit to the 2 units for a total wager of 3 units on the second hand.
* If you win, you double up again and now have 6 units on the table. Remove 4 units and wager the remaining 2 units on the third hand.
* If you win, you have 6 units on the table. Add 2 more units for a total wager of 6 units on the fourth hand.
If you win, you have 12 units on the table. You wagered 2 units of your own money, and you have won 10 units from the house, less any commission due.
Each time you lose a round, start over at step 1.
Martingale System
The basis of this system is that you double up after a loss.
Here’s how it works
Bet one unit on either Bank or Player. Every time you win you bet one unit again on the next hand. If you lose you double your bet for the next hand.
When you eventually have a winning hand your net win will be one unit.
The big problem with this system is that if the losing streak is long enough you won’t have enough money to make the next bet.
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