Baccarat – The Fastest-Growing Casino Game
Whether you’re in the sticky floor of a California card room or the tuxedo-laden casinos of Macau, Baccarat is one of the world’s most popular casino games. This table game traces its roots back to Europe, but it has received new life in Asia and now is making a big impact in the United States. According to Bill Zender, a Nevada Gaming Control agent, former casino executive, and author of the “Book on Managing Casino Games,” baccarat is now the fastest-growing game in American casinos.
In Baccarat, the player and banker each bet on a hand that will win by being closest to nine points. Two cards are dealt to the Banker and Player hands, and sometimes a third card is drawn. Each hand is ranked according to its total point value, with the nine being worth ten points, sevens and eights being worth six points, and aces counting as one point. A hand with a score closer to nine wins the round. If a player or banker have the same score, a tie is declared and all bets on the Banker and Player hands are returned to the players.
A large, green felt Baccarat table has 12 seats around it, with six on each side of a dealer who deals the cards from an oblong box called a shoe. The table has a numbered area for each player, and the betting area is marked with a special layout showing where players place their bets. Baccarat is a high-stakes game, and it’s not uncommon for players to play with $100 bills. Often, Baccarat is played in a private alcove where the action is blocked off from the other players. In European casinos, the game is usually played with chips, but high-denomination oblong “plaques” are used for this game as well.
Once you’ve placed your bets, the dealer will deal one card to the Player box and another to the Banker box. If you bet on the Player, your box must match the box where the card was deposited. If you bet on the Banker, your box must match the box where the second card was deposited.
Baccarat’s rules are fairly simple, but the card combinations can be confusing for beginners. Each pair of cards counts as its own total, with the higher number being the winner. In addition, the pips (the dots that make up the suits of clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades) count as their face value.
After the cards are dealt, you can place a Super Six Bet or a Pair Bet on either the Banker or the Player hand. A Super Six Bet pays out 12x your original bet amount if the Banker’s first two cards are six or higher. A Pair Bet pays out 11x if the Banker or Player’s first two cards are a pair. Neither of these bets require any additional money to place, so they are a good way to increase your chances of winning.
Whether you’re in the sticky floor of a California card room or the tuxedo-laden casinos of Macau, Baccarat is one of the world’s most popular casino games. This table game traces its roots back to Europe, but it has received new life in Asia and now is making a big impact in the United States. According to Bill Zender, a Nevada Gaming Control agent, former casino executive, and author of the “Book on Managing Casino Games,” baccarat is now the fastest-growing game in American casinos. In Baccarat, the player and banker each bet on a hand that will win by being closest to nine points. Two cards are dealt to the Banker and Player hands, and sometimes a third card is drawn. Each hand is ranked according to its total point value, with the nine being worth ten points, sevens and eights being worth six points, and aces counting as one point. A hand with a score closer to nine wins the round. If a player or banker have the same score, a tie is declared and all bets on the Banker and Player hands are returned to the players. A large, green felt Baccarat table has 12 seats around it, with six on each side of a dealer who deals the cards from an oblong box called a shoe. The table has a numbered area for each player, and the betting area is marked with a special layout showing where players place their bets. Baccarat is a high-stakes game, and it’s not uncommon for players to play with $100 bills. Often, Baccarat is played in a private alcove where the action is blocked off from the other players. In European casinos, the game is usually played with chips, but high-denomination oblong “plaques” are used for this game as well. Once you’ve placed your bets, the dealer will deal one card to the Player box and another to the Banker box. If you bet on the Player, your box must match the box where the card was deposited. If you bet on the Banker, your box must match the box where the second card was deposited. Baccarat’s rules are fairly simple, but the card combinations can be confusing for beginners. Each pair of cards counts as its own total, with the higher number being the winner. In addition, the pips (the dots that make up the suits of clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades) count as their face value. After the cards are dealt, you can place a Super Six Bet or a Pair Bet on either the Banker or the Player hand. A Super Six Bet pays out 12x your original bet amount if the Banker’s first two cards are six or higher. A Pair Bet pays out 11x if the Banker or Player’s first two cards are a pair. Neither of these bets require any additional money to place, so they are a good way to increase your chances of winning.