How to Play Baccarat
Baccarat is one of the most glamorous casino games and a favorite with high rollers. It’s also one of the easiest to learn and can be played in most European and US casinos for big money stakes. Baccarat, which is also known as Punto Banco, requires no technical skill and players simply wager on whether a banker or player hand will win.
Two cards are dealt to each hand and sometimes a third card is drawn. The winning hand is the one that is closest to nine points. The game is typically dealt from a shoe and a dealer hands out the cards to participants who have placed bets on either the banker or player hand.
There are from seven to 14 seats for players, depending on the version of baccarat, and the table is blocked off in a special alcove away from the other casino action. Players aren’t given their own cards; instead they bet on the outcome of the Player and Banker hands and there are sheets for each hand to keep track of scores.
Traditionally, the game is played with real cash and there are usually $100-bills spread around the table. In America, however, the game is usually played with chips and high-denomination oblong ‘plaques’ in place of regular paper bills.
Before the dealer deals any cards, each participant places their bets on the Player hand, Banker hand or a Tie bet. When the bets are in place, the dealer will then deal one card to the Player box and then another to the Banker box. The player or banker who bets on the highest box wins that round.
The Banker hand is the most popular option and pays out 1:1 to those who bet on it. The drawback to the Banker bet is that the house takes a 5% commission on wins and this means the House edge is slightly higher than the Player hand.
While the Player hand isn’t as popular as the Banker hand, it does have its own benefits. The payouts on a Player bet are much higher than the Banker bet (which is why it has the lower house edge) and the fact that there’s no commission involved on a Player bet means that you can get your initial bet back plus profit.
There are also a number of other types of bets available for players to make alongside the Banker and Player bets. These include Super Six Bets, which pay out 12x the bet amount if the Banker hand totals six points and Pair Bets, which give you a payout if the first two cards are a Banker pair. Both of these are available at most online and mobile baccarat sites.
Baccarat is one of the most glamorous casino games and a favorite with high rollers. It’s also one of the easiest to learn and can be played in most European and US casinos for big money stakes. Baccarat, which is also known as Punto Banco, requires no technical skill and players simply wager on whether a banker or player hand will win. Two cards are dealt to each hand and sometimes a third card is drawn. The winning hand is the one that is closest to nine points. The game is typically dealt from a shoe and a dealer hands out the cards to participants who have placed bets on either the banker or player hand. There are from seven to 14 seats for players, depending on the version of baccarat, and the table is blocked off in a special alcove away from the other casino action. Players aren’t given their own cards; instead they bet on the outcome of the Player and Banker hands and there are sheets for each hand to keep track of scores. Traditionally, the game is played with real cash and there are usually $100-bills spread around the table. In America, however, the game is usually played with chips and high-denomination oblong ‘plaques’ in place of regular paper bills. Before the dealer deals any cards, each participant places their bets on the Player hand, Banker hand or a Tie bet. When the bets are in place, the dealer will then deal one card to the Player box and then another to the Banker box. The player or banker who bets on the highest box wins that round. The Banker hand is the most popular option and pays out 1:1 to those who bet on it. The drawback to the Banker bet is that the house takes a 5% commission on wins and this means the House edge is slightly higher than the Player hand. While the Player hand isn’t as popular as the Banker hand, it does have its own benefits. The payouts on a Player bet are much higher than the Banker bet (which is why it has the lower house edge) and the fact that there’s no commission involved on a Player bet means that you can get your initial bet back plus profit. There are also a number of other types of bets available for players to make alongside the Banker and Player bets. These include Super Six Bets, which pay out 12x the bet amount if the Banker hand totals six points and Pair Bets, which give you a payout if the first two cards are a Banker pair. Both of these are available at most online and mobile baccarat sites.