Baccarat is the biggest game on the casino floor. The game has its own cocktail waitresses, cigar smoke curls toward the ceiling and a sense of fortune hangs in the air. Maybe for the players, maybe for the casinos. It all depends on who’s betting on the Banker hand.
The game of baccarat involves from seven to 14 seats around an oval table and a dealer area. There are only two hands dealt to the table, designated as Player’s and Banker’s. The goal is to wager on the hand you think will come closest to nine. Each hand is dealt six cards and the winning hand is the one with a total closest to nine. Cards numbered 2-9 are worth their face value, picture cards and tens count as zero points and the ace counts as one. If the total of the cards becomes a double digit, it is given the value of the second digit.
Once a bet is placed, the dealer deals the hands and compares them to a scoring chart. If either hand totals 8 or 9, it is a natural win and the game is over. If the hand doesn’t, a third card is drawn according to set rules.
There is also a third betting option known as the Tie Bet. In this case the player hopes that both the Banker and the Player hand will end up with a total of nine. If this happens the payoff is eight to one but it is a long shot. In fact, an expert gambler I know says the Tie bet is “one of the worst bets in a casino.”
This game has become so popular that it has generated a number of variations on the basic game including Side bets and Mini Baccarat. It has even brought in some high rollers like the Australian media tycoon Kerry Packer who once dropped a reported $20 million at the Bellagio Baccarat tables. But even Packer’s mega-wagers haven’t dented the overall take that Las Vegas Strip casinos enjoy from this ancient game.
Whether you’re playing the game at home or in a live casino, learning advanced strategies and practicing them regularly will help improve your chances of success. Baccarat is an intriguing game and studying its history can empower you to play with confidence, and perhaps win some big money in the process. Practicing the basics, as well, will help you become familiar with the game and refine your decision-making skills. Using a practice-play online baccarat site gives you an opportunity to test out different advanced strategies and improve your skill level before making the transition to real-money games. A good baccarat strategy will help you increase your odds of winning and reduce the house edge. So, sit back, relax and learn about the history of this fascinating card game. You might be surprised to find out that the game actually isn’t as old as you may think.