How To Play Baccarat

Baccarat Overview

The player's aim is to get a hand that is closer to 9 in value than the banker's. The game is played modulo 10, that is if the total of the hand is larger than 10, then 10 is subtracted from the total. (Thus the value of a hand is always between 0 through 9)
For instance, if the player's cards total 15, 10 is subtracted and the value of the hand becomes 5. An ace counts as 1, two counts as 2, etc, up through nine counts as 9, but tens (also jacks, queens and kings) count as 0.
Playing the game

To start to play baccarat both player and banker are dealt two cards face down and the next move depends on the cards in the hands.
If the player or banker has a card total of 8 or 9, he turns the cards over immediately. The other must do so also. (In web based baccarat cards are always face up) A 9 value wins over any lesser total, and if neither player has a 9 then 8 wins over any lesser total. Tied 9s or tied 8s are a stand off; no money changes hands. (Unless the other players around the table can bet ties)
If neither player nor banker has a natural (a total of 8 or 9) then play goes to the player. The player stands (does not draw) on a total of 6 or 7, but if the player has a total of 5 or less he must draw one card (face up).
Now it is the bankers' turn. With a total of 7, he stands. With a total of 6 or less, his selection depends on the value of his two card total and the value of the card that the player drew. The rules are as follows:
Baccarat rulesThe next tables sum up the rules for the player and the dealer:

Player Rules
Card Action 10, J, Q, K Draw card 1 Draw card 2 Draw card 3 Draw card 4 Draw card 5 Draw card 6 Stand 7 Stand 8 Turn Cards Over 9 Turn Cards Over

Dealer Rules
Card Draws When Giving Does Not Draw When Giving 10, J, Q, K Draw card Draw card 1 Draw card Draw card 2 Draw card Draw card 3 0 (10, J, Q, K) - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 9 8 4 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 0 (10, J, Q, K)-1-8-9 5 4-5-6-7 0 (10, J, Q, K)-1-2-3-8-9 6 6-7 0 (10, J, Q, K)-1-2-3-4-5-8-9 7 Stand Stand 8 Turn Cards Over Turn Cards Over

Baccarat betting

Baccarat has quite reasonable odds for the player. On player bets the house has a small edge, to balance this the house takes a commission (usually 5 percent) on winning bank bets. Bets are made before any cards have been dealt. The banker plays against only one player at a time, but any or all the other players can bet on the hand.
Up to 12 or 14 players can sit around the baccarat kidney shaped table depending on its size. Three dealers, called croupiers, run the game; one handles the cards, while the other two handle the wagers and the commission that is paid on winning bank bets. Although where the players sit is not important, bets must be made in a marked area on the table that corresponds to the players seat. Players can bet three different ways: on the bank, on the player's hand, or for a tie. It is very common to see players switch from betting on the bank to betting on the player's hand and vice versa. Betting for a tie while having a larger payoff is not usually smart; it is considered one of the worst wagers in the casino. A bet is made by placing money on the table in your marked area on the wagered spot. For example if you are player number 5 and wish to bet on the bank you place the desired wager amount on the table layout place for player number 5 marked bank.
Winning player and bank bets pay even money (excluding commissions). Hands that result in a tie pay off tie wagers at 8 to 1 and a bank or player bet is treated as a push with the money sitting on the table for the next hand.

Baccarat History

Baccarat history can be traced back to the middle ages. It has been said the game was first played with Tarot cards. It was not long before baccarat made its way from its home country, Italy, to France. There it found a new (and welcoming) home among the upper class aristocracy. Further evolution of the game shows it split to European baccarat, and a French game that goes by the name 'chemin de fer'.
'Chemin de fer' is very similar to baccarat as it's played in American casinos today. The difference is that one of the players banks the game instead of the casino. The title of banker rotates around the table in a manner similar to the dice at a craps table. The casino of course is taking no risk here; they simply charge a fee from each banker.
The Baccarat we know today originated in Great Britain and was then passed along to South America and finally to Nevada. The infamous Dunes casino introduced baccarat in the late 50's, and since then it has made its final voyage onto the World of web based gambling.
Baccarat's popularity among the Asian population who visit Las Vegas each year is clear evidence that baccarat history can be found overseas too. The chief high rollers often come from abroad to try their hand under the chandeliers of the elegant Vegas baccarat rooms. In casinos based in the Portuguese territory of Macao, near Hong Kong, the popularity of baccarat is matchless. Unlike the heavily ordered and systematic American casinos, these Portuguese tables often allow multiple players to bet on a single spot at the same time, while the expert dealers mentally keep track of each players commission on winning bank bets.

My Casinos Games Blog ANd more

In this Blogwe have provided detailed instructions and tips for some of the more popular games.
The online casino you choose to play at should have instructions for each one. Here, we bring them all together in a clear and readable manner even for beginners.
If you are familiar with certain games, this is the place to find new good tips as well as some important information about the online casinos gambling games you know and get acquainted with the unfamiliar ones.
I added fun history background to each game (can be great to share in chat rooms), as well as terms specific to each game in order to help you enjoy a smooth and exciting gaming experience.

Baccarat is played at major casinos all over the world.

It is an exiting and thrilling game that is fun to play. You can either play the game against the dealer or wager as an active spectator that either the player's hand will win, the banker's hand will win, or that the game will result in a tie.
At land based casinos the baccarat pit is generally found off to the side away from the rest of the games. This is a room characteristically furnished more elegantly that the rest of the casino. The furniture is more expensive, the dealers will be either dressed in tuxedo or wearing elegant black and the lighting will be soft. In large casinos full of high rollers the baccarat area is serious business, and is usually played for big sums of money. The fact that it is possible to watch the game in an active way gives the gathering around the baccarat table a feeling of importance and festivity.
But don't be intimidated by all of this if you are smaller wagers. Your bets will be treated with the same respect as bets placed by the high rollers, and online baccarat is a different story.
Baccarat is a game of chance played with tempo and style. Baccarat has a low casino edge, giving the player a much better chance of winning more over time than if you were for example feeding coins into a slot machine, or playing roulette. Web based baccarat also has an advantage that unlike other games like blackjack and craps where making a mistake can cost you greatly, the casino's edge is fixed and you can't make it worse by making a mistake.
Another advantage is that though baccarat has strict rules that must be followed, you as a player need not even ever really learn them. The casino dealer is paid to know the rules, direct the players when to make bets, collect losing bets and pay off winners, and in mini-baccarat even deal the cards. In online play, you simply bet on one of three possible results (banker, tie or player) and let the game play it-self.
Maintaining all the rules and excitement of the regular game, mini-baccarat is a newer version of the game and is the type of baccarat played at online casinos. The only difference is that there are fewer players at the table and in mini-baccarat the casino dealer always deals. With some of the best odds at any casino and the ease of play, you have a one of the highest chances of winning when gambling at a web-based baccarat game.
Baccarat or more properly, "baccarat punto" or "punto banco" is one of a family of games that includes baccarat banque and chemin de fer. The factor that makes these games different from one another is who is allowed to play the role of the bank. In the U.K. and in North America, only the baccarat punto version, where the house plays the role of banker, is found. Baccarat punto is the most common, so common that when we use the term "baccarat" it is typically assumed to be referring to this game.