Baccarat Basics
If you’re looking for a table game with few complexities and plenty of James Bond-style gambling fun, Baccarat is the way to go. You place your bets on the Player, Banker or Tie and watch as the dealer takes care of all the rest. And while the rules can be a bit different depending on whether you’re playing Punto Banco (where all bets are pre-determined) or Chemin de Fer (where players can choose to draw a third card), they remain fairly simple to understand.
The first thing you’ll need to do is determine how much you want to bet per round. This is done by going around the table counterclockwise and announcing if you want to bet on the Player, the Banker or the Tie. Once everyone’s bets are placed, the cards are dealt according to fixed rules and whoever has the hand closest to 9 wins. If the Banker and Player hands have the same value, a tie bet is paid out 9 to 1.
You’ll also be able to make side bets in Baccarat such as the Super Six Bet and the Pair Bet. The Super Six bet pays out 12x the initial bet if the Player or Banker has a hand totaling 6 points or more, while the Pair Bet pays out 11x the initial bet if either the Player or the Banker has a pair of cards. Both of these bets are optional and can help you increase your winning chances at the baccarat table.
Once all the bets have been placed, the dealer will deal two cards to both the Player and the Banker. If the hand has a value of 8 or 9, it is a “natural” and no third card will be drawn. If the hand has a value of 7 or 6, it is a “push” and the player must stand. The banker will then compare his hand to the player’s and if he has a higher value, the winning bets are paid out.
If he has a lower value, the banker must push and he will lose his initial bet. This is why it’s important to know the odds of a winning hand before placing your bets. The best way to do this is to practice for free at a online casino where you can play in demo mode. This will give you a feel for the game and allow you to try different strategies without risking real money. One thing to remember is that you should avoid betting on the Tie bet if at all possible, as it has an extremely high house edge of over 4%. Baccarat is a very popular game at online casinos and it’s easy to find a game in a variety of stakes. So why not try it out today? You might just love it!