Baccarat
Object of the game
The object of the game is to wager on his prediction that either the player's
hand will win, the banker's hand will win, or that the game will result
in a tie.
As the player you are given the choice of either betting on the bankers
hand winning, the players hand winning, or a tie between the two. Two cards
are dealt to the player and the banker. If the hand you're betting on wins,
you win even money. Even money bets are 1 to 1, meaning if you bet £5,
you're paid back the £5 plus £5 more, so your profit is equal
to your bet. If you bet on a tie and it turns out to be one, you're paid
8 to 1. Meaning if you bet £5 on a tie and win, you're paid back your
five, plus £40 more.
Card Values
The goal of your two-card hand is to try and have a total that is closest
to 9 - the hand with the highest point value wins. Tens and face cards count
as zero, with the exception of the ace, which is worth 1. Cards 2 thru 9
are worth their face value.
The only tricky part to baccarat is that although there is no such thing
as a 'busting hand' as in blackjack, when your initial card total is a two
digit number, the first digit is dropped. Say you are dealt a pair of sixes
- the total is 12, but the count is set to 2, as the leading 1 is arbitrarily
dropped.
If the first two cards of a hand total 8 or 9 the hand is declared a 'natural'
and wins (unless there is a tie between two naturals). If either hand is
a natural, both hands stand, the higher natural hand wins. If the total
is not a natural win on either hand, another card is drawn for each hand
to determine the winner. Winning banker hands are usually taxed 5% by the
casinos. Remember, anybody can be the banker, not always a casino employee.
This hint is enough to gain an advantage in baccarat, because you know if
the casinos take a cut of just one hand, that one hand probably has a good
chance of winning.
Something the other baccarat rules pages on the Internet aren't likely
to offer as info is this interesting tidbit: even with the 5% cut taken
from winning on a banker hand bet, there is still an advantage to betting
on the banker. The advantage is slim, in the area 0.18%, but in the world
of gambling that's really not that small. So from reading this page you
should have picked up enough about baccarat rules to play a game. It may
still be a good idea to try it online first, and within minutes you'll feel
comfortable enough to play anywhere. There aren't many rules, and the baccarat
rules that do exist are fairly simple, they just differ from other games
you may have played at the casino, so may take a little getting used to.
Third Card Rule
| Player: |
| Point Value of First Two Cards: |
Action Required |
| 0-1-2-3-4-5 |
Draws a third card |
| 6-7 |
Stands |
| 8-9 |
"Natural hand", no further draw |
| Banker |
| Point Value of First Two Cards: |
Draws when the player´s
third card is: |
Does not draw when the player´s
third card is: |
| 0-1-2 |
Always draws a card |
- |
| 3 |
0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-9 |
8 |
| 4 |
2-3-4-5-6-7 |
0-1-8-9 |
| 5 |
4-5-6-7 |
0-1-2-3-8-9 |
| 6 |
6-7 |
0-1-2-3-4-5-8-9 |
| 7 |
Always stands |
- |
| 8-9 |
Player cannot draw |
Player cannot draw |
| Payouts |
| Winning Wager |
Odds Payout |
| Banker (receives 5% commission) |
1 - 1 |
| Player |
1 - 1 |
| Tie |
8 - 1 |
Martingale Betting System
It is an easy system to understand, but very dangerous if you have a string
of losses. You attempt to win 1 unit (£1, or £5, or whatever)
on every hand. Your first bet is 1 unit on player or banker. If the bet
is won, you start again at 1 unit. If the bet is lost, you double the next
bet to 2 units. Winning at this stage gives you a win of 1 unit (1 unit
lost followed by 2 units won). Should you lose again, then you double your
bet again, this time to 4 units. And again, a win at this stage is of 1
unit (1 unit lost, 2 units lost and 3 units won). And so on until you win.
Given a 'normal' sequence it should not be too long before you register
a win which covers your losses and provides a win of 1 unit.
