Baccarat
Baccarat is one of those casino games that have been around for a very long time. A classic card game, originally from Europe, Baccarat has been a regular fixture of the American casino for quite some time, and has been a popular staple in pop culture, most notably with cinema and literature’s most famous secret agent, James Bond.
The origins of Baccarat have been traced quite a way back - coming from the Italian word “baccara”, the game was said to be introduced in France around 1490. It was also said that it was not an uncommon sight to see the French aristocracy playing this game in the court of King Charles. In America, Baccarat made a splash in the Las Vegas casinos in 1959, where it was likely one of the games played by Vegas “royalty” known as “The Rat Pack” (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Etc)
One of the known advantages about Baccarat is that it is likely one of the more “fair” games out there in relation to the gambler, as it is more likely to give the player an even break. Unlike games such as Blackjack, Baccarat isn’t a game that requires the use of playing strategies in order to be good at it – it’s a game of pure luck. In actuality, a non professional Baccarat player might be better off than someone who considers himself or herself an Ace at the game (pardon the pun!)
Unlike most games, Baccarat still continues to evolve. In the 1980’s, the variation “Mini Baccarat” was created to appeal to the less hardcore player. Mini Baccarat is played on smaller tables, and moves faster than its original form, but still retains the usage of the same rules.
Baccarat usually has a high minimum bet (usually about $20), and is referred to as “The Game of Whales”, which means that it appeals to the utmost top of the high rollers. It is not uncommon for a casino to win (or lose) millions in a single night of Baccarat.
In Baccarat, the cards “2” through “9” are worth face value. “10”, “J’, “Q” and “K” are worth zero points, and the Ace is worth 1 point. In order to play, a player tallies up their score via all their cards, and ignores any ten digit (this is otherwise known as Modulo 10 – meaning 13 actually equals 3, 15 = 5, 17 = 7, etc). A hand that has an equivalent of 10 is actually worth zero (in this case , a “Baccarat”), which is a bit ironic, considering that the game is named after the worst hand a player can get, which is a “0”. The highest score in Baccarat is actually a “9”.
Essentially, Baccarat is a game with two hands, and bets are made on the “player” or the “banker” (these are terms in name only – they are simply two hands in the game – the “player” is not really anyone, and nor is “the banker”.) Two cards are dealt to each hand, turned over, and added up – from there, either may or may not have to take another card (gone over in more detail in the how to play the game article). In reality, it’s very simple, and also quite fascinating.
It may seem a little daunting, more because of the company you keep than the actual game (because, let’s face it, betting $20 while Captain Moneybags bets $20,000 is… odd - to say the least!) But if you can find a room/table where you feel comfortable with the bet amount, you should give Baccarat a try – it’s really a lot of fun.
As always, good luck out there!
