How Many People Play the Game and what's the Idea Behind the Game?
Baccarat is a little more of a specialized game than what you would usually find in a casino. Meant to be (more or less) a high roller game, it does tend to separate the pros from the newbies in terms of gambling acumen.
So how does Baccarat play, exactly? It is a different kind of bet that involves everyone at the table. The goal is to see if the round’s winning hand will end up with the player, or end up with the banker (please note, these are just names for the two hands that make up the game – the “player” is typically not a particular person, and the “banker” is not the house.) Of course, there is also the option that the game may end up in a tie. The number “9” is the deciding factor in the game, as that is the closest hand that this game has in being an actual winner.
The term “Baccarat” itself is actually based on what is considered the worst hand in the game, so if you actually have a “Baccarat”, you are not going to be winning anytime soon, as the point value is equivalent to “zero”. As you have probably begun to notice already, Baccarat is not your standard gambling game.
The number of players for Baccarat varies. A table can have a minimum of seven players, but can be accommodated to fit up to fourteen players, with seven players on each side of the table. But only two hands – players bet on the two hands played. The role of banker can move around the table, but it’s generally ceremonial – indeed, in most venues and variations, the player representing the “banker” can bet on the player hand.
At each seat, there are a series of three bars: One for a “Tie” play (which is the topmost bar), a middle bar for the Banker (or dealer), and the third bar is reserved for the player. Betting in this game is done by placing a chip in the appropriate slot that the player thinks is going to be the winner. Once a player places their chip, the cards are dealt, and the game begins.
Two cards are dealt to each hand, turned over, and added up. All totals in Baccarat are Modulo 10, meaning all “tens” are dropped (thus having a hand of 6 and 7, which is 13, is really a three.) Depending on the two hands, either the player or the banker may stand pat, or draw cards – the highest total (closest to 9) wins. The croupier announces the hands and totals, and then play commences. Generally, it goes like this:
If either the Player or the Banker has a total of 8 or 9 on the initial deal (this is known as a 'natural'), no further cards are drawn. If not, play proceeds as follows.
- If the Player’s hand is 0-5, then the Player draws one card. If the Player has an initial total of 6 or 7, it stands.
Now we move to the banker – this depends on the Banker's hand, on whether the Player drew a card, and on what card the Player drew (lots to remember):
- If the Player did not draw a card, the Banker draws on 0-5, and stands on 6-7. This means if the player is dealt a 6 and the banker 7, the game is over (as the player did not draw, and nor does the banker)
If the player does draw a card, the banker proceeds as follows:
- If the Player drew a 2 or 3, the Banker draws on 0-4, and stands on 5-7.
- If the Player drew a 4 or 5, the Banker draws on 0-5, and stands on 6-7.
- If the Player drew a 6 or 7, the Banker draws on 0-6, and stands on 7.
- If the Player drew an 8, the Banker draws on 0-2, and stands on 3-7.
- If the Player drew an ace, 9, 10, or face-card, the Banker draws on 0-3, and stands on 4-7.
Bets are generally paid 1:1 to the “player” side, and 95% to the banker side (with a 5% commission to the house.)
There are some more variations to the game, and many venues have their own personal touches, but the above in generally the version you’ll see played in North America (the version is actually called Punto Banco)
While it takes time to understand and master the intricacies of Baccarat, it is possible to get a feel for how the game is played in a very short time. In reality, this is a pure guessing game – you bet before cards are dealt, so basically you are guessing “banker” or “player. Simple, right?
So grab your tux, get a martini (shaken, not stirred) and sidle up to the baccarat table. Good luck out there!!
