|
Baccarat is the oldest
of all games played in modern casinos. Records suggest the game may
have been played as far back as the fifteenth century in France
where it is sometime known as pinto banco. There are just three bets
to make and the game is often played for very high odds. In
traditional casinos Baccarat tables are often kept separate from the
rest of the casino in a ‘Baccarat Pit.’ The Baccarat table is easy
to recognize. It is often quite large and can have seating for as
many as twelve people. Baccarat is a card game played with a single
deck of cards. The objective of the game is to predict which of the
two hands (Banker or Player) that are about to be dealt will be
closer to having a value of 9.
Popular culture
was introduced to the game of Baccarat by James Bond, the legendary
Ian Fleming
character, that spend hours sipping vodka martinis, smoking strong
filter less Turkish blend cigarettes and playing the casino card
game of Baccarat Chemin de Fer. Baccarat is a very old casino game
believed to have originated in Italy. Sometime during the reign of
Charles VIII (1423-1483), Baccarat made its way to France.
Historically speaking, Baccarat has been a game of the wealthy and
sophisticated but is now available and played by players of all
backgrounds online.
While Baccarat may seem somewhat confusing at first, it is actually
a fairly simple game with a very low house edge, approximately 1%.
Baccarat is somewhat similar to Blackjack in that both the Player
hand and the Banker hand are both dealt
two cards and similar to Craps in the fashion that the table places
bets.
In the classic
game of Baccarat the deal rotates among the players. Even though the
player dealing is acting as the Banker, he is not obligated to bet
on the Banker’s hand. In Mini Baccarat a casino dealer handles the
deal. After players make their bets the dealer deals a two-card hand
to the Banker and Player. A Tie at any point in the game ends the
hand and pays Tie bets. If either hand dealt is a total of 9, it is
called a “Natural” and automatically wins. If neither hand is 9 a
hand with a total of 8 is a Natural winner. Natural hands always
immediately win or Tie (although a 9 beats an 8).
If neither hand is an 8 or a 9 and there is no Tie additional cards
may be dealt according to a standard set of rules. The Player’s hand
is dealt to first, and only if the current value is 5 or less [top
right].
After the Player’s hand is complete, the Banker’s hand is dealt out
according to the following set of rules: If the Player did not draw
a third card, then the Banker only draws a card to a hand of 4 or
less. If the Player did draw a third card, the Banker follows the
rules at right.
|
