Brief Guide to Playing Baccarat

Baccarat is table card game that originated in France. It is also known as Chemin de Fer and Punto Banco. It has been a casino staple for years and a favorite especially of casino high rollers.

Baccarat is played on a table that allows, normally, a maximum of 14 players. Usually also, a baccarat table has three dealers. On top of the table, each player's seat or place has 3 bet areas: Banco, Punto, and standoff.

Player and Banker do not refer to individuals but to the two hands used in the game. The hands also represent the types of bet that can be taken when playing baccarat. Wagering in baccarat is like betting odd/even in roulette. You can bet between Punto (Player) and Banco (Banker). A third bet can also be taken and it is referred to Standoff or Tie but it's rarely taken because of its low hit probability.

The game begins with the players betting on either Punto, Banco, or Standoff. Then the dealer sets down the Player and Banker hands; both are dealt facedown. A hand consist of two cards though third card MAY be added to the hands.

The dealing of cards can be done either by the dealer or by a player. If the dealer's been dealing the cards and Punto wins, the role (of dealing the cards) goes to a player. A player may, however, decline to deal the cards and pass the role to another player.

The player with largest Punto wager is dealt the Punto. Both Punto cards are dealt facedown. The Banco hand is placed under the shoe. The player checks the Punto cards then hands them to the dealer, who will then turn them over, face up, at the same time. A third card may then be dealt depending on fixed third card rules.

In baccarat, K, Q, J & 10 have 0 value while Ace is considered 1.The objective of the game is to reach a hand total of 9. The win is given to the highest hand nearest to that sum. If there's a tie between Punto and Banco , Standoff bets win.

Unless a third card is needed, the casino dealer will then proclaim the results and the winning hand. A player wins if there's a match between their bet (Punto, Banco, or Standoff) and the winning hand. After the winning hand is determined the dealer collects non-winning bets first, then pays the winner. The player who dealt the cards is not the one to pay.

Baccarat is a table card game where as many as 14 players are concerned about the outcome of a single hand. Though a favorite of high rollers, any player will surely enjoy wagering in this game that requires little or no strategy at all.