Baccarat is an exciting and suspenseful game that is both easy to learn and play. A baccarat game has three possible outcomes: the player's win, the banker's win or a draw. Note that the dealer does not match the house and participants can bet on his hand as well as on the player's.
Steps
Step 1. Know that it is possible to bet on both hands
Participants in the game can bet on either the dealer's hand or the player's hand but only before the cards are dealt.
Step 2. The number of cards
Two cards are dealt by the dealer face up to both the player and the dealer.
Step 3. The value of the cards
At this point the value of the cards is declared. The tens and face cards are worth 0 points while the other cards are worth their numerical value; the ace is worth 1 point. The sum of the cards (removing all tens) gives the final score. For example, a hand consisting of 9 and 6 has a total value of 5 (9 + 6 = 15; 15-10 = 5). To win you have to get as close as possible to the score of 9.
Step 4. How to get a "natural" win
If the banker's or player's cards reach a score of 8 or 9, the game ends with a "natural" victory of one or the other and all winning bets are paid.
Step 5. When should the player draw the third card?
In the event that no one between the player and the dealer has achieved a score of 8 or 9, the player draws a third card only if the value of those in his hand goes from 0 to 5. If he has obtained a score of 6 or 7 it is automatically served.
Step 6. When does the dealer draw the third card?
If the player is served (or does not draw), the dealer draws a third card if the value of those in his hand goes from 0 to 5 while he is served if he has obtained a score of 6 or 7. The course of subsequent hands depends from the card drawn by the player:
- If the player's third card is a 9 or 10, face or ace, the dealer draws with 0-3 and is dealt with 4-7.
- If the player's third card is an 8, the dealer draws with 0-2 and is dealt with 3-7.
- If the player's third card is a 6 or a 7, the dealer draws with 0-6 and is dealt with 7.
- If the player's third card is a 4 or a 5, the dealer draws with 0-5 and is dealt with 6-7.
- If the player's third card is a 2 or a 3, the dealer draws with 0-4 and is dealt with 5-7.
Step 7. Once all the cards have been dealt, the final score is calculated
The winning hand is the one whose score is closest to 9. In the event of a tie, there is no winning hand. Sometimes a commission is paid to the casino for winnings obtained by betting on the dealer's hand.
Advice
- Don't bet all the time, watch the hands unfold and see when the odds of winning play in favor of the player or the dealer.
- Single deck. House margin over the counter: 1.29%; house edge on the player: 1.01%; house edge on draw: 15.57%.
- Remember that the dealer draws more cards and therefore his chances of winning are slightly higher.
- Don't bet against a successful streak.
- Eight deck mules. House margin over the counter: 1.24%; house edge on the player: 1.06%; house edge on draw: 14.36%.
- Six deck mules. House margin over the counter: 1.24%; house edge on the player: 1.06%; house edge on draw: 14.44%.
- Know that in baccarat the odds of winning depend on the number of decks used to deal the cards.
- Try to keep in mind the value of the cards drawn in each hand and place your bets based on what might come up in the following hands.
- Once you run out of cards, you will notice that both the player and the dealer have achieved a win percentage close to 50%.
