How to play Baccarat

Play Baccarat Online

• How to Play
• Strategy
• Tips
• Background
• Glossary

The number 9 plays a focal role in Baccarat. Anyone who plays the game is an observer between a ‘banker’ and a ‘player’, with each being dealt out a pair of cards. To play the game, you have to guess who would have a card total nearest 9 – is it the player, the banker, or perhaps do both share a common total?

Accordingly, you bet either on the player or the banker, and based on the surmise that both can score even, you can also bet on a ‘tie’.

Before we proceed, an understanding of Baccarat’s point values is called for. Cards from 2 to 9 are taken at face value, face cards and 10s are valued at 0, while the Aces carry 1 point. If the totals add up to more than 10, the ‘tens’ digit is dropped, so 10 would 0, 15 would be 5, 22 would be 2, and so on.

The game is triggered by selecting either on the ‘player’, the ‘banker’ or the ‘tie’ icon, prompted by your guess on who would have the higher number closer to 9.

How much would you like to bet? The game can be played within the table limits of $2 and $250, so place your bet accordingly.

Once bet, the cards are drawn, two each for the player and the banker. Simply put, the one with the number closest to 9 would be the winner. A petite hand that’s 8 or a ‘le Grande’ 9 is a ‘natural’, and if both the banker and the player have a natural in their hand, the one with the higher total wins. In the event of both sharing the same value, it’s a push, wherein your bet is returned. On a tie bet, you win.

When both the player and the banker have a matching score, a third card is drawn to decide the winner. Either also has an option to stand – this action is governed by the following set of rules:

When the third card is drawn by the player, the banker’s action is determined by the following set of rules:

After the 3rd card is drawn and the winner is declared, here’s what you get as payouts:

Let’s play a simple game to illustrate the payouts. You bet on the banker for $100 and deal. The player gets a hand of 2 and 10, and the banker gets J and 6. Point values of the player and the banker are 2 and 6 respectively. Following the rules tabled above, the player can draw a third card, which happens to be K. The player’s total remains at 2, and the banker’s at 6. The latter has a score closer to 9, and is therefore the winner.

What is your payout in this game? Following the rule illustrated above, if you bet on the banker who finally wins, you pay 5% commission (also known as vigorish, or vig, or juice) and get your $95 back.

In another round of the game, you Rebet $100 on the player. The player’s hand has 3 and A, and the banker has a hand of 8 and 8. Point values of the player and the banker are 4 and 6 respectively. The player is permitted to draw a card as per the rules, and in doing so, gets a 4, increasing his total to 8. He now has a score of 8, and you win even money of $100 on the game.

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