Baccarat Basics
Baccarat is a game of chance, but one where your bankroll and betting strategy play an important role. The game is played against a dealer, who passes out two cards to the players’ and banker’s spots on the table before each round. Players place their chips based on which hand they believe will win. They can bet on either the player or the banker hand, and they can also bet that the game will end in a tie.
The rules of Baccarat are quite simple, and the game is a bit like a super-sophisticated version of betting on coin tosses. The house edge on a banker bet is only 1.06% and slightly less on the player bet. The game is also very exciting and dramatic, which can make it very appealing to high rollers.
A croupier, known as a dealer in the US, oversees a Baccarat game. The game’s table is covered in green felt, and it has markings for the different betting areas. There are also designated spots for the croupier and a shoe where the cards are kept. The croupier collects a standard 5% commission on winning banker bets, tracked in a separate box on the table layout.
Once all the bets have been placed, the dealer deals two cards to each of the players’ and banker’s boxes. The cards are ranked according to their value, with 9 being the highest, 10 being worth zero points, and all other cards counting as their face value. A Player’s total is calculated by adding up the values of all the cards in their hand (accounting for aces and picture or face cards as 0 points). For example, if a player receives a three and a six, their count is 13 because 6 + 3 = 13.
After the Player’s and Banker’s hands are dealt, a third card may be drawn if necessary. If the third card results in a tie, the game ends. However, if the third card makes the Banker’s hand a winner, then the Player’s bet wins that round.
If the Banker’s hand has a total of 8 or 9, then it will win that round. The player’s bet is then paid out, with the 5% commission deducted from the winning amount.
If you are a high-roller, you might want to try the Super Six Bet, which pays out 12x your bet amount if the first two cards in the Banker’s hand are a pair. Another option is the Pair Bet, which pays out if the player’s and banker’s hands have matching pairs of cards. While this bet does not offer as great a return as the other two, it is easy to make and can be very profitable.