Is online (and casino) baccarat complicated or simple? Is it fun or boring? How does the base game work, and how much can I win on side bets? Can I impress my friends with my baccarat skills? What tricks and strategies are there, and what does Phil Ivey have to do with it?
Rules and history of baccarat
Before we delve into strategy, odds, and risks, we should briefly review the game’s background. Online baccarat and the history of casinos go hand in hand.
History, spelling and pronunciation.
To avoid embarrassment on your next visit to the casino, remember that the “t” at the end is not accented. So it’s Ba-Ka-Rah. Other spellings for the game are Baccarat and Bakkara.
It’s unclear exactly when Baccarat was invented. Some experts suggest that Baccarat’s precursors were already being played in the 16th century in Naples, Italy. However, the two official predecessors of the game as we know it today came from France and only began their triumphant advance after 1800. In the United States, Baccarat is also called Punto Banco.
James Bond plays Baccarat
Today we know James Bond as a poker player. In 2006, we were at the forefront of the global poker boom. Thus, in Casino Royale, the producers also had their hero take a seat at the poker table. In the past, however, another card game was considered much more modern.
In the melodious baccarat chemin de fer, players play against each other, not against the banker. Here, between 8 and 12 players sit at the table, one of whom takes on the role of banker. The brilliance of this version is best demonstrated in this video of the masterpiece “James Bond – 007 Chases Dr. No.”
Baccarat: a game with complicated rules?
Baccarat has a reputation for being a complicated game that can only be learned with great effort. We can’t let that lie. In fact, once you master the rules of Baccarat, it’s quite easy—even easier than Blackjack.
The trick is that you don’t necessarily lose when the dealer wins, and vice versa. It all depends on whether you bet on the dealer or not.
In any case, you don’t need to be scared and can sit at a Baccarat table even as a beginner without any major nerves.
The objective of the game: How to win
How to win at Baccarat? The hand with the highest card value wins. The highest possible card value is 9 points.
This sounds super simple, but it also requires the necessary context of the rest of the Baccarat rules. You don’t have to win as a player; you just have to make the right bet on which hand will win.
Decks and card values
Let’s start with the playing cards. The game is usually played with 6-8 standard French decks of 52 cards each, so there are several hundred cards in total. Each card has a specific value:
Ace: 1 point.
2-9: correspond to their numerical value. For example, a 5 is worth 5 points.
Ten, Jack, Queen and King each count as 0 points.
More than 9 points are not possible; the last digit always counts. A 6 and a 7 would actually be worth 13 points, but this hand is actually worth 3 points.
The suits of the cards (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades) are of no importance to the game.
Bet on the outcome of the game.
What do we actually bet our money on in Baccarat? Quite simply, on the outcome of the game. Before the cards are dealt, you place your bet. Here you can bet that:
● The bank (Bank) wins (Chance of winning: 46%, House edge: 1.06%, Payout: Bet multiplied by 1.95)
● The player (Point) wins (chance of winning: 44%, house edge: 1.24%, payout: bet multiplied by 2)
● The round ends in a tie (win chance: 10%, house edge: 14.36%, payout: 8x bet)
Procedure of a game round
After the bets are placed, the dealer deals two cards to the player and two cards to the banker face up. If the scores are equal, the game ends in a tie.
If the player, the banker, or even both have 8 or 9 points with their first two cards, then it is called a “natural 8” or “natural 9,” respectively. No more cards are dealt. The bet on the person with the higher score wins. So, a natural 9 can beat a natural 8. But a tie is also possible here.
If the player has six or seven points, then he must pass. The banker then draws a card, unless he has 8 or 9 points.
If the player has 0 to 5 points after the cards are dealt, then they draw a card. The banker draws a card unless they have 8 or 9 points.
The player receives a card first. By the way, it’s always regulated who draws a card. Neither the bank nor the player can decide: the game round follows fixed moves! Or in other words, you can’t make a mistake.
Big Table vs Mini Baccarat
There are several variations of the game, the two most popular being Big Table and Mini. Baccarat is played both online and in casinos almost exclusively in the mini version. The disappearance of Big Table Baccarat is primarily for practical reasons.
Not only are the stakes often very high, but you always need 12 to 14 players. The rounds drag on forever, and hardly anyone is in the mood for that anymore. Plus, there are up to three dealers, so staff costs are also very high. The tables themselves are also enormous and simply take up too much space.
That’s why Mini Baccarat has become so popular everywhere. You play online with just the dealer or in a casino with up to seven other players.
Private Baccarat Rounds vs. casino
In a private setting, it’s quite common for players to compete against each other. However, these days, there are only a few rounds of play. One encounters other enthusiastic players less and less. Baccarat has long been considered an old-fashioned game.
In the casino, however, players compete against the bank, each on their own.
Tempting Game? Baccarat Side Bets
By the way, you can usually place so-called side bets. Here you bet that the banker or player will get a pair, for example, two queens.
Another example is some casinos in London, where you can bet on a royal match, i.e. a king and a queen in the starting hand.
If you play Baccarat online, you will get the following side bets:
● Peers
● Double pair (i.e., a pair in both the banker and the player)
● Super 6 Insurance: In this side bet you win if the bank rolls 6.