How To Play Baccarat
Introduction
Baccarat is a classic game that originated in France over 500 years ago.
It is a very simple game to play where there are no decisions to be made after your bets are placed, as the rules are automatic. The highest hand is nine and the lowest is zero. The hand closest to nine is the winner.
Basic Rules
In Baccarat, there are three possible outcomes on which you can wager before the cards are dealt: the player’s hand, the banker’s hand, the tie, or any combination of the three.
Cards are dealt face-up: two to the player’s hand and two to the banker’s hand. In this game as the player you do not receive any cards, rather you are betting on the outcome of the hand that is dealt.
The hand with the point total closest to nine wins the hand. Baccarat is a single digit game. To determine the value or total for each hand, the cards are added together and the last digit is used to determine the total. If the total value of the hand is 10 or greater, subtract 10 and count the remainder as the value of the hand. (e.g. 9+3=2, 10+3=3). Face cards (Kings, Queens, Jacks) and Tens count as zero, Aces count as 1, and all other cards are counted at face value.
Based on the individual point totals of the player’s hand and banker’s hand, a third card may be dealt. When the first two cards of the player’s hand or banker’s hand total 8 or 9, neither receives a third card.
When the first two cards of the player’s hand total 6 or more, the player’s hand does not get a third card. And, when the first two cards of the player’s hand total 0 – 5, the player’s hand gets a third card.
The banker’s hand plays under the same rules as the player’s hand except when both the banker’s hand total is 3, 4, 5, or 6 and when the player’s hand takes a third card. In that event, the following rules apply:
- Banker has total of 0, 1, 2: Banker always draws a third card.
- Banker has total of 3: Banker draws if Player's Third Card is 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-9-0 (not 8)
- Banker has total of 4: Banker draws if Player's Third Card is 2-3-4-5-6-7
- Banker has total of 5: Banker draws if Player's Third Card is 4-5-6-7
- Banker has total of 6: Banker draws if Player's Third Card is of 6-7
- Banker has total of 7: Banker always stands.
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