Baccarat may not have the pull of a name like blackjack and slots in online casinos but it is still a wildly popular game. It’s just that it can look complicated on the outside looking in. The biggest mainstream push that game has received has been from its inclusion in the James Bond series and – especially the older versions of Casino Royale – but it still maintains a little bit of mystery among recreational online casino games.
Don’t be intimidated. Use the following guide to get yourself in to the game:
What You Need To Know
Six decks are required when you play a game of baccarat and there are only two sides: you, and the banker (or the house). Both sides will be dealt two hands of cards and the winner is the side that picks the hand with the highest value total. You also have the option to bet on a tie and that will give you a payout of 9/1, but it is a rarity and difficult to call (hence the odds). There are a few different styles of baccarat, so ensure that you know which style you’re going to be partaking in and then find the rules; these rules are general enough that you can get off the ground with any style.
The player always bets first, choosing their side, the banker or a tie. If your hand falls between 0-5, you can get another card, while the banker can also draw another card if their total is between 0-2.
Ranks
Your cards are ranked from two to nine and you can obviously read those values as is. But face cards (jack, queen, king) and 10’s are worth no points. Aces have a firm value of one point, unlike blackjack, where you have the ability to use it as a one or an 11. When you get your hand, you add up the values and then take away 10. For example, if you receive a four and a nine, your total score is 13, but you would get rid of the value in the 10-spot. That means your value falls to three.
How To Win
You win by selecting the highest hand out of the four dealt to you and the banker, or you can select a tie and receive the aforementioned 9/1 odds. If you wager on your hand (the player’s hand), you just win what you lay down on the hand. If you wager on the banker and it wins, however, you’re going to receive what you bet, but a commission of usually 5% is taken off, so you’ll win more by trying to ensure that you have the higher hand. Baccarat is largely a game of chance and the house odds are smaller than in most online casino games but this aspect of the game allows you to have a little bit of control.
Take these tips and use them as a springboard to baccarat success!