How to Play Baccarat

When it comes to casino games, most players prefer slot machines, blackjack and roulette. There are also other great existing games that you can play in both land-based and online casinos, such as Baccarat. It is often underestimated in the casino, but those who play this game swear by it and the truth is that it has actually been around for centuries. Here we will explain exactly its origin, how it is played and how to find it online.

Baccarat History

According to the different sources, the stories about the invention of the game are several. We cannot give you a guarantee whether the game is of French or Italian origin, but it is certainly one of the two, since the word “baccarat” describes the number zero in both languages, as it was first mentioned in the distant 1400.

Baccarat was especially popular among the royal society in France, and at the beginning it was mainly a social game. The game gained even more popularity when its spread reached the whole country. Starting from France and Italy, the game spread throughout all of Europe.

Although not as popular in the USA as in Europe, Baccarat became part of the casinos in Las Vegas.

How is baccarat played?

Compared to the original version of the game, which is played by several people at a table in a land-based casino, we’ll turn your attention to the online version, played by only one person.

Basically, the number of players around the table is irrelevant, because at Baccarat only one hand is dealt, on which each player makes his bet. The game, which includes the player’s hand and the dealer’s hand, is considered the easiest, because everything is taken care of by the dealer and the player is not required to perform any actions. In other words, it is as if you are betting on the hand of another player at the table.

The aim of the game is simple, namely the hand with the highest score is the winning hand. The difference in Baccarat is the value of the cards. For example, the ace has a value of 1, and tens and face cards – 0. The cards from 2 to 9 retain their value, which indicates their number. The goal of the game is to get as close as possible to 9 with 2 or 3 cards.

You will have the option to choose what to bet on before each hand is dealt, either the player’s hand, the dealer’s hand or a tie. Once you have placed your bet, the cards are dealt (in online dealing you must press the designated button). In this moment, the dealer deals a total of four cards—two face up to the player’s seat and two face up to the dealer’s seat.

Here are the rules of the game. Please remember that you are not required to take any action because the dealer takes care of everything. If either the player’s or the dealer’s hand has an 8 or a 9, the hand is considered a “natural” and the action stops there. If neither hand is an 8 or a 9, then the game continues.

The hand that must act first is the player’s. If he has a 6 or 7, no more cards are drawn. If the player’s hand has a total of 0-5 (please remember that face and the number 10 cards are worth 0 ), then a third card is added to the corresponding hand. The player then adds up his cards to find out the result of his hand.

In the next action, attention is directed to the dealer’s hand, which has slightly more complicated rules. We will do our best to explain them to you in an easier way. If the player did not take a card, then the dealer continues the game with the same as the player’s rules.

It is important to know that the casino deducts a 5% commission from all winning hands. Therefore, winning bets on the player’s hands or the dealer’s hands are paid out at a ratio of 1.95 to 1. And when the number of hands is equal, those who bet on the same number are paid at a ratio of 8 to 1.

The difference between online Bacarrat and table Baccarat

Although the essence of the game is the same, regardless of where it is played, there are also differences between the land-based and online versions of baccarat. Speed ​​is the first thing that differentiates them, and this is due to the fact that in land-based casinos the process of betting and paying out is slower because of the larger number of players around the table. The positive in the situation is that the game is faster, compared to that with a full table of blackjack players, because after all only one hand is played.

The way the cards are shuffled is the second difference, in order to keep the action going, 6 or 8 decks are used at most baccarat tables. This allows players to observe the card patterns, although the value is not the same as card counting in blackjack. In online play, the game usually has 6 or 8 decks, from which the cards are shuffled on each deal, and therefore there is no discard pile to consider either.

The third and final difference is the number of baccarat variants that you can find when playing online or live. The most common form of baccarat is punto banco and it is usually only offered on one or two tables in casinos as it is not as popular as the rest of the games. When you play online, you may be offered many other variants that you may choose from, as there are no space limitations.

Where to play online baccarat

Almost all online casinos offer baccarat – you only have to be careful and choose a trustworthy and safe casino. The online casinos you will find at mycasinogames.com are all safe and you can find detailed reviews about them in our platform.