Baccarat is not a complicated game. There are some basic rules to learn, the betting structure is relatively simple, and while there are some intricate rules to understand, you can pick these up as you play.
The basic rules are as follows:
Layout and Play: Baccarat games played in North America, China, and large parts of Europe follow the Punto Banco variant, which translates as “Player Banker”. The cards are typically dealt from a shoe containing 6 to 8 decks and the highest hand value is 9.
Purpose: There are two hands in a single game, one for each the player and the banker, and it’s up to the player to bet on the winner. Each hand is dealt two cards, but there are also occasions in which a third card may be drawn, as discussed below.
Betting Options: There are three main bets available during a game of Baccarat:
Banker: A bet on the banker’s hand that returns the highest chance of success.
Player: A bet on the player’s hand. This pays the same as the banker bet but has a slightly smaller chance of success.
Tie: The Tie option pays more but has the lowest chance of success.
Baccarat Card Values: In Baccarat, cards Ace to 9 are represented by their face value, with the Ace serving as the one. Cards of ten and higher all score zero. The total score is always taken from the rightmost digit, which is why it’s not possible to attain a score of 10 or higher. This means that if the player gets a 5 and a 6 to a total of 11, their actual score will be 1; if they get a 7 and an 8, to a total of 15, then it will be 5.
3rd Card Rule: A 3rd card may be drawn if neither the player or the banker secures an 8 or 9.
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