Baccarat is a classic table casino game that’s played all over the world. The game has its roots in Italy and France where it was enjoyed by the nobles and became associated with high rollers. Today, if you want to play Baccarat you can find it at most land-based casinos. It’s also widely available at most good online casinos.
The game is easy to play and a lot of fun, one of the reasons why it’s lasted so long and is still popular today. It also has great odds, making it potentially very lucrative to players who know what they’re doing. There are also loads of different game types out there, something that can make it a little daunting for players who are just getting started.
If you’re relatively new to the world of online casinos or would just like to learn more about Baccarat, we’ve written up this guide for you. We’ll explain everything from how the game works, what the different game options are, and the best ways to play. We’ll even share with you some tips, tricks, and strategies to improve your game.
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Read on for our complete online Baccarat guide. If you want to learn more about how to play Baccarat and have fun while playing, you’ve come to the right place.
What is baccarat?
Baccarat was first played in the 1400s. Believed to have started in Italy, the game was originally played with Tarot cards. Soon after, it spread to France where it was played with a standard deck of playing cards. The French nobility, in particular, was very fond of Baccarat and it became a game associated with high rollers and big bets.
As the game grew in popularity and spread around the world, many new versions were formed including Punto Banco and Dragon Tiger. Today, Baccarat is one of the most popular table games and found at most casinos, both online and land-based.
The game itself is really straightforward, which makes it perfect for beginners. Like in Blackjack, you’ll be dealt cards, and the aim of the game is to get your hand close to a certain number. You’ll be playing against the dealer, also known as the banker in Baccarat. Before any cards are dealt, you can place a bet on whether you either you, the player winning, the banker winning or the game being a tie.
In Baccarat, every card has a value. Most versions of the game have the cards from two to nine with their face value. Tens and face cards are worth zero and Aces are worth one. The object of the game is to have your hand as close to nine as possible. Landing nine exactly is known as a natural.
Most game types deal with the cards face up. The sum of your hand is the total value of the cards. However, if the total is double digits, i.e. ten and above, then your hand value is the second digit of your hand value. For example, if you have a hand value of fifteen, from an eight and a seven, your value will actually be five. For a hand with two sixes, you’d have a hand value of twelve because two is the second digit of six plus six.
It sounds a little confusing at first, but once you start playing, it’s honestly very simple and easy to grasp. If, after the cards are dealt, neither player has a value of nine or eight, then a third card can be dealt with. If the player has a five or less, they need to receive a third card. If they have six or more, they’ll stand.
Whether the dealer takes another card or stands will depend on what cards the player has and the actions of the player. In the end, it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, only that your bet was successful. The player and dealer bet both payouts even money, but we’ll cover this in more detail later in the guide.
Why play baccarat?
Baccarat is an old game that’s still highly popular today. So what exactly does everyone live so much about the game? Well, there are lots of different reasons, and depending on who you ask, some might be more important than others. Here’s our list of reasons why we enjoy playing Baccarat so much at online casinos:
- Simplicity – Baccarat is a really straightforward game to get into and start playing. It doesn’t take much practice to get to grips with the game, and you can be playing hands and landing naturals in no time. On top of that, most of the variants of the game are easy to understand too.
- Low house edge – Baccarat has an incredibly low house edge on banker bets. If you bet on the banker, the advantage to the casino is only 1.06%. This can sometimes depend based on which game type you’re playing, but for the most part, it’s still a lot lower than a lot of other casino games. This means that you have a pretty good chance of consistently coming out on top if you get some good luck.
- Fast-paced – Baccarat usually only involves one bet and four cards being dealt with. It can sometimes take a bit longer if there’s no natural nine or eight on the first draw. But, even then, it’s still a lot quicker than many other table games.
- Skill levels don’t matter – Because Baccarat is more heavily based on luck than some games like Blackjack or Poker, it doesn’t matter how good you are. Provided you know the rules of the game you can get started and win just as often as someone who has been playing for years.
- Good variety – Baccarat has plenty of different options available at most good online casinos. If you prefer to play high stakes, then you’ll usually be accommodated, and there are normally lower minimum bet options too. The variety means that even if you get tired of playing one version, you can always check out another game type and have fun.