If you’ve ever wanted to be James Bond, but you know nothing about Baccarat, then you’re in luck thanks to this expert betting guide on how to play the age-old casino game. Let’s get started with a bit of history on the beginning of baccarat. Did you know that baccarat is the French spelling for the Italian word baccarat, or zero, signifying the point values of face cards?
Guide To Playing Baccarat
The game dates back all the way to 1490 when the Italian baccarat was introduced into France. Centuries later, Baccarat was first offered in Las Vegas in 1959. Believe it or not, baccarat offers casino players the best chance to break even, over all other casino games with the house owning just a 1.17 percent edge for a banker hand and a 1.36 percent edge for a bet on a player hand.
Baccarat is also a game that had been mostly reserved for the highest of high-rollers, until the 1900s when casinos started making the game available for more average Joes like me. The Baccarat table is a 14-player table with one dealer called the “callman” and it is undoubtedly one of the easiest casino games there is to learn and play.
The object of the game is to reach a point total as close to 9 as possible over the course of a 2-3 card hand, without exceeding nine. Players get the first of their initial pair of cards, followed by one for the banker and another for the players and then a second for the banker. All the cards are dealt face up, so the point values of both hands are visible.
Once the first four cards have been dealt, one more card is dealt to either the player or the banker, (or both), depending on their respective point totals. The point values of the cards are as follows… all 10’s and face cards have a value of zero, and all other cards (Ace through 9) are worth their face value (Aces are always worth 1). When the total of two or more cards is greater than 10, the point total is reduced by 10. For example if a hand is dealt an 8 and a 6, resulting in a total of 14, 10 is subtracted, leaving a point total of 4 for that hand.
Strategy
Baccarat is one of the most simple casino games there is, even if it doesn’t get the same attention that many of its other casino counterparts receives.
Devising a strategy for baccarat is fairly simple as most experienced baccarat players say the banker bet is the best – and safest bet to play. The banker bet involves 5% banker’s commission, so if you ever come across a baccarat game with a lower commission, go for it as this way you will increase your gaming odds.
Card-counting is useless (and it’s cheating) just like in blackjack these days, with casinos often using more than one deck at a time. Just like in blackjack and most other card games, the less number of decks is used in the game, the better the game is for the player.
Look for tables with minimum number of decks, but make sure the game does not have any extra rules that could influence your odds like other payouts or special rules on ties.
Another strategy is to never bet on a tie. According to baccarat odds, the tie bet gives a casino the advantage of 14.4%. This means that even with a 5% banker’s commission, the tie bet is still the worst on the baccarat table. Remember though, the best strategy that you could ever get is to quit when you’re ahead.
Now, that you know all about baccarat, all you need to become the infamous 007 is a super-hot car and an even hotter girl and you’ll be well on your way.
