Baccarat

The game is simple and fun. It also has a low house edge, which can be as low as 1.06% on the best bet. Whereas it is usually played in a roped off section on the casino floor and requires a dress code, the online version has nothing to do with such snootiness. But before you kick off and join the Baccarat game, make sure to read through the following for and some valuable information that will prepare you for the game.

The basics

There are only three possible outcomes to the game of Baccarat - Player, Banker and Tie. Anyone can bet on either option - player, banker or tie. These terms - player and banker - do not refer to the customer and the house, rather only designate the two hands dealt in the game. They are simply the options that the customer can bet on.
Baccarat is played with eight decks of cards, usually. Card values are as follows:

Cards 2-9 are worth face value, 10s and face cards are worth 0 and Aces are 1 point. (Card suits are of no import to the game.)

The highest score is 9, and so when a hand total exceed nine, the tens digit drops. Thus a 10 is worth zero, also known as Baccarat, and a hand consisting of a 6 and a 7 is worth 3 (6+7=13 = 3). In essence, it is impossible to bust.

Rules and Terms

Basic terms in Baccarat include the name of the game, which means zero, which is the lowest possible hand, and the following:

Natural: when the hand, consisting of two cards, totals 8 or 9.
Le Grande: the best hand in the game, totaling 9.
Petite: a hand total of 8.

As for the game, Baccarat begins with an opening bet on player, banker or a tie. The player and banker receive two cards each, consisting of a hand, the value of which is calculated as explained above. The banker is merely a ceremonial role, and the player too merely turns the cards over, while players (called punters) may bet on either from around the table or elsewhere logged on to the casino.
If the hand total, of either player or banker, is a natural, they will stand and not draw a third card. A hand total of 5 or less necessitates a hit. A Baccarat chart explains in further detail the options the banker has in response to the player's decision to hit or stand.

Keep your eyes open for...

• Baccarat has always been a game of the nobility. It has by and large kept to this standard. Minimum bets are relatively high, at times starting at $25. Make sure the game you choose is a game you can afford.
• Betting on a tie is one of the three options in Baccarat. Notice the payouts for tie bets, which are usually 9 to 1, but may vary.

Variants

The information provided here relates by and large to regular, big Baccarat. A Mini Baccarat game, though less common at online casinos, is also available. The rules are the same, but the game is faster, as the dealer turns over all the cards. Unless Mini Baccarat is played with only six decks, the odds are exactly the same.
As for Baccarat, three versions exist: baccarat chemin de fer, baccarat banque and baccarat punto banco. The first two versions allow for skill to take part, with the decisions up to the player's decisions. In the latter version, also known as North American baccarat, the banker's moves are determined by the moves of the player.

History

The history of Baccarat is Italian, later crossing to France where it was the game of the noble classes for centuries to follow. The word Baccarat means zero in both French and Italian.
It is believed to have been invented by Italian gambler Felix Falguierein in the middle ages, based on a myth of a blonde virgin who rolled a nine sided die to decide her fate by the gods. Baccarat was then introduced into France during the reign of Charles VIII of France in the late 15th century.

In France, the similar version called chemin de fer evolved from Baccarat. It crossed to England, from there to South America, and after the Havana casinos closed in the 1950s finally made its way to Las Vegas.

Trivia

• Baccarat is similar to the Italian game of Basset, also known as Barbacole and Hocca, or its descendant Faro.
• Baccarat chemin de fer is a favorite of Ian Fleming's James Bond. Casino Royale is the most famous instance - book and movie - in which the entire plot is around the table. The game is featured in other Bond films as well.
• Somewhat surprisingly, the name of the game - Baccarat - is named after the worst hand, a zero, rather than a winning combination or other.