Introduction to Baccarat

One of the most sophisticated casino card games, Baccarat is popular in land-based and online casinos around the world. Part of its allure lies in the prestige surrounding the game, and some casinos even have special VIP sections for the Baccarat tables. Still, you don’t have to be a high roller to enjoy this game!

At its core, Baccarat is a simple game which doesn’t take long to learn. Basically, there are two sides at the table – the Banker and the Player, each of them being dealt 2 or more cards. The players at the table place their wagers on the Banker’s win, the Player’s win, or a Tie. After the bets are placed, all cards are revealed and the higher score wins. The scores are determined via in modulo method – the result equals the rightmost digit of the sum. (E.g. for 5+8=13, the score is 3)

Baccarat card values: Ace is 1 point; 2-9 keep face value; 10, J, Q, K are worth zero points. The goal is to get as close to 9 as possible – 9 being the highest score in the game.

Baccarat has three main variations. Perhaps the most widespread one is Punto Banco, the others being Chemin de Fer and Baccarat Banque. Depending on the game, the role of the Banker is either rotated among the players, or is represented by the house. In former cases, the acting Banker supplies the money for the bank and has more freedom in deciding whether to take a third card or not.

Baccarat has a low house edge (a little above 1% for Banker and Player bets), but you’ll need some luck to win, since advanced strategies don’t help much in this game. A smooth game for bold players, Baccarat is perfect when you’re looking for an exciting gambling session that will test your audacity.