Baccarat is perhaps the most glamourous of all casino table games. It is often played for high stakes, and the gaming tables are generally situated in a special alcove that is away from the noise and crowds of the main casino floor. In American casinos, players are often able to bet with real cash – $100 bills in this case, while European venues tend to use the much more eye-catching oblong ‘plaques’ that add to the sense of excitement and glitz.
The rules of the game are a little different depending on whether you’re playing the “punto banco” (where the decisions are pre-determined by the numbers on the cards) or the more sophisticated “chemin de fer” version where the player and banker can decide to take a third card. However, the principle of betting on the hand that comes closest to 9 is the same for both versions.
To start the game, the dealer places a marker in one of two boxes. A card is then dealt to the Player box and another to the Banker box. If your bet is on the winner, you are paid out based on the value of the hand once the ties have been settled.
A winning Player hand pays out a ratio of 1 to 1, while a winning Banker hand qualifies for a payout of 8 to 1. Tie bets pay out nine to one, but a 5% commission is taken by the banker, which reduces the odds slightly.
As well as the Player, Banker and Tie bets, Baccarat also offers a Super Six and Pair Bet. The Super Six bet is an optional wager that wins if the Banker hand totals 6 points, while the Pair Bet wins if the first two cards produced by either the Player or Banker are a pair. Both of these bets can be placed on the same hand, and payouts are determined by the winning combination of cards.
It is possible to win large amounts of money on a single hand of baccarat, but it’s also quite easy to lose a lot in the same amount of time. The simplest way to protect yourself against losing too much is to set a budget and play within it. In addition, you should always choose the best online casinos for Baccarat – click here to find out more.