Basic Play of Baccarat

Baccarat is the easiest table game to learn and no skill is required.  You don't even need to know the rules if you play in a casino as the croupiers will show you what to do even if you get passed the shoe.  The game is quite automatic and extremely fast paced, approximately two hands a minute.

The modern version of Baccarat is usually played with ten or more decks of cards.

The decks are shuffled by the caller,  cut by a player and then  placed in the shoe (dealing box). After the cut card is inserted near the end of the combined decks (cut card indicates the last hand) the shoe is passed to the player in seat number one.  The player in seat number one then becomes the banker, the player that is the banker may bet on either hand.  After each loss by the bankers hand the shoe is moved counter clockwise around the players seated at the table.  Players who become the banker may decide to pass the bank upon initially receiving it or after the completion of a hand.  Players eligible to deal when they become the bank need to have at least the minimum bet on the table in either position.

After all the wagers are placed, the banker deals out four cards, face down, first to the caller who slides the cards to a player and then to himself, placing the cards under a corner of the shoe.  The player then turns over the two cards and tosses them to the caller who announces their total value.  After this the banker uncovers the two cards under the shoe and the croupier calls out their value.  The hand can be concluded with just these four cards.

The four suits in baccarat have no meaning, tens and face cards count as zero while all other cards count as their face value.  Hands that total 8 or 9 on the initial deal (naturals) are called le petit naturel and le grand naturel, these are the two best hands, a natural  nine (le grand naturel) beats a natural eight (le petit naturel).  Unlike in blackjack where a player busts or breaks if the hand totals more than 21, in baccarat hands that total more  than 9  have the first digit of the total removed (if a player gets dealt a nine and a six, the 1 in the 15 gets dropped and the hand totals 5).

If the bankers hand totals 7, 8 or 9, or if a players hand totals 6, 7, 8 or nine no further cards are dealt and the hand closest to 9 wins, after which all bets are settled.  Ties are a push and no money is lost.

Often the total of the two hands require a third card to be dealt to either the banker, player or both.  The rules dictate that the card must be dealt and neither the banker or player has a say in the matter.

Rules for the Players Hand

When the rules state that the player must stand on the initial hand the caller announces "Player stands with (hand total)", otherwise the croupier will announce "Card for the player".  The dealer will then deal a card face-up to the croupier who place it next to the players first two cards and announces the new total.  When a players hand is 5 or less only one card is drawn.

Rules for the Bankers Hand

The decision to draw always depends on the the value of the players third card, except if the banker gets a 2 or less then a draw is required.  Only one card may be drawn and it's always taken if the bankers hand totals:

• 3 and the player stands or draws 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 or 10
• 4 and the player stands or draws 2,3,4,5,6 or 7
• 5 and the player stands or draws 4,5 or 6
• 6 and the player stands or draws 6 or 7

In some cases the bankers hand may beat the players hand but the rules require the banker to draw a third card, this third card can cause the banker's hand to lose.  When both the players and bankers hands have been concluded the caller declares the winner and the point total of each hand.

The odds favor the player over the banker therefore casinos usually add a 5% commission on all winning bets on the banker.  This commission roughly makes both the house edge on the players hand (1.23%) and the bankers hand (1.06%) the same.  Even money is paid on winning bets and ties are a push.  Players don't even have to keep track of the commission owed by winning bets on the bankers hand as the dealers do that for the players by placing tokens in the numbered commissions box when a player wins on the bankers hand.

Commissions are collected while the cards are being shuffled or they must be paid immediately if a player decides to leave the table during a shoe.  Remember your commission dues before you bet your last chip.

The House Advantage

The house edge on baccarat is;

Banker Hand: 1.06%

Player Hand: 1.23%

Tie: 14.05%

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