Baccarat is a casino card game played by a dealer and up to 8 players on a large table. The croupier deals from a dealing box or “shoe” and players place their bets on the Player hand, Banker hand or a Tie. There are also a number of side bets available, though these generally cost more than the main bets.
The goal of a player is to make the Player or Banker hand total closer to nine than the opposite hand. The croupier then announces the winner and players collect their winnings according to the odds. In the case of a tie bet, the winner is determined by the total of a pair of cards. The first card to be drawn is the Player hand. The second is the Banker hand. If the Player’s hand has a total of 9 then no further cards are drawn and the player wins the game.
After making a bet, the dealer deals two cards to each of the players. The player must then either call a ‘carte’ (stand) if their hand total is four or less, or say a ‘non’ if their hand has a total of five or more. If the Player hand and the Banker hand have a total of eight or nine in their first two cards then this is known as a ‘natural’ and the game ends.
When a non-natural occurs, the third card is dealt to either the Player or the Banker. If the third card is a seven or ten then the Player will win the game, and if it’s an eight then the Banker will. If the Banker has a third card, then it must hit if its total is five or less, and stand if its total is six or more.
A ‘Super Six Bet’ and a ‘Pair bet’ are optional side bets in baccarat which can pay up to 12x your bet amount if you win them. The super six bet pays if the Banker hand has a total of 6, while the pair bet pays if you have a Pair in the first two cards dealt.
Baccarat is often seen as a high-class game in casinos and it is indeed a very elegant and sophisticated casino game. However, despite its opulent atmosphere, the game is actually very simple to play. Unlike most casino table games, baccarat has just three major wagering options: betting on the Player hand, the Banker hand or a tie bet. The best option is to stick to the Player and Banker bets and avoid the Tie bet as this has one of the highest house edges. Fortunately, you can experience the thrills of a Vegas Baccarat table online in New Jersey and Michigan where it is legal to play. You can even try out a free version of the game on many websites to get a feel for it before you begin playing with real money. Moreover, you can also find mobile versions of baccarat so that you can play the game from anywhere in the world.