Baccarat is one of the world’s most popular casino games. It’s a game of chance that traces its roots to gambling salons in Italy and France, but it’s become increasingly popular in casinos around the globe.
How to Play the Game
The cards are shuffled and a croupier deals each hand out of a dealing box called a shoe. The cards are dealt one at a time, face down. In a standard game, eight 52-card packs are used.
There are three main types of baccarat: Punto Banco, Chemin de Fer and Baccarat Banque. Each is played differently and the rules are a bit different depending on which variation you’re playing.
How to Win at Baccarat
The winning hand in baccarat is the one with the highest points out of nine. This is determined by the total of the pips (the dots on a playing card that are clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades) in the final number. A 9, a 10, an 8 or an Ace are all equal to 9; any other number is worth 1.
What Happens Next?
If the Player or Banker’s hands total 0 to 5, or equal 10 a third card is drawn. If they total 6 or 7 then the hand is a stand and no third card is drawn.
Alternatively, if the total of either or both hands is 8 or 9, then a natural win is achieved and bets placed are paid out. If neither hand totals 8 or 9 then the game is over and the hand is a tie.