There are two types of variations in the game of Baccarat:
- Chemin De Fer: This is a variant in which the player takes a more active part in the game.
- Mini-Baccarat: This is another variant of Baccarat that is played in a faster, lower-stakes manner. It is played around a medium-sized table and is accessible to the general public, as opposed to full-scale Baccarat, which is strictly for the high rollers and the wealthy.
Baccarat terms
There are some Baccarat terms that you need to know in order to play Baccarat easily:
Baccarat Pit: This is a private area exclusively reserved for potential players to allow them an intimate atmosphere in their game. This pit is really not necessary, as the Baccarat game area is now elevated from other casino games.
Natural: Eight or nine is the winning number of points in Baccarat. If the player has a nine, he automatically wins the game, unless the dealer also has a nine. If the player rolls an eight, he automatically wins, unless the dealer rolls an eight or a nine again.
Stopping: The player cannot take any cards or at least draw one more card.
Trend: This is the winning frequency of the player or the bank. It is noted on a sheet provided by the house. The player tries to maximise his chance of winning by following this trend. However, this is not necessarily the case.
Draw (or stay): The player is allowed a third additional card. The possibility to draw only occurs once and the rules that determine this action are established beforehand by the casinos.
Scoring
In Baccarat, the player is dealt two cards. He then adds up the value of his cards to determine if he has the closest number to nine. Scoring is simple. All the cards in the number take the value they indicate: 1 is worth 1 point, 2 is worth 2 points and so on.
On the other hand, the Ace is worth one point and the face cards are worth 0. The total points are calculated in one figure. If the player has a two and a nine, the total is 1. If the player has a six and an eight, the total is 4. The ten is worth 0 points, as is the ten of any two-digit number. This means that 18 is calculated at 8 points, 17 at 7 points, etc.
As a reminder, the winning hand is the one that has nine points from the first two cards received. And eight is the second best hand. These are called naturals. But only a natural nine can beat a natural eight. Among other things, the player must stop on a six or seven and draw on a four or lower to win the hand.
Betting strategies
First of all, it is necessary to practice, and we invite you to use our free baccarat games to make your hand without spending a cent. Finally, since there are no specific methods to follow in order to win at Baccarat, only the way the player bets at the beginning of the game matters. The chance of having the best hand is thus based on this betting strategy. The player can decide between betting on his hand, betting on the banker or betting in a tie.
Bet on the player’s hand
Sometimes called a punto bet, this type of bet allows the player to bet that they will have the best hand. To win this bet, the player must first have bet on his hand. Then, the player must make sure that they have the best hand, either by drawing a natural on the first two cards received, or by drawing the best hand. Once these two conditions are met, the player will win the hand in even money and be paid 1:1. If he had bet on the bank, he loses.
Betting on the banker
Betting on the banker’s hand is another option in Baccarat. If the player bets on the bank winning the natural or receiving the best hand, he will win in even money on his original bet. A 5% commission for the bank must be deducted. The banker’s fee thing still doesn’t sit well with some players. This does not motivate them to bet on the bank.
However, 5% commission is less than the total winnings they can get from betting on the bank. Even with this commission, the house edge when a player bets on the bank is 1.06% if it is 1.24% for a bet on the player. In effect, if the player bets $200 on the bank and it wins, he will receive $190 after deducting $10 as commission. The payback rate is therefore 95%.
Tie bet
This type of bet is the least interesting in Baccarat, although some players think otherwise. The Tie Bet pays 8 to 1, but the house edge is now 14% on each player.
