The Basic Rules of Baccarat

The Europeans started all the fuss about casino gambling. As such, they are also the resource of many available games in our world today. One of the classic European casino games is Baccarat.

Baccarat is a simple card game that has only three possible results -- Player, Banker, and Tie. A Baccarat player can bet with or against the bank. Depending on the outcome of the game, you either win or lose your bet. Betting on 'Tie' pays better.

In most cases, the player's role in a game of Baccarat is simply to bet whoever has the higher ranking cards -- the player or the banker. At the start of the game, two cards are dealt to both the player and the banker. The goal of the game is to bet on the outcome of the dealt cards, whether one has the cards with the final count closest but not beyond ten or the two has similar value of cards at hand.

The cards used in Baccarat are valued differently than in other games. Here, the aces are valued 1, cards 2-9 are valued at face value, and the cards 10, Jack, Queen, and King are valued 0. In Baccarat, it is not legal for the combined value of two cards that are dealt to exceed 9. So if the player or the banker gets an 8 and a 5 that creates a final count of 13 minus 10. The total score is 3. The unbeatable hand, therefore, is getting a total score of 9. 8 is the next best hand.

If the player or the banker gets an 8 or a 9, cards are no longer issued. If they received a similar total, the game is a tie. Outside those two primary rules, a couple of other rules arise. If the player gets a 6 or better final score, he will no longer be dealt with an extra card and is called for a stand; if he gets a 5 or less final score, he will be dealt with another card. If the banker gets a 7 or better final score, he will no longer be dealt with an extra card and is called for a stand; if he gets a 0, 1, or 2 final score, he will be dealt with another card.

Remember that in Baccarat, the player is always issued cards first whether it's in the initial or succeeding draws to which another set of rules apply. If the banker's total score is 3 and the player's third card drawn is anything but 8, the banker wins. If the banker has a total score of 4 and the player's third card is anything but 1, 8, 9, and 0, the banker wins. If the banker has a total score of 5 and the player's third card is 4, 5, 6, or 7, the banker wins. If the banker has a total score of 6 and the player's third card is 6 or 7, the banker wins.

Along with the simple game rules are the simple betting rules. Baccarat bettors, which can well go to the count of 14, receives an equal payout to their bets if they put it on either the player or the banker, considering, of course, that their bet wins. If they put in on a tie, and the game's outcome is a tie, the payout is 8-1.