Baccarat

Baccarat is considered the game of the rich and well off and is said to be the most glamorous casino game. It is because in most land based casinos the betting limits of baccarat are set very high and only the rich can afford to spend so much. However, behind this façade of exclusiveness, baccarat is actually a very easy and simple game which does not involve complex plots and strategizing.

Baccarat can be a very profitable game and the players can win large sums within minutes. This can tempt people to put up large amounts at stake but one should remember there is the other side of the coin too. So when playing, the players should limit their budgets and play with only that amount which they can afford to risk. Gambling is a risk which involves losses. Also money management is equally important.

When playing the American version of the game, all the bets have very small house advantage. There are three types of baccarat games of which the most profitable one is the banker’s hand. Next is betting on player’s hand. It is however advised not to place a wager on the tie as though it has the highest payout house advantage on it is at a high 6%.

There are different systems and strategies which the players can use to play the game more successfully of which the Avant Dernier system can sometimes be profitable. According to this system before placing a bet the player should the winning bet before the previously played bet should be consulted; and the wager should be made on the same bet whether it is player or banker bet.

Those who want to play with the aim of making profit, the martingale system can be applied. According to the system, if the player losses a bet, the next amount that will be wagered will be double the previous amount; this strategy ensures that when the player wins he not only recovers the lost amount but also makes a profit. However, the system is a very risky one; though a good short term strategy, it not a good long term strategy.

A unique features of the baccarat games is the 5% house commission which has to be paid to the casinos, however, there are some casinos which charge smaller house commissions, especially the online casinos.

Baccarat is a luck based game, so though these tips can increase the winning chances, a guaranteed win cannot be guaranteed.

Baccarat Rules

Probably the most glamorous casino game, baccarat is considered to be the game of the high rollers and the rich. Found in most of the casinos, the baccarat playing section is usually kept separate from the rest of the floor and the games involve huge betting limits. The air of exclusivity surrounding the whole game often intimidates the players and makes them nervous because of which many players keep away from it.

But in reality, the game is a very simple with easily understandable rules and doesn’t involve much strategizing. In baccarat there can be three types of outcomes where either the player or the banker wins or there is a tie between the two. But when learning the rules of the game, it is equally important to know the terminologies because in a game of baccarat “player” and “banker” does not refer to the customer and the dealer but they are different kinds of bets; i.e. the different option on which the players can place their bets on. In the game the house advantage for the ‘player’ is 1.24%; compared to the other games, the house edge for baccarat is comparatively lower.

Baccarat dealer

The dealer deals out the cards in the game and the player hand and the bankers hand are dealt the cards alternately; while in the 1st and 3rd round cards are dealt for the player’s hand, in the 2nd and 4th round the banker is dealt the cards. In order for a hand to win, it has to get a combined score which is as close to 9 s possible. The value of Ace in baccarat is 1; the numbered cards are valued at their respective numbers while the face cards have no value, i.e. worth zero points.

However, in case of a baccarat game, a house commission has to be paid. It has to be given whenever the banker wins and the payout for a tie bet is 8:1. It played properly, baccarat gives the players chances to win huge amount of money. Though the rules of the game seem easy and simple, to master the game practice and patience are required.

Baccarat Variations

A glamorous game, baccarat is mostly enjoyed by the rich and wealthy of the society and can be found in most of the casinos, both online and in the land based casinos. The game can trace its roots back to hundreds of years ago in Europe. Though there are conflicting theories about the origin of the game, according to the most common theory, it was invented by an Italian gambler. There are several variations of the game in the casinos.

Punto Banco is one of the most common form of the game which is also commonly known as the North American version of baccarat. The name punto banco was given to the game when it reached the shores of Cuba. Here “punto” is for the player and “banco” is the banker and the bets have to be placed either on the player or on the banker. Another bet which can be placed is the tie bet which is known as ‘egalatie’.

Another popular version of the game is Mini baccarat. As the name suggests, it is a much smaller version of the classic baccarat game. It involves lesser number of players and the betting limit is also lower than the regular games. Because of the small scale of the game, it involves only one dealer and the pace is faster than regular games. The general atmosphere of the game is a relaxed and informal one and unlike the other baccarat games, the role of the banker is always played by the dealer.

French baccarat is known as “chemin de fer”. In the French version though the basic rules remain same but here the player who plays as the banker loses the bet. After this the next player takes up his or her role and this way each of the players get a chance pose as the banker. Apart from chemin de fer, another French version of the game is baccarat en banque and in this the role of the banker is played by the casino itself. All the players are have two hands each and the bettors have to opt for one of the hands on which to bet. Betting for the banker hand is not allowed in this version.

A less common version of the game is private baccarat in which the players have the option of either playing with only one hand or with two hands. When the player plays with both hands, the version is called “cheval” and to win the player has to win both hands.

Baccarats History

One of the entertaining casino games of our times, baccarat, has a very interesting past. The origin of the game can be traced back to hundreds of years back to around 1490 AD. According to historians, the name baccarat means zero in Italian. There is some confusion regarding the history of baccarat – while one of the theories has a mythological background, the other talks about an Italian gambler.

According to mythology, a virgin was supposed to perform an Etruscan ritual for nine gods in order for her fate to be revealed to her. She was supposed to roll a unique nine sided dice and the results would dictate her fate. If the dice landed on the numbers 8 or 9, the virgin would go on to become a priestess; if the numbers were 6 or 7, she would be banned from all religious activities and would be considered an outcaste by the church and if it landed on any number below 6 she would have to die.

However, according to the other theory, the more practical one, the game was invented by Felix Falguirerein, an Italian gambler, in 1490 AD. It is said during that time he used tarot cards to play the game. However, still today there are certain confusions as to whether the game actually originated in France or Italy.

During its early years, baccarat was played by the high rollers, rich and noble of the society. During that time gambling was considered an illegal activity and was banned as a result of which the games were always played in secrecy. In France, the game was made legal only after the rulers realized how much monetary transaction was taking place because of the game and began to tax the winnings; these taxes were used for the benefit of the poor. During the Napoleon’s reign, the game was declared illegal again but immediately after his reign, it was legalized and began to be played in casinos.

Overtime baccarat became extremely popular in Europe and began to spread to other parts of the world to the Americas. It was in 1950s that the Americanized baccarat was first introduced by Tommy Renzoni. The Americanized version contained elements of both European baccarat and French Chermin de fer. Soon, the game made its apearence in the popular Las Vegas casinos. To make the game more popular, an easier version, Mini baccarat was introduced which is now found in almost all casinos. Now, owing to the advancement of technology, this popular game is also available online.