The game of Baccarat is a classic card game often found in brick and mortar casinos. When online casinos were introduced, Baccarat became a staple offering and remains quite popular.
The objective of Baccarat is simple to understand, but there are a few elements to the game that can be confusing to beginners.
To win a round of Baccarat the player attempts to build a hand closest to a total of nine. Unlike a lot of card games Baccarat is played against the house, rather like blackjack. That is not to say there isn’t strategy that can be employed—it mostly comes during the betting rounds.
The game is first and foremost a betting game when played in a casino against the house. In fact people can wager against the play without holding any cards. The specific rules will vary based on where you play, as each casino has some variation to their Baccarat structure.
Typically a table will hold up to 14 players with up to three dealers. A dealer is often referred to as a banker in Baccarat, and a banker can actually be a player, depending on the casino rules. To sum up, the active participants in a game of Baccarat can be:
Player: this is a participant holding cards.
Wagerer: this is a participant placing a wager (or bet). Does not have to be a Player.
Dealer or Banker: a participant responsible for the payouts to the winning Wagerers. Can be a Player.
The ante wager starts the game, after which two cards are dealt to the player and to the banker. There are three different kinds of bets that can be placed each round; in favor of the player to win, in favor of the banker to win, or for the result of a tie.
Typically a round is played with just two cards per player, but under certain circumstances a player can wind up with a third card. The winner is the participant with a hand closest to a total of nine.
Strategy comes in when choosing who to bet for. The odds are in favor of the house, or banker, winning, so typically players will bet on the banker in Baccarat. The odds are higher, but the payout is lower, which is what entices participants to wager on the Player or for a tie. While it may seem like betting on the banker is always the way to go, consider that the banker could hit a loosing streak and the house typically takes a commission on any bets on the banker.