What Is Baccarat?
Baccarat often looks like an exclusive game that only seasoned gamblers or tuxedo-wearing high rollers play. The truth is very different. The baccarat card game is actually one of the simplest casino games you can learn.
At its heart, baccarat is a comparing game between two hands, called the Player and the Banker. (The names are a little misleading because you are not always the “Player.” You are free to place your bet on either side). Your task is to predict which hand will end up with a total closest to nine. That is it. There are no complicated strategies, no bluffing, and no long lists of decisions like you might face in blackjack.
And the best part? Thanks to online casinos, you no longer need to fly to Monte Carlo or Las Vegas to experience baccarat. Playing baccarat online means you can enjoy the same elegant game from home, whether you prefer the digital version or live dealer tables that stream the game in real time.
Slot Scanner has crafted this basic baccarat guide so you’ll be a pro in no time.
Baccarat Rules Explained
Even though baccarat looks sophisticated, the rules are surprisingly straightforward once you see how they work.
The game is usually played with six to eight decks of regular playing cards that are shuffled together. Number cards from two through nine are worth their face value. Tens, jacks, queens, and kings are worth zero. Aces count as one.
Here is the part that sometimes confuses beginners. Only the last digit of your total matters. If your cards add up to fifteen, that is not fifteen but rather five. If your cards total twenty, that counts as zero. (Think of it as baccarat’s shortcut for keeping the game fast and simple).
At the start of each round, two hands are dealt: one for the Player and one for the Banker. You can place your bet on either hand, or on a Tie if you think both will finish with the same score.
There are also rules for drawing a third card. For example, if the Player hand totals five or less, a third card is automatically drawn. The Banker’s decision to draw a third card depends on its total and sometimes on what the Player received. But here is the important part: you do not have to memorize these rules. The dealer handles them for you.
How Does Baccarat Work?
If you are still wondering how baccarat works in practice, here is the basic flow of a round.
First, you place your bet on either the Player hand, the Banker hand, or a Tie. Then the dealer deals two cards to each side. If either hand totals eight or nine, this is called a “natural,” and the round ends immediately with that hand declared the winner.
If no natural occurs, the third-card rules might come into play, and an extra card may be drawn for the Player, the Banker, or both. After this step, whichever hand has the total closest to nine is the winner.
From the player’s perspective, baccarat works in a very hands-off way. You do not have to make complicated decisions during the game. You simply place your bet, watch the cards play out, and collect your winnings if your chosen hand comes out on top. This is why many people consider baccarat the perfect introduction to table games.
How to Play Baccarat Step by Step
Now that you know how baccarat works, let’s look at how to actually play it.
Step one is to choose your table. If you are playing baccarat online, you will find several versions such as mini-baccarat, live dealer baccarat, or demo modes that let you practice for free.
Step two is to place your bet. Decide whether you want to back the Player hand, the Banker hand, or a Tie. (Many experienced players prefer the Banker because it statistically has a slightly better chance of winning, although casinos usually take a small commission on Banker bets for that reason.)
Step three is to let the dealer handle the cards. You do not need to decide whether to hit or stand as you would in blackjack. The game flows automatically according to the rules.
Step four is the fun part. If the side you backed wins, you collect your payout. If not, you simply move on to the next round and try again.
