Little-Known Baccarat Basics You Need to Know
Baccarat is a staple game at the casinos. It is one of the most loved games of all and it has a long history, having had its Italian version introduced in 1490 to France.
It was played by the high class and the royals during King Charles VIII’s time. It was only in 1959 when it reached Las Vegas.
Today, baccarat continues to make history.
Casino game developers have started creating baccarat casino software, paving the way for the game in online casinos. But then if you have just started in online gaming, what do you need to know about baccarat aside from its history? Here they are.
A winning banker hand’s payoff is 1 to 1 or even. The banker will then get a 5% house commission from the winning player.
The same applies for a winning player hand. The payoff is 1 to 1 or even.
In the event of a ‘tie’ in which neither the player or the banker hand wins or loses, the payoff is 8 to 1. You can bet on the tie, but you should do it before the hand is dealt.
What is the house edge?
- On the tie bet, 14.36% (comes with an 8-deck shoe)
- On the banker bet, 1.06%
- On the player bet, 1.24%
From the above, notice that the banker hand bet comes with the lowest house edge. So even with a house commission when it wins, it is still the most recommended bets to make by the experts.
Part of the game’s development, there are now ‘mini bac’ games, which offer mini bets and implement the same rules as the traditional game.
A traditional game can accommodate up to 14 players. Each seat is numbered so that the casino can keep track of the buy-ins and the commissions. [Trivia: Did you know that you could not find #13 here? The reason is that the number is linked with bad luck according to superstitions and beliefs.]
The number of cards used in the game is 52 cards, and then 6 or eight of these are shuffled before being placed in a shoe.
For the card values,
- 0 are the Tens, Jacks, Queens and Kings
- 1 is the Aces
- 2-9 has the same value as each of their faces
Total hand value ranges from zero to nine
For any total value more than 9, the number 10 is subtracted; or the first digit is dropped. For example, if you get 4-7-2 total of 13 will become 3.
In all cases, you must CHOOSE the winning hand, the player’s or the banker’s, and your agenda is to get a total score closest to nine.
Where do you find baccarat games in the casino?
You can find it in the table games area, called the pit. Choose from one of the baccarat tables, each usually coming with minimum betting requirements (The same applies in an online casino).
In the pit, you can also find other games, depending on how large or small the venue is. In larger venues, baccarat games could be in special rooms.
Thus, you may have to wait long before you could sit and play in a land-based casino before you could bet during busy times.
This scenario won’t happen in a web casino—that always have a place for you, no matter what, even when more players are playing their games from home or anywhere.
In an online casino, players can also select an entrance to spend their session.
On the other hand, there are now live baccarat games available in reputable gambling sites. These games are facilitated by real and live dealers, allowing you to monitor your game progress as it happens!
To ensure that you’ll get the most satisfaction, they ensure that the games are happening live, not pre-recorded. In fact, you can see news on TV playing on the background, giving you peace of mind that the games are not simulated and that they are broadcasted live from the land-based venue.
By playing live dealer games, you don’t have to spend on fuel and time driving to and from the venue to play.
Whether you choose playing in an offline or online casino, you can get the most out of your games, even if you are a beginner by understanding its basics [and a little bit of its background].
Did you find today’s post useful? Tell us in the comment section. Finally, share this article with friends who also love baccarat today!
