Baccarat

See also

• Badugi rules
• Blackjack rules

Baccarat is played on a large table (see figure) that can accommodate twelve to fourteen players. Each seat is numbered; however, there is no seat number thirteen on the layout. The cards are dealt out of a shoe, which contains eight decks of cards. In baccarat, the shoe is called the bank. The bank is passed around the table and each player will take a turn dealing the cards. Regardless of the number of players at the table, only two hands are dealt, one for the player and one for the banker. A player can bet on either hand except when they are dealing the cards, at which time they can only bet the banker.

Three dealers are present at the baccarat table. One dealer, known as the "caller", runs the game. The caller stands by the table and announces the point totals of the cards as they are dealt by the banker. The two additional dealers are seated at the table on each side of the caller. It is their responsibility to pay off winning bets and collect losing bets. The dealers also keep track of the commission that is paid on a banker's bet.

The object of the game is to bet on the hand with a sum that comes closest to nine. Occasionally the two hands will tie, but betting on a tie gives up too much of a house edge to be profitable.

Each hand begins with the players making a bet. A player can only make three choices in the game of baccarat. They can bet on the player, the banker, or a tie. All decisions for drawing cards are set in the rules. There are betting squares on the layout in front of each seat. Players put their bets in the appropriate box (player, banker, or tie), and the deal begins.

The banker acts as the dealer and slides one card out of the shoe. He passes it face down to the "caller", who passes it to the player with the largest bet. Another card is dealt for the banker's hand and is placed next to the shoe. A second card is dealt to the player and then a second card is dealt for the banker's hand.The player turns over his hand first.

If you are the player, you should not look at your hand until both hands are dealt. If you are the banker, you should not look at your cards until the player has finished turning over his hand. This standard etiquette is adhered to during the game.

The numeric value of the cards in baccarat is the only thing considered; the suit of the card is meaningless. The numbers two through nine are counted at face value. An Ace counts as one. Tens, jacks, queens, and kings are counted as zero. Ten is subtracted from hands that total more than nine. The easiest way to remember the score is to drop the first digit of the total. A total of thirteen becomes three, sixteen becomes six, and two face cards that total twenty would become zero.The highest possible hand is a nine. A total of eight or nine with the first two cards is called a natural. If the player receives a natural, it is an automatic winner unless the dealer ties it or has a nine to beat the eight.

Player's rule.
After the player's first two cards are turned over, the banker will turn over his cards. If neither player has a natural, then play will continue based on the predefined rules of the game. The player will draw or stand depending on the total of his hand and the banker will draw or stand based on the players hand.
If a player's first two cards total 6 or 7, he is required to stand. If the total of the players two cards are 0-5, then the player must draw a third card. If the banker has a natural, the hand is over, and the banker wins.

Banker's rule.
If the player stands on two cards totaling 6 or 7, the banker must draw if his cards are 0-5. The banker must stand if his cards totals 6 or more. If both the player and banker have hands that require them to stand on, the one with the highest total wins.

If the player draws a third card, the banker must draw or stand depending on the value of the player's third card: 
The banker's first two cards total 2 or less: The banker will always draw.
The bankers first two cards total 3: The banker must draw if the player's third card is 0-7. The banker will stand if the player's third card is 8.
The banker's first two cards total 4: The banker must draw if the player's third card is two through 7. The banker stands if the player's third card is 0, 1, 8, or 9.
The banker's first two cards total 5: The banker must draw if the player's third card is 4-7. The banker stands if the player's third card is 0, 1, 2, 3, 8, or 9.
The banker's first two cards total 6: The banker must draw if the player's third card is 6 or 7. The banker stands if the player's third card is anything else.
The banker's first two cards total 7: The banker will always stand. It does not matter what the player's third card is.

Baccarat strategy tips.
Never bet the tie. The high house edge makes this one of the worst bets in the casino. Stick to betting on the banker or the player.
You are not required to bet every hand. If you want to sit out for a hand or two, you may do so. Many players do this if they are betting a trend.
The banker hand will win more frequently than the player hand. If you are going lo bet a trend, it is better to bet the banker trend. Bet on the banker hand until it looses, then wait until the player hand loses, and start belting banker again.
Use a positive progression when are winning. Bet the same amount until you have two wins in a row. After winning two bets in a row, increase your bet by one half unit. If you arc betting fifty dollars a hand, the progression would be: fifty, fifty, seventy-five, seventy-five, one hundred, one hundred, etc. Go back to your original bet after a loss.