Baccarat is the game of choice for many high-rollers, often played in opulent casinos with tables offering table minimums of $25, $50, $100 or more. The game has an air of refinement, evoking images of men in tuxedos and women in posh evening dresses laying down their chips as the dealer deals cards. Although it is a game of chance, it has a reputation for being a complex and sophisticated card game that requires expert skills. But is this true?
Baccarat, also known as Punto Banco, is a simple card game that is usually found in the high-limit gaming rooms of casinos. Players place bets on whether the player or banker hand will win. Each hand is dealt two cards. The object of the game is to get a total closer to nine than the opposing hand. Tens and face cards count as zero, while aces are worth one point.
To determine the winner of a hand, the dealer will draw a third card when necessary. However, the dealer will only do this if the player or banker has a total of eight or less. A total of nine is considered a winning hand, but there are a few rules that govern this process. If the total is a three or more, for example, the first digit is dropped.
The rules of baccarat are simple and easy to understand, but the game does have some house edges that should be taken into account. The game is a fixed-odds game, so the Banker bet has a lower house edge than the Player bet. However, the Tie bet, which pays off eight to one if both hands equal the same number, has a much higher house edge of over 14 percent. This makes the Tie bet unwise for most players.
In addition to the player and banker bets, Baccarat offers a variety of side bets that pay out based on the results of a round. These bets are placed before a round begins and vary in odds by establishment and platform.
A player can place a pair bet, which wagers that the banker and the player will receive identical cards on the deal. This bet offers 11:1 odds. Alternatively, players can make a three-card pair bet, which pays out at 8:1 odds. They can also make a match bet, which wagers that the player or banker will receive a matching pair of cards on the deal. This bet pays out at 9:1 odds. The other two side bets offered are the ten-spot and the seven-spot. These bets are available in most online casinos, but the odds on these bets vary by platform and establishment.
