Grand Internet Baccarat Resources
Baccarat Game: Betting the Winning Way
There are several variants of baccarat including Punto Banco, chemin de fer, and baccarat banque. A baccarat game is a bet on Player hand or Banker hand. Each baccarat game variant, however, has its own set of rules on betting on Player or Banker hand.
A baccarat game is a multiplayer game. The table on which a baccarat game is often played is semi-circular in shape. The size of a table, however, differs among the different game variants. Punto banco, for instance,is played on an oval-shaped table that has 14 places or bet areas. Baccarat en banque, on the other hand, is played on a table that has 10 seats only. Mini baccarat is played on a table that has 7 seats.
Though one baccarat game variant differs with another in terms of drawing of third card rules, dealing of cards, banker role, and such, there are two essential rules shared by all game variants.
First is the card point value system. All aces in baccarat have a point value of 1. All J, Q, K, and 10 have a point value equal to zero. The rest of the cards have face value.
Second is the hand value system. To determine the value of a hand, card points are added up. Once the score reaches 10 and up, the ten is subtracted from the total score, and the remainder is the declared value of the hand. For instance, if the total score is 10, the value of the hand is 0. If the total is 12, the value of the hand is 2. The highest possible value a hand can have is 9. 8, however, like 9, is considered a "Natural."
Third, in any baccarat game, a hand initially consists of 2 cards. A third card may be drawn or not, depending on the initial hand results. The drawing of third card is always subject to the conditions of each game variant. In punto banco and mini baccarat, the rules are predetermined and fixed. In chemin de fer, the drawing of third card is more flexible, allowing players sometimes to choose when and when not to draw a third card.
All baccarat games, except baccarat en banque, are played with two hands only--- Banker and Player. Baccarat en banque, on the other hand, is played with 2 Player hands and 1 Banker hand.
Betting rules also vary. In punto banco, players can wager on either Banker or Player hands, while in baccarat en banque, players can wager on Player hand only.
Though a baccarat game is essentially a bet on Banker or Player hand, there are differences in betting and dealing rules among the different game variants. It is important to know well the particulars and rules of a baccarat game before playing. Remember, knowing the rules of a game is always the first step in winning.
