How to Play Baccarat

Baccarat is not a difficult game to learn or play. The sole object of Baccarat, no matter what its variation, is to bet on the hand that ends up being closer to 9, and in that way, collect the money wagered on that specific hand. It is important to state nonetheless, that Baccarat is a card game of luck, not skill. As opposed to many other card games like Poker, in Baccarat, the player’s decisions are limited to the particular hand (the Player’s, the Banker’s, or the Tie) upon which the player decides to place his/her bets. Considering that, let us move to how the game is played.

Let us begin with the set up. A table of classic Baccarat can host up to 14 players. The players will sit around the Baccarat table according to their liking and/or seat availability. One dealer called the “call man” will stand up while two other dealers responsible for paying out the winnings and collecting the losing bets will sit on either sides of the call man. Once every one of the participants has sat down, the cards are shuffled by the call man and placed in the shoe. Following, each participant bettor will place his/her bets for that hand on one of the three possible winning hand line-offs: the Player’s, the Bank, or the Tie. Then, the shoe is passed down to the dealer or “shoe holder” of that hand (one of the players) who by following the call man’s cue will deal one card, the “Player card”, facing down from the deck to the call man. The call man will in turn pass the card down, unseen, to the bettor with the higher wager on the Player hand. A second card, a “Bank card” will be dealt face down right next to the shoe. The procedure takes place one more time and then the call man calls for the Player hand. The bettor holding the Player hand looks at it and passes it face down, to the call man, who turns the cards and proclaims their total face value. The same procedure is carried out then with the Banker hand. If the Player hand’s total calls for an extra card, the call man will announce “Card for the Player”. In that case, a card will be drawn from the shoe and passed down to the bettor holding the Player hand in the same manner as before; he/she will look at it and pass it unseen to the call man who will flip it and announce its face value. If the Banker hand requires an extra card, the same procedure takes place with the shoe holder.

Now, it is time to introduce the cards face values:

• Tens and face cards (jacks, queens and kings) are all worth zero
• Aces are worth 1
• All remaining cards are worth their exact face value (i.e. a 7 is worth 7)

Both cards dealt are added up to a total value per hand. Any total value higher than 9 requires removing the left side digit from it, i.e. 15 will become 5. In a Players hand, a total value of 8 or 9 is known as a “natural” and the Player hand stands. With a total of 6 or 7 the Player hand also stands. With a total of 0-5, the Player hand draws a third card, unless the Bank hand has a natural. For the Bank hand, the Bank stands with total values of 7, 8 or 9 and draws a third card on 0, 1, or 2. However, with any other total face value, the Bank hand’s options to play rely on the Player hand’s third card total as follows:

• If the Player hand’s third card is 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-9 or 10 and the bank total is 3, the Bank draws
• If the Player hand’s third card is 8, and the Bank totals 3, the Bank stands
• If the Player hand’s third card is 2-3-4-5-6 or 7 and the Bank totals 4, the Bank draws
• If the Bank hand totals 4 and the Player’s third card is 1-8-9 or 10, the Bank stands
• If the Bank hand totals 5 and the Player’s third card is 4-5-6 or 7, the Bank draws
• If the Bank hand totals 5 and the Player’s third card is 1-2-3-8-9 or 10, the Bank stands
• If the Player’s third card is 6 or 7 and the Bank hand totals 6, the Bank draws
• If the Player’s third card is 1-2-3-4-5-8-9 or 10 and the Bank hand totals is 6, the Bank stands

The hand closet to 9 wins.