Baccarat
Traced back to the 13th century, Baccarat is a card game that is most played by high rollers, and is more popular in Europe than in America. However, with the assistance of such online casinos as Liberty Slots Casino or Lincoln Casino, you can quickly learn how to play this mysterious and somewhat confusing game.
How to Play Baccarat
Baccarat is a card game in which the banker and the player are in competition with each other. The object of the game is to correctly predict which of the two hands dealt will come close to a total value of 9. There are three areas on the Baccarat table: the tie, banker, and the player where the bets are placed. The cards are dealt from a shoe and consist of eight 52-card decks. No jokers. Two hands are dealt; one to the banker and one to the player. Their hand will contain 2 or 3 cards.
Playing Baccarat
To begin play, you first have to decide how much you wish to bet and place the bet on the table. Use left click to increase or decrease the size of your chip count. After you have placed your bet, click on the Deal button. The banker deals two cards to you, the player, and two cards to himself and turns the cards face up. If either banker or player has an 8 or 9 value, this is called a Natural and no additional cards are dealt. But if the value of the first two cards in the banker's hand is from zero to 7, the player can draw an additional card, after which point the game proceeds. Now both hands will be compared to determine whose two cards are closest to 9. Whoever has a value closest to 9 wins the game.
How Is a Winner Determined?
The value of the hand is based on the value of the cards. Face cards and 10s have no value. Aces are equal to 1 point and all other cards are counted for their actual value. Here is an example: If you are dealt two cards such as an 8 and a 7, the total is 15. But the actual Baccarat hand total is 5. You deduct 10 points because a 10 has no value. Let's say you are dealt 3 sixes. Well that would equal 18 - 10 = 8. After a winning hand, a payout will be made and the game ends. But if both the banker and the player have the same value hands, a Tie is declared. Think of it like blackjack - when you both have a total value of 17, it's called a push.
What is the Third Card Rule?
There are instances in which you and the banker will be dealt a third card. See examples in the boxes below.
The Player
| Point Value of First Two Cards: | |
| 0 - 5 | Draws a card. |
| 6, 7 | Stands. |
| 8, 9 | "Natural hand", no further draw. |
The Banker
Point Value of First Two Cards: | Draws when the player's third card is: |
| 0 - 2 | Always draws a card. |
| 3-6 | Third card to player determines draw or stand |
| 7 | Banker must stand |
| 8, 9 | Natural - both banker and player stand |
Point Value of First Two Cards: | Draws when the player's third card is: | Does not draw when the player's third card is: |
| 0 - 2 | Always draws a card. | |
| 3 | Ace through 9 | 8 |
| 4 | 2 through 7 | 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace |
| 5 | 4, 5, 6, 7 | 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace |
| 6 | 6, 7 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, Jack Queen, King, Ace |
If a player's hand stands on two cards (6 and 7), then a two-card banker hand totaling 3, 4, or 5 draws; and a hand with 6 stands.
Baccarat Table Limits and Payouts
There is a $5 minimum bet per hand and a $200 limit on each bet. The table limit is $600. If the banker wins the hand, the payout is 1 to 1. If the player wins the hand, the payout is 1 to 1. However, if the Tie wins, the payout is 8 to 1.Baccarat Buttons
The COIN button is used to select and adjust the size of your bet. The bets can only be changed or added between games. The DEAL button starts a new game. The Hide History hides the history of last hands played, and the History shows the history of last hands played. The Clear button clears all bets.
If you would like to play and learn the art of Baccarat, join Liberty Slots Casino and give it a go!