Baccarat is a very popular casino game, Baccarat comes from European games like ‘Chemin de Fer’ and ‘Punto Banco’.  Many gamblers do not know the game; it remains a mystery despite the fact that is present as a standard game in many casinos today.  Baccarat is actually a relatively basic card game, so let us take a look at the rules and game play.

Fourteen different players can be accommodated at one time.  The seats at the table correspond to the numbers on the layout,  wagers are placed in a section outlined in front of the players. According to the possible choices at the beginning of each game, the player has three betting areas associated with his/her position at the table. They are: “Banker”, “Player” or “Tie”.

Knowing this you now need to learn about the value of the cards and the object of the game.  Aces count as one.  2 through 9 count as face value.  10’s through face cards count as 0.  It is important to know that you can never have a hand that totals over 9, which is the best hand, with 8 being the second best.  This means that if you are dealt a 9 and 7, your total is 6, rather than 16.  If you are dealt a 3 and 8, your total is 1 rather than 11.

Dealer deals four cards, two for the players and two for the house.  If the total of either or both sides is 8 or 9, this what is known as a “natural” and no more cards are dealt.  If the total on both sides is the same it’s a tie.  If neither of these scenarios occur within the first two cards, cards are dealt until one of the following rules (detailed below) occur.

    * Player’s initial hand adds up to 6 or greater – he must stand and will not receive additional cards.

    * 5 or less – the player gets an additional card.

    * House hand adds up to 7 or more – the house must stand.

    * House hand adds up to 0, 1 or 2 – the house must take an additional card.

    * House hand totals 3, and the player’s third card is anything other than an 8 (the player always receives his cards before the house) – the house will hit.

    * House hand totals 4, and the player’s third card is anything other than 1, 8, 9, or 0 -the house will hit.

    * House hand totals 5, and the player is dealt a 4, 5, 6, or 7 – the house will hit.

    * Finally, if the house hand totals 6, and the player’s third card is 6 or 7, the house will hit.

The payouts are generally as follows:

If you bet on a winning player’s hand, you’ll be paid out at 1 to 1. If you wager on a winning house hand, the payout is also 1 to 1. If you bet on a tie, the payoff is 8 to 1.  Bets range from $1-$250, depending on the casino and whether or not game play occurs online.

As you can see, Baccarat is an easy game that is played in many casinos.  If you have not given it a try, why not take a look at it the next time you go to the casino?  If you are a seasoned Baccarat player, why not try to get some new players involved?