Baccarat has become a popular card game in many casinos. It is played using 5 to 8 decks of cards that are dealt from a shoe. There are two hands that are dealt by the dealer, the banker hand and the player hand. Prior to the cards being dealt, players must place their bets on either of these hands or a tie. All winning bets placed on a banker or dealer hand are paid 1:1. However, players should know that there will be a 5% commission that is charged on bank bets that make net odds. There are some casinos that will charge a lower commission rate, so this is something to look at before sitting at the table.
The payouts for a tie bet will also vary per casino. Some will pay 8:1 and others will pay 9:1. In the case of a tie, the bets that were placed on the banker and player hands will be returned to the player. When a bet has been placed, no further decisions are required. The banker and player hands are dealt in accordance with table rules. The result is a final hand consisting of two or three cards each.
The value of the hands in the game is determined by adding the value of the cards together. All tens and face cards have a value of zero and all other cards retain their face value. When the cards are totalled, only the last digit of the total number will be used. This means that all hands in Baccarat will have a value ranging from 0 to 9. The hand that has the highest value will win and hands with the same value will result in a tie.
The rules for the banker and player hands are different. For the banker hand, the banker must stand if the total of the first two cards is 7 or higher. If the total is 0, 1 or 2, the banker will be required to draw a card. If the total of the first cards equal between 3 and 6, the banker draw will depend on whether the player drew a card and what the value of that card was.
For the player hand, if the first two cards total more than 6, the player has to stand and cannot draw an additional card. If the total of the cards is 5 or lower, one additional card must be drawn.
These rules can be confusing for beginner players, but after playing a few hands, the game is fairly easy to understand. The betting system is also rather simple and the payouts are consistent. There are very few decisions to be made while playing the game. The rules are casino rules and will always remain the same. The player simply has to decide which of the three betting options they wish to wager on and the game will begin thereafter. Once the cards are dealt, players cannot alter their bets or the amount they have wagered on the outcome of the game.
