Baccarat – what is this game and why should you try it?
At the moment, baccarat is considered one of the most popular gambling card games. This is one of the few modes in dozens of casinos where you can almost completely rely on luck and earn millions of dollars from each win. Of course, it is equally important here to manage the bankroll competently, and to know at least the most basic rules of the game. That is why today we will analyze them, and also talk about which varieties of baccarat exist and which one should be chosen for you. Let’s go!
Rules of the game
Participants play against an institution represented by a dealer or banker. In an online casino in the “Table Games” category, a software algorithm acts as a croupier – the value of the cards is determined by a random number generator. In the increasingly popular live casino format, the distribution is carried out by real dealers — users see their actions in real time.
A table with special markings and one or more 52-sheet card decks are used.
Types of bets
To participate in the hand, you need to decide on the size of the bet and put chips on one of the available outcomes. In the classic version there are only three of them:
- Player’s Winnings (Player);
- Dealer’s winnings (Banker);
- Draw (Tie);
- Control Panel;
Before the distribution, the user is asked to place a bet.
Some modifications provide additional types of bets (side, side or special), which are made after choosing the main outcome:
- A pair from a banker or a player — two cards of the same value in the hand;
- An ideal pair is two cards that match not only in value, but also in suit;
- A big hand gaining 5 or 6 points;
- A small hand gaining 4 points.
Read also about Video Poker.
Distribution of cards and natural combinations
After accepting the bets, the dealer distributes two cards to himself and the player, after which points are counted separately for the dealer and the participant of the table. If the sum of points is equal to or exceeds 10, ten points are deducted from the result. The task of the participant is to score the number of points as close as possible to nine.
If a player scores up to 5 points inclusive, he gets a third card. The dealer makes a purchase when one of the conditions specified in the table is met:
| Player’s points or cards | Dealer points | Purchase |
| There was no purchase | 6 and more | no |
| There is no eight | 3 | yes |
| Any quantity | 0-2 | yes |
| Any quantity | 7 | no |
| No fours, fives, sixes, sevens | 5 | yes |
| There are no tens, pictures, Aces, eights or nines | 4 | yes |
According to the rules of the baccarat game in the casino, you cannot refuse to buy if the conditions are met. In a home game, the purchase may be voluntary.After the purchase, the outcome is determined. The winner is the one who has collected more points, and with an equal number, a draw is declared. If the user wins the bet, the bet is paid. Payouts for the main outcomes are calculated taking into account the odds and the player’s bet:
Participant’s victory — x1;
Dealer’s victory — x1 minus 5% commission;
Draw is x9 (at some tables x8).
Multipliers for side bets:
Banker’s pair, Player’s pair — x11;
The perfect pair — x25;
Big hand — x0.54;
Small hand — x1.5.
Varieties
Establishments can change the classic rules of baccarat — introduce additional side bets, increase or decrease payouts. Among the varieties in online casinos, there are often modifications that differ from the classic version:
- Mini baccarat (mini punto) — there are no additional bets, one 52-sheet deck is used;
- Super 6 or Punto 2000 — the croupier bet is paid without withholding a 5% commission, but if the croupier has 6 points, a 0.5 to 1 payout is used;
- Dragon 7 — by betting on the banker, you can get a payout of x50 if the dealer has 7 points on three cards;
- Panda 8 — a multiplier of x25 is valid if the banker scores 8 points on three cards, and the user guesses the outcome.
Baccarat Strategy game
There is no win-win strategy, because the default conditions have the advantage of the casino over the player. However, using various techniques, you can minimize the advantage of the institution, and if you are lucky, stay in the black. The main condition is never to bet on a draw, which is due to the low probability of such an outcome.
The lower the advantage of the institution, the higher the chances of the participant to win. Thus, it is most profitable to bet on the banker, but it is necessary to take into account the 5% commission charged from the payout in case of victory. To increase the probability of making a profit, systems of progressive increases are used:
- Doubling after losing — losing, the participant bets twice as much. By winning after doubling, the user compensates for previous losses. The disadvantage of the strategy is that in most cases in the casino the maximum bet is only 100 times higher than the minimum, i.e. it is impossible to double the minimum limit more than 7 times;
- Doubling after winning — the bet increases after winning. The new hand uses the chips received from the payout. If the participant loses, he returns to the minimum limit again. In the case of three or four wins in a row, the user gets a solid jackpot by investing a minimum of money;
- No promotions with a constant choice of one bet. The system is justified in the Dragon 7 and Panda 8 varieties, where high coefficients operate.
Summing up the results
Thus, baccarat is currently one of the most popular card games. It includes several varieties at once, each of which has its own rules. In other words, at least one of them will definitely suit you, before that we recommend trying out the mode at relatively low rates.
