Counting Points: These are counted as follows: cards 2 through 9 are counted according to their face value. 10s and face cards are worth 0 points, and Aces are worth 1 point. Unlike blackjack, baccarat hands can not bust. If the total value of baccarat hand exceeds 9, 10 is subtracted, so 10 points become 0, 11 become 1 and so on. A hand with a higher number of points wins. How to Play: Each player receives 2 cards. If the total value of these 2 cards is 6 or higher, no further cards are dealt, otherwise, the player receives one additional card. If the value of 2 initial cards is 9 or 8, such hand is called natural. Natural 9 is the highest hand in baccarat, while natural 8 is the second one, which means that natural 8 beats three-card 9. Odds: House edge in baccarat is very low. Players who bet on the dealers hand even have an advantage, so they are obliged to pay 5 percent on their winnings. Overall house advantage in baccarat, taking into the account this 5 percent commission is 1.37 percent. Some casinos also permit to bet on ties, but these bets are less advantageous, because they pay 8 to 1, while actual odds are about 9 to 1, which raises the house edge to 14 percent. Playing Tables: Baccarat tables are usually large. They require a lot of floor space and personnel, therefore minimum betting limits at these tables are usually very high. To make baccarat available to average casino players, many casinos install so called mini baccarat tables. These tables are not larger than a standard blackjack table and are operated by only one dealer. These tables may have as small as 2 dollars minimum bet limit. Except the size of the table and the limits, mini baccarat follows exactly the same rules as the classic baccarat game.
|