An Introduction to Baccarat
The game of baccarat has grown leaps and bounds in terms of popularity from the early days when it first made an appearance in the gambling world. Today, you can play baccarat not just at a traditional casino, but also online over the Internet, directly from the cozy comfort of your living room.
In a traditional casino, there is a separate space marked out for baccarat, while online you can play baccarat at any one of the numerous online casinos available. You play baccarat on a table that is of approximately the same size as a table you see in a craps game. With a total of three dealers, the table can host up to a maximum of 12-14 players.
Types of Bets in Baccarat
There are three types of bets in baccarat, two of which are used very frequently. These are the bets on the banker or the player, also referred to as Banco or Punto. The third bet, which is not used very frequently, is the standoff. When you play baccarat, you can bet either on the banker or the player, i.e. Banco or Punto. The dealer usually bets on the banker.
Dealing the Cards in Baccarat
If you are at a traditional casino, there are two ways of dealing the cards for a game of baccarat – either you deal them or have the casino dealer do the dealing. The players can also rotate the deal among themselves at a traditional. In that scenario, it is not mandatory for you to deal; you can excuse yourself from dealing by passing it on to the player next to you.
In a baccarat game at a traditional casino, if you are dealing, the shoe remains with you for the period of time that the bank wins. However, the shoe changes hands and passes on to the player next to you the moment the Punto bet wins. When you play online, the deal is facilitated by an automatic virtual dealer.
Playing the Game of Baccarat
An individual hand in baccarat will have at least two cards, which can be extended to three. If you are the dealer, you deal two cards, both face down, tucked under the shoe. The other player who has the highest bet on the Punto gets two cards as well, both face down.
Once the two hands are dealt, the other player checks his cards and gives them back to the player who has dealt them. He, in turn, flips both the cards of the two hands over. The casino dealer then declares the winner.
A hand having a total of 8 or 9 is called a ‘natural.’ Once there is a natural no other cards are dealt. If the hand is not a natural, the player can opt to take another card, though the final decision on this rests with the casino dealer, who advises the player dealing the cards to go ahead or stop. There are rules governing the third card deal, and these rules may vary slightly from one casino to another.
