Baccarat, sometimes known as Baccara, is a table game found in most casinos worldwide first appearing in France back in 1847. Since then, it’s a table game that’s been popularised in blockbuster movies, such as several James Bond hits and the all famous “The Man That Broke Monte Carlo,” which has given Baccarat an image of sophistication, elegance, and glamour.
How to Play Baccarat
The aim of the game is to add up nine points or get as close as possible to that figure through the combination of two or three cards. The ace will have a value of one, and the ten, jack, queen, and king will add nothing by counting as if they were zeros. The accumulated total between the cards will only count the units to determine the score.
Players do not compete against other players but compete against the bank represented by the dealer. The dealer will also take part in each hand, but he will not always have to be defeated.
In Baccarat, you can bet in favor of yourself or bet in favor of the dealer. The return will be 1/1 ratio in cases where a successful bet is placed in support of the player beating the bank in that hand.
Since the odds of a win are negligible, the dealer claims a 5% commission in situations where a user places money on behalf of the casino, and the casino defeats the player himself. The return will then be 19:20. So, for example, when betting 1, the player will receive 1.95. One will correspond to the main risk, and 0.95 will be the net gain. A third option will be the draw, which is much less likely has an 8:1 payoff.
Players receive two cards. If at least one player has a combined value of eight or nine, the hand is over. This is called “Natural,” and whoever gets it wins automatically. If more than one player has 8 or 9, the highest value wins. A tie is declared if two players have the same total from the two cards drawn.
If neither hand totals 8 nor 9, a third card can be drawn. The third card is added based on the following:
An additional card is dealt to the player when:
The combined total of the two cards dealt equates to five or less if the dealer doesn’t have a total of eight or nine. A player’s hand stands on six or seven.
An additional card is dealt to the dealer when:
The players third card is 0 (10 or picture card) ,1 (Ace) ,2,34,5,6,7, or 9
Baccarat can also be called Punto y Banca in many casinos around the world, which is the case in Argentina. Baccarat can be played at Casino Puerto Madero, which is located in the Puerto Madero area of CABA. It is also known as the floating casino since it is built within two boats.
A second option corresponds to a location outside the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. Trilenium Casino, in Tigre. All types of table games, including Punto y Banca, are available at both casinos.
There are two variants of Punto y Banca that have minimal modifications with respect to the traditional Baccarat. These are the EZ and Super 6. Both of which generally continue with the original rules.
EZ Baccarat.
Played in the same manner as traditional Baccarat, EZ Baccarat removes the commission payment of 5%, which is paid upon the dealer/bank winning the hand. EZ Baccarat also has more betting options, two side bets called Dragon 7 and Panda 8. Dragon 7 pays 40 to 1 when the dealer accumulates seven points with three cards dealt. While Panda 8 pays 25 to 1 when the player wins with a total of eight from three cards.
Baccarat Super 6.
The general rules remain the same, and the only change is on the payout percentages when a player wins. As in EZ Baccarat explained above, there’s no 5% commission each time a player beats the bank by betting on the croupier’s hand in Baccarat Super 6.
One last clarification about Super 6 concerns a particular dealer’s hand. The rule implies is that when the dealer wins with a combination totaling six, the payout will be half of the initial bet or 0.5:1. There is one play that can be made by each player that will be an insurance bet on the possibility of that happening. If you bet on a six for the dealer, you will receive a 12:1 win.
While at first glance, Baccarat might resemble Blackjack, there is a considerable difference between the two games. This is that in Baccarat, the player does not have any power of decision on the final result of a game, since it will depend on a series of pre-established conditions. What this does is to leave the outcome of the game entirely in the hands of chance, which makes it impossible to form a strategy that works.