Baccarat

When it comes to baccarat, this is all you have to decide: do you want to make a bet on the banker, the player or on a tie? Aside from a tie, baccarat's house edge is extremely low and stands at 1.96% for banker bets and 1.24% for player bets. Never bet on a tie as the casino advantage will go up to 14%. On every winning bet on a banker a commission of 5% is also paid onto the casinos.

Every bet has to be made prior to dealing out the cards. After that, two hands will get dealt from the eight-deck shoe, one to the banker and one to the player. Your bet can be on either one of them. If your bet wins, you will get an even money payout. In the beginning, every hand will get two cards each. When needed, extra cards will be drawn, depending on the rules. Whichever hand is closer to 9 wins.

The Card Values

10s and all face cards count as 0, while Aces count as 1 and every other card counts as its own face value. Unlike in blackjack, hands cannot bust, though, since the initial digit will be dropped from the two-digit final number. So, if 7 and 5 are drawn, the sum will be 12 and it will count as 2. Ties mean no one loses.

Now, if the initial two cards end up having a total of 8 to 9, it is known as a natural, so no more cards have to be drawn. Basically, it counts as an instant win - provided the other hand doesn't have a higher total natural or the same natural, that is. On every other total - 0 to 7 - getting an extra card will strictly depend on the established game rules. Not more than a single extra card can be drawn, though, no matter what the case.

The hand of the player will act first, followed by the banker. Despite the many baccarat variations out there, the rules for third card draws tend to be consistent with worldwide baccarat games.