Where and How to Enjoy Real Money Baccarat Games Online
The history of Baccarat can be traced all the way back to the 1400’s when it appeared in France via Italy. There are actually three versions of the game in ‘chiming de far’, ‘baccarat banquet’ and ‘punto banco’, although all use virtually the same rules, the main difference being in how the cards are dealt. ‘Punto Banco’ is the most widely played version of the game and indeed, if you head to an online casino and play baccarat you’ll almost certainly be playing this version.
The Rules of Baccarat
The basic premise of the game is that there will be a player and a banker who will both receive two cards. The aim of the game is for either the player or the banker to get closer to 9 and therefore win. To work out how many points each has is simple – you add the two cards together and then just take the final digit. Any picture cards and the ten will count as zero in baccarat (which is the reason for the name, ‘baccarat’ meaning zero in Italian). As examples, should the player be dealt a 7 and an 8, their score will be 5 (the final digit of 15 is 5), while a player being dealt a King and a 6 scores 6 (6+0=6).
However, it’s not quite as straightforward as this, as either the player or the dealer can gain an extra card. This might sound similar to blackjack in some ways, but there is a key difference here. In baccarat, the award of an extra card is not an optional one where the player chooses, an extra card coming when particular conditions are met.
Before discussing these conditions, it should be noted that if either the player or the banker receives a total of 8 or 9, this is deemed to be a ‘natural’ and no more cards are dealt. The result is now declared as a ‘player win’, ‘a banker win’ or ‘a tie’ – the tie happening when both the player and the banker have the same total of 8 or 9.
Firstly we’ll look at the player’s drawing rules.
- If the player scores between 0 and 5 they will draw another card. A score of 6 or 7 will see the player stand (as mentioned earlier, a score of 8 or 9 will see no more cards dealt).
- If the player stands with a score of 6 or 7, the banker will now use the same rule as the player in deciding whether to draw another card. However, if the player drew a third card, the banker will decide to draw a further card based upon the following conditions.
- If Player drew a 2 or 3, Banker draws with 0–4 and stands with 5–7.
- If Player drew a 4 or 5, Banker draws with 0–5 and stands with 6–7.
- If Player drew a 6 or 7, Banker draws with 0–6 and stands with 7.
- If Player drew an 8, Banker draws with 0–2 and stands with 3–7.
- If Player drew an ace, 9, 10, or face-card, the Banker draws with 0–3 and stands with 4–7.
Betting in Baccarat
Interestingly, when playing baccarat you’ll have three betting options. The first is to bet on the player and if the player wins you’ll be paid out at odds of even money. The second option is to bet on the banker and if the banker wins you’ll be paid out at the same odds, although pay 5% in vigorish to the online casino site. Should there be a tie in each of these instances, the bet will result in a push, and see your stake returned to you. Your final betting option is a bet on the tie, which pays out at odds of 8 to 1.
Real Money Baccarat Online
You’ll find baccarat available at the vast majority of online casinos. When you head into the game you’ll see a betting layout where you can place your chips on the player, the banker or the tie. This will simply be a case of clicking on your chosen chip denomination and then clicking again to place your bet (on the online table you’ll see the table limits for your particular game). Having placed your bet you’ll hit ‘deal’ and the game will commence. As the game has no choices to be made, each hand will be played out on the table in its entirety before moving onto the next hand.
Many online casinos now also offer a ‘live casino’ and baccarat is a particularly popular option. These games feature a live dealer and are streamed directly to your device, so you’ll be betting on the outcome of the actual cards dealt in the casino. These live casino games are usually hosted by attractive and friendly dealers, making for an enjoyable time at the tables.
Guide to Online Baccarat – Overview
Baccarat is a very enjoyable game of chance. At first the rules might seem a little complicated, but play a few hands and you’ll soon get to grips with the ebb and flow of the game and it quickly becomes clear why the game is so popular worldwide. The online baccarat experience has bought the game to a much wider audience than ever before – the virtual game being perfect for those wanting to play at their own speed, while the live casino version gives players a lifelike casino experience from the comfort of their own homes.
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