How to Play Baccarat
People who play Baccarat are probably attracted to the fact that it is one of the simplest of casino games to figure out. In most cases, the only decision a player will have to make is what type of bet to make. The dealer takes over at this point, and each player then simply collects or pays up, depending on whether his hand won or lost. In fact, in the most commonly played version of the game nowadays–mini-Baccarat–the players don’t even get to handle the cards.
Baccarat usually has its own designated floor space in casino. The table is roughly the same size as the table used in craps, and each table may have as many as three casino dealers and anywhere from 12 to 14 players.
You play Baccarat from either a six-deck or eight-deck shoe, and the number 10 card and all the face cards don’t have any value assigned to them. All the other cards are considered at face value, and Aces are equivalent to 1. The suits of the cards do not have any bearing on the game at all according to Baccarat rules. The object of Baccarat is to bet on the hand that you suppose will have the highest value.
Baccarat Betting - Banco or Punto?
The Baccarat rules with regard to betting allow players to make either a Banco (banker) bet or a Punto (player) bet. In some cases, you may be allowed to make a Standoff bet, although this practice isn't common nowadays.
While everyone who play Baccarat can make a choice between Punto or Banco bets, players that deal out the cards would go for Banco more often than not. According to Baccarat rules, players can choose not to deal at all, and instead pass the 'shoe' on to another player. As long as the Banco bets keep winning, the shoe will remain with the player holding it. When Punto wins, the shoe can then be passed on to another player and so on.
When you play Baccarat, each hand is made up of two cards or three cards at the most. Baccarat rules require the player/dealer to place two cards face down under the shoe, and hand the other two cards over to the player that has made the largest Punto bet. These cards will also be placed face down.
Winning Baccarat
The player who opts for Punto then looks at his cards and hands them back to the player/dealer. The dealer then reveals both cards, after which one of the casino dealers will declare the winner of the round.
When you play Baccarat, getting a hand with a total of 8 or 9–called a 'Natural'–automatically means that dealing is over for that round. How Baccarat rules differ from other games is that the casino dealer and not the player who will decide whether or not to "hit" depending on the value of the hand. The rules governing this aspect of the game is pretty much set in stone, and is implemented unwaveringly in almost all casinos in which you can play Baccarat.
After the winner of the round has been determined, the casino dealers collect the losing bets and pay out the winning ones. It is important to keep in mind that the player who deals out the cards is not accountable for the payouts, and is instead competing against the casino just like all the other players around the table.
