Baccarat is a game of chance, but players can try to improve their chances by understanding the rules and bets. The most common bets include the banker, player and tie.
Unlike blackjack, there are only two hands in a baccarat game. The objective is to predict which hand will acquire a total closest to nine.
Game rules
Baccarat is a card game that involves betting on a Banker or Player hand. The rules of the game are a little different depending on whether you play Punto Banco or Chemin de Fer, but the main idea is to bet on whichever hand will be closest to nine. The cards are dealt from a six- or eight-deck shoe. Picture cards and Tens have a value of zero; numbered cards equal their face value, and Aces are worth one point.
After players place their bets, a croupier deals two cards to the Banker box and to the Player box. A third card may be drawn in certain situations. The hand that is closest to nine wins. The croupier announces the winning side. Losing bets are collected and winning bets paid even money.
The game of baccarat has long been the favourite of Bond, the fictional British secret agent created by Ian Fleming. The game appears in several of his novels and films, including Casino Royale; On Her Majesty’s Secret Service; Thunderball; and For Your Eyes Only.
Bets
The game offers players a variety of bets. One option is to bet on either the player or banker. Another is to place a bet on the tie, which pays out 8:1 if both the player and banker have equal scores. A third option is to bet on a big or small total, which also pays out at 8:1. This bet can only be placed when the dealer has a third card. It has a 9.51% chance of winning, but it is a riskier bet than betting on player or banker.
Baccarat is a favorite of James Bond, who has played the game in several filmed versions of the character, including Dr. No; Thunderball; On Her Majesty’s Secret Service; and GoldenEye.
Strategy
A popular strategy for playing baccarat is to follow one of the two pattern trends. One is to make a base bet value, and then increase the amount of chips after every winning round. The other is to alternate between Player and Banker bets at regular intervals of games. Regardless of which strategy you use, it is important to have a set budget to work within.
This baccarat strategy is used by advanced players to reduce the house edge. It involves betting on a single side of the game, such as Player or Banker, which have a low house advantage. However, the odds of either hand winning will fluctuate throughout the course of the shoe. This is due to a phenomenon known as the pattern system, which explains why shoes will often zigzag between banker and player wins.