Putting Your Skills To Task With Baccarat

Baccarat has been, and will continue to be one of the most popular gambling game in the industry. Online Baccarat was developed for players who wanted the thrill of the casino game but from the comfort of their laptop, tablet, or Smart phone. It is a card game that combines some of the elements of Blackjack, a few components of craps, and the atmosphere of a neighborhood poker game to create a strategy match really unlike any other. In Baccarat, you’re technically playing against the dealer just like in any other card game. However, you can choose to bet on whether the dealer wins the hand or you do, kind of like betting against the dice in a “Don’t Come” wager when playing craps. Some other ways that Baccarat differs from traditional card games you’re used to playing is that players actually take a turn dealing out cards and not just always the house. Of course when you play Baccarat online, the software platform does the dealing which allows the player to focus more on their strategy. Here are some of the ins and outs of the game that you’ll need to know to optimize your Baccarat winnings:

General Baccarat Rules and Online Casino Baccarat Gameplay

Many players have shied away from playing Baccarat just because it sounds like an extremely complex game. The truth is, Baccarat is arguably the easiest game to grasp of any casino experience outside of slot machines. Baccarat is also called Punto Banco which stems from really the only two wagers you make in the game – Punto (player) or Banco (bank). Both the dealer and the player will each get dealt up to three cards and the hand with the higher score wins the bet – it’s really that simple! If you think the player will win, put your virtual chips on the player line of the table. If you have a feeling the banker is going to have the high hand, bet on them and collect your winnings.

More In-Depth Rules to Play Baccarat Online

With the basics of the game easily understood, it’s time to get into the scoring of Baccarat which can be many players’ most difficult item to learn. This difficulty comes from the fact that 10s and face cards (Jack through King) are worth zero points in Baccarat. Thus three Kings, which look like a great start in a Poker game, are actually worth zero in your Baccarat chute. However, if you bet on the dealer and essentially against yourself – it actually looks like a great hand! This is why people love to play Baccarat online. Another difficult thing to grasp about Baccarat when first starting to play is that only single digits count towards your score. What this basically means is if you’re dealt a 3, a 2, and then a 9 the total of your cards adds up to 14. You always drop the 10 portion of a double-digit hand so thus your score is actually 4.

The Third Card Rule

So maybe Baccarat isn’t just about betting on player or dealer once you get the gist of the gameplay down. This is due to the dealing (or not dealing) of the third card. Both the player and dealer start off by each getting dealt two cards. Whether or not to deal the third card when playing online casino Baccarat depends on:

• If either the player or the dealer lands a total of 8 or 9 on the first two cards regardless of the combination it is called a natural and the hand is over. This is very similar to if the dealer gives themselves an Ace and a face card in Blackjack on the first two cards resulting in an automatic win. Although in Baccarat, either the player or the dealer can get the instant win via a natural draw.
• Scenario two involves whether or not the player’s hand has less than or equal to 5 on the first two cards. If the total is less, a third card is drawn for them.
• If the player doesn’t draw a third card, the banker stands on 6 or more and draws on 5 or less.

If the player does take a third card, then the bank draws one based on what the total is. It’s kind of confusing, but basically the bank will draw in an effort to beat the player. For example if the bank’s total is:

• 2 or less – bank draws a card regardless of what the players third card was.
• 3 – draws a card unless the player’s third card was an 8.
• 4 – draws a third card unless the player’s third card was a 0,1,8, or 9.
• 5 – draws a third card if the player’s third card was a 4,5,6, or 7.
• 6 – draws a third card if the player’s third card was a 6 or 7.

The best thing about online casino Baccarat is that these calculations are done automatically. Not only that, after a few sessions of playing the scenarios will become like second nature to you and you’ll be expecting the deal or non-deal even before the casino software executes it.

A Third Betting Option

Online Baccarat has already shown traits of other casino games such as Craps, Poker, and Blackjack. It is exemplary of another one thanks to a third bet (besides player or banker) that is a tie – very similar to betting on green in Roulette. Instead of betting on either the player or the banker a bettor can also wager on a standstill. If both the dealer and the player land on the same exact number for a total, the standstill pays out at 8:1 odds. Speaking of, a wager on the player returns even money but a banker winning bet will tax a 5% commission based on the built-in house advantage.