Baccarat: Another card, Mr. Bond?
History
The word baccarat translates as zero in French and Italian, and this classic card game is possibly the oldest of all games of chance played in casinos around the world today. Historians fail to agree on the original source of the game, but the general belief is that it was introduced in Italy and from there it spread through France and Europe, eventually reaching North America.
One myth declares that Baccarat originated from an ancient Greek game where virgins rolled a special nine-sided dice on the ground. If the dice face showed an 8 or 9, the virgin was accepted as a priestess. If it showed a 6 or 7, she would not become a priestess, but she walked away with her life. Any throw less than a 6 meant that she had to walk into the sea and drown herself...
First official records of the game begin in the late 15th century in France, during the reign of the French king Charles VIII. Largely considered a game played by nobles, it was originally outlawed and played in secret. Its popularity waxed and waned over the next 400 years until it was finally legalized and played across France in casinos that became all the rage during the early 20th century. Today, Baccarat is one of the most popular card games played in land-based and online casinos.
ObjectiveBaccarat is a little like the casino game Blackjack, where two cards are dealt to the player and two to the house. Once the bet is placed, there is no further betting and the player must simply see whether he wins or loses. Some have called Baccarat the card game equivalent of a slot machine.
The player bets that either the Player or the Bank will have the winning hand, or whether there will be a Tie. Note that Player and Bank do not refer to the actual player or bank. These are just options the players can bet on.
Figure 1: Baccarat Table
Game Rules and Betting
The first rule to note is that all face cards and 10-spot cards count as zero and an ace counts as one. The highest winning hand in Baccarat is a perfect 9 total, with 8 the second best, and so on. If both Player and Bank have an identical score, then a tie is declared, where neither side wins.
Cards are dealt, face down, one to the player, one to the bank, then another to the player and last to the bank. The croupier then turns over the cards, adds the hand totals and calls out the score. The game then proceeds according to a draw table that indicates whether further cards are dealt. According to the hand score totals, the player or banker may draw one more cards, or stand. The highest hand then wins.
If the Banker achieves a total of 8 or 9 on the initial deal (known as a 'natural'), no further cards are drawn. If not, play proceeds as follows:
Table 1: Baccarat Draw Table| Player's Hand | Action | Dealer's Hand | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-5 | Draw card | 0-5, and player did not draw a card | Draw card |
| 6 or 7 | Stand | 6-7, and player did not draw a card | Stand |
| 0-4, and player drew 2 or 3 | Draw card | ||
| 5-7, and player drew 5-7 | Stand | ||
| 0-5, and player drew 4 or 5 | Draw card | ||
| 6 or 7, and player drew 4-5 | Stand | ||
| 0-6, and player drew 6 or 7 | Draw card | ||
| 7, and player drew a 6 or 7 | Stand | ||
| 0-2, and player drew an 8 | Draw card | ||
| 3-7, and player drew an 9 | Stand | ||
| 0-3, and player drew an ace, 8 or 10 | Draw card | ||
| 4-7, and player drew an ace, 8 or 10 | Stand | ||
Tips and Tricks
- Use a guide of 30 times the minimum table bet for your initial bankroll. You're unlikely to win in the long run with an initial sum less than that.
- Set yourself winning and losing limits. A good guide is stop when you lose half your bankroll or make double your bankroll.
- A bet on the bank gives you the highest percentage chance of a win. A bet on a tie gives you the lowest percentage chance of a win.
Glossary
- Advantage: Or house edge. The percentage chance the house has of winning over the players.
- Baccarat: A total hand value of zero - the worst hand in the game.
- Carte: Term used to request another card from the dealer.
- Chemin de Fer: Literally "railroad". The French name for Baccarat.
- Callman: Another name for the Baccarat dealer.
- Discard Tray: Tray employed for used card discarded after each round.
- Face Card: Any card showing a king, queen or jack of any suit.
- Fade: Cover all or part of the bank's bet. Also called covering the bank.
- Hit: To take a third card.
- Ladderman: Casino employee who overseas game play in the casino.
- Muck: An eight-card deck, commonly used in Baccarat.
- Le Grande: Total hand value of 9 - best hand in the game.
- Natural: When first two cards equal a total of 8 or 9.
- Punto Banco: North American name for Baccarat.
- Palette: Long wooden scoop used to move cards on the Baccarat table.
- Rule Card: Table showing the various card drawing options for player and bank.
- Shooter: Nickname for the bank.
- Standoff: Another name for a Tie.
- Sabot: French for card shoe, which contains the decks of cards used in Baccarat.
- Tie: Where player and bank draw the same card total.
