Baccarat
Baccarat is an easy game to learn how to play online, and also has good odds for the player over other online casino games due to its low house edge. This means that you should win more frequently.
The rules are really easy to learn. There are two hands that are dealt out to one player and one to the dealer, regardless of the number of players in the hand.
If there is more then one player playing at one single point in time whoever the player whose turn it is to have the shoe all other players will play on their hand. It doesn’t really matter though as the player had not decisions on the out come of the game (ie. there’s not splitting, doubling or anything like you’d have in blackjack or similar type games). In the end whoever is closes to 9 wins the the round. As you can see it’s rather easy.
How to Play Baccarat
The best advice we can give is to read our simple guide below and then have a go on the free play tables yourself. This will give you more confidence before you hit the real money online Baccarat tables.
The object of the game is to bet on the hand that you believe will end up totaling closest to 9. You have three options when it comes to betting:
- betting that the players hand (your hand) will win;
- betting that the bankers (or dealers) hand will win;
- betting that the hands will tie.
If you’ve bet that the bankers or the players hands will win and it does in fact win then you are paid out 1-1 or even money (if you bet £10 and you win, you will be paid the original £10 plus anther £10, totalling £20). Most casinos charge a 5% commission on any bets that win on the banker’s hand. If you took the chance and bet that the hands will tie (have the same value) then you will be paid out 8 – 1 (so if you bet the £10 on this hand, you will be paid out the original £10 plus £80 more, 8 times your bet). If there is a tie and you had bet on banker or player, your money is returned to you.
Each round begins by the players placing their bets. If they wish to bet on the player’s hand, they will place their bet the corresponding area on the table, same goes for banker bets and tie bets. The dealer now deals two separate hands, the banker hand and the player hand, consisting of two cards each. The cards values are set at face value for the cards numbered 2 – 9, Aces are valued at 1 and 10’s and face cards are valued at 0. If either hand totals 8 or 9 exactly with these first two cards, it is said to be “natural” and automatically wins. If neither hands are a natural the play continues, starting with the player’s hand. If the total of this hand is 6 or 7, the hand must stand at that number. But if the total is 5 or less then another card is drawn. Up to three cards can be drawn per hand if totals don’t reach 6 – 9. Then the bankers hand is played in the same way (only in some games the dealer will only stand on 7 and draw with 6 or less) and once finished, the hand that is closer to 9 is the winner.
The complicated part is, what happens if your cards total higher than 9. There is no way to bust a hand in baccarat and all hands will never total more than 9. For example, if the first two cards are 7 and 6, totalling 13, you remove the one (or subtract 10) and the total becomes 3. If the next card drawn is a 10, the total remains 3. If the next card drawn is a 9 your total now lowers to 2 (9 + 3 = 12 – 10 = 2).
The totals are calculated according to the following card values:
- aces count as 1;
- cards 2 through 9 count at face value;
- 10’s and face cards count as 0.
It should be pointed out, however, that if you’re dealt a 9 and a 7, for example, the combined total is not 16, but instead, 6. if the first two cards are 7 and 6, totaling 13, you remove the one (or subtract 10) and the total becomes 3. If the next card drawn is a 10, the total remains 3. If the next card drawn is a 9 your total now lowers to 2 (9 + 3 = 12 – 10 = 2).
Baccarat Table Layout
A Baccarat table generally includes a middle area for the croupier and two similar ends.
1. Caller (”Croupier”)
2. Dealer1
3. Dealer2
4. Drop Box
5. Discard Trays
6. Tips box
Baccarat Table at William Hill
Up to 14 players occupy the seats, which correspond to the numbers on the layout wagers placed in a section outlined in front of the players. According to the possible choices at the beginning of each game, the player has three betting areas associated with his/her position at the table. They are: “Banker”, “Player” or “Tie” (of course).
Online Rules
Each Baccarat game begins with the dealer dealing 4 cards: 2 each for the house and the player. If the total of either or both sides is 8 or 9, you call this `a natural` and then no more cards are issued. If, however, the point total of both sides is identical, it’s a tie. The only trick here comes when the house or the player’s points, after the initial two cards, do not add up to a natural, or when no tie occurs. In these cases, another card will be dealt according to specific Baccarat rules, which are broken down below:
- player’s initial hand adds up to 6 or greater – he/she must stand and will not receive additional cards;
- 5 or less – the player is dealt an additional card;
- house hand adds up to 7 or more – the house must stand;
- house hand adds up to 0, 1 or 2 – the house must take an additional card;
- house hand totals 3, and the player’s third card is anything other than an 8 (the player always receives his cards before the house) – the house will hit;
- house hand totals 4, and the player’s third card is anything other than 1, 8, 9, or 0 the house will hit;
- house hand totals 5, and the player is dealt a 4, 5, 6, or 7 – the house will hit;
- finally, if the house hand totals 6, and the player’s third card is 6 or 7, the house will hit.
