Baccarat

January 23, 2010 / admin /

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The game known today as Baccarat first originated in Italy and then made its way to France in the 1400’s where it achieved massive success. The name itself refers to the lowest valued hand possible in the game which is worth 0 points. There are multiple versions of this game, including: Punto Banco, Baccarat Banque and Baccarat Chermin de Fer. While Chermin de Fer remains popular in France and is, like the Banque version, based on some level of strategizing, Punto Banco is the most popular version of this game. It is played in the United States, Australia, Canada and a range of other countries. In all three versions of the game, there are three possible outcomes: Banker, Player and Tie. Any person playing may bet on either the Player or the Banker during the game and this is how winners are determined.

In the game of Baccarat, card values are of primary importance. Cards numbered 1 through 9 are worth their face value, but 10, Jack, Queen and King are worth nothing while an Ace is worth 1 point. Those playing the game tally the score by adding all of the cards’ values of a hand together and once that number exceeds 10, they take away the first digit. This means that a 13 becomes a 3 or a 16 becomes a 6. As a result, the highest possible score in Baccarat is 9 and the lowest is 0. Normally, the game is played at an oval table with two dealers to collect the bets and one croupier to deal the cards. Two cards are laid face down and then turned over, one set for the Banker and one for the Player. Play is determined by a tableaux that determines if either Player or Banker draw a third card.

Baccarat is famous for being a favored choice of high rollers. Most casinos have a separate room set aside just for this game due to the amount of money won and lost. In fact, many times a casino’s entire profitability can be affected by a single game of Baccarat. As one of the simplest to learn, this is a game favored by many who are seeking to win large sums of money without needing a high level of skill.