Online baccarat is gaining in popularity amongst lovers of card games who are looking for something a little different. The thing that draws most players to the game is the very same reason other players will not even consider sitting down to play baccarat. It is also what separates baccarat from any other casino card game, and that is – the player does not interact with the cards at all. Rather, the cards are dealt out by a predetermined set of rules. All the player has to do is place a wager on how they think the hand will turn out.
The Game
Before sitting down and trying your luck with online baccarat, you should realize that this is like no other casino card game you have played. So take everything you know about poker and blackjack and leave it in the poker room, (or on the blackjack table.)
The Basics
In baccarat, all numeric cads from 2 to 9 hold the face value for that card. Face cards and 10’s are counted as 0, and aces are 1.
The bettor may place their bet to back either the bankers hand, the players hand, or a tie. It is important to note that the “player” hand does not signify the hand belongs to the bettor, nor does the “banker” hand relate to the house. They are simply the name of the hand to be bet on.
A count of 8 or 9 in either hand is considered a natural and no draw is made, 9 being the highest score either hand can make. In the event of the sum of the first two cards dealt to a single hand being more than 9, the value in the “ones” position is considered the score. So if the player hand is dealt a 6 and 9, 6+9=15 so the value of that hand is 5. This is exactly why 10’s and face cards are valued at 0 in baccarat.
How the Hands are Played
If both hands are dealt a natural in the first 2 cards dealt to them, play stops and the wagers are paid out according to the value of the hands and wagers placed. If the player hand is dealt a natural or a value of 6 or 7, no cards are drawn for the player and play turns to the banker hand which will draw according to the same rules as the player hand. If the player hand has a value of 0-5 and the banker does not have a natural, a third card is dealt to the player.
If the player draws a third card, the banker hand must follow the following rules:
- Player draws a 2 or 3 – banker must draw with 0-4 and stand on 5-7
- Player draws a 4 or 5 – banker must draw with 0-5 and stand on 6-7
- Player draws a 6 or 7 – banker must draw with 0-6 and stand on 7
- Player draws an 8 – banker must draw with 0-2 and stand on 3-7
- Player draws an ace, 9, 10, or face card – banker must draw with 0-3 and stand on 4-7
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