How to play baccarat

Baccarat is a casino game. It is simple to master, fun and easy to play, but still regarded as being one of the most sophisticated casino games.

Rules of baccarat

The object in an online Baccarat game is to decide which hand you think might win, and then bet on it. There are just two principal bets to make: player or banker, plus the rarely used Standoff or Tie.

- Bet on the PLAYER, if you think that the winner at the end of the hand will be you.

- Bet on the BANKER, if you think that the winner at the end of the hand will be the house.

- Bet on the TIE, if you think that the hand will be tied.

Of course your goal is to bet correctly at the beginning. If you bet the winner, you win. So make your bet, and click on the DEAL button.

Most of the online casinos offer the REBET button, which makes the play more comfortable.

The goal of the player (you) and the banker as well is to get closest to 9 points in the hand.

Card values:

Ace: worth 1 point;

Cards 2-9: face value;

10, J, Q, K: worth 0 point.

How to play baccarat:

First of all you make your bet as we mentioned above. Then the dealer will deal 4 cards: 2 each for the house and the player. The value of the hand will be showed by the software.

Only single digit values are valid. Any count that reaches a double digit drops the left digit. 15 is counted as 5 and 25 is also counted as 5. 9 is the highest value. The one whose hand value is higher will win.

Third card rules:

A third card may be dealt to either or both the player and the bank based on the following three-card-rules.

Player's third-card-rule:

•         If the player's total is less than or equal to 5 the player's hand draws a third card

•         If the player's total is 6 or 7 the player stands

•         If the player has a total of 8 or 9 on the first two cards no further cards are drawn. The resulting hand is called a natural and the hand is over.

Bank's third-card-rule:

•         House has total of 0, 1, 2: The Banker always draws a third card.

•         House has total of 3: The Banker doesn’t draw if the Player's Third Card is an 8     

•         House has total of 4: The Banker draws if the Player's Third Card is not less than 2 and not higher than 7

•         House has total of 5: The Banker draws if the Player's Third Card is 4-5-6-7

•         House has total of 6: The Banker draws if the Player's Third Card is 6-7
•         House has total of 7: The Banker always stands.

•         If the House has a total of 8 or 9 on the first two cards no further cards are drawn. The resulting hand is called a natural and the hand is over.

Payouts:

If you bet on Player and you win, then the payoff is 2 to 1.
If you bet on Player and you win, then the payoff is 2 to 1. (In this case in a few casinos you are charged the standard 5% commission fee on the amount that you win)
If there is a tie, bets on the "Banker” or "Player" are returned, a bet on a Tie pays 9 to 1 without any commission fee.

Best Baccarat casino: