Basic Baccarat Terms

From the name of the game itself to a Tie bet, we are going to cover some general baccarat terms to get you started and sounding like a pro, whatever your experience.

Baccarat or Baccara - basically this means "zero" and refers to the value of face and 10 cards during play. The aim of the game is to get a hand which totals 9, or at least get closer than the dealer.

Bank Bet - this bet bets against the player, in favour of the bank.

Banker - the banker can be a player or the dealer. How refreshing! It is the name given to the person who deals the cards and monitor the table. OK, so it's usually the dealer, but some casinos are generous!

Bankroll - this is the same as always; the amount of money to be gambled with. The bit that you want to grow.

Basic Strategy - all games have a basic strategy that suggests when to stand or take another card. The idea is that if followed strictly, it will provide the best possible return. Don't forget the money management side though!

Croupier - the name of the person with the grand job of being in charge of the Baccarat table. There are variations; the croupier doesn't deal in American baccarat, unlike with mini and online versions.

Dealer - obviously the person who deal the cards but in mini and online baccarat, this job falls to the croupier. In American baccarat it is the banker that deals the cards, with secondary dealers at the ends of the table handling the bets.

Face Card - important cards in any game. Jacks, Queens and Kings all have a value of zero and enable a strong hand including a natural.

Ladderman - only found in live casinos but a cool name and job! The person that oversees the baccarat game from a chair that sits above the table.

Loss Bet - a bet which bets against the bank. So a player bet would be a loss bet as it needs the bank to lose.

Mini-baccarat - A miniature version of the game with a smaller table and fewer seats. Much more up close and personal.

Natural - the best possible hand which totals 8 or 9 and is dealt immediately.

Player Bet - this bets against the banker, in the player΄s favour.

Push - a different name for a tie between the player and the dealer: the player's stake is returned. So if both got a total of 7, the player doesn't lose out. Bets on the dealer or player lose, but a tie bet will pay out.

Tie Bet - a bet that predicts the player and the dealer will get the same result. More popular than you might first imagine.

Baccarat Strategy, Myth Or Possibility?

As with any form of casino games, including poker, blackjack and roulette, the player is always looking for a strategy to increase their chances of winning. Many experiences Baccarat players feel that any mention of a strategy is purely based on myth and rightly so. We will look over some of the more common proclaimed strategies in an attempt to come to a concrete conclusion on the Baccarat strategy myth.

The Scorecard
Almost every casino will hand out a scorecard to every player at the table. Players can be spotted keeping track of the outcome of each hand in an attempt to spot patterns in order to take advantage of a streak. The casinos encourage this behavior simply because they know it has no bearing on the outcome of the game. Following a supposed pattern in Baccarat is as fruitless as it is with Roulette. Each hand plays independent of the last but this does not stop betters from believing they have found a betting edge by following trends. It is in your best interest to abstain from this habit as it has no outcome on the cards being dealt and will not provide you with any sort of edge.

Card Counting
While often referred to as a stable of successful Blackjack play, card counting is another card strategy that is meaningless in the game of Baccarat. Although it may appear as a worthy strategy for the Baccarat player, the fact that the issue of used cards being fed back into the “shoe” before all have been removed negates any count you may have made up to that point. Card counting for Baccarat is a race with no end, the cycle of cards makes it impossible to ever have a solid system in place.

What works?
The most common system used would be always betting on the banker. Although this is by far the most boring of any system it is the only one that can be mathematically proven to give you an edge.

The Final Word
After examining the many strategies proposed for the game of Baccarat is becomes quite clear that there is no failsafe method to improve your odds. Betting on the banker may make you a winner more often than not but it also strips the game down to a series of planned bets. It is best to enjoy the game for what it is and abandon any attempt and finding a strategy to help your odds at the Baccarat table.

Baccarat For Beginners: Free Game Tips

Baccarat is based on the simple premise of assembling a hand of two or three cards with a point value as close as possible to nine. Although baccarat may seem intimidating to those unfamiliar with the rules, it is, in fact, one of the easiest games to play. There is only one decision you have to make for each hand, the dealers handle the rest, playing out the hands according to strict, predetermined rules. Baccarat is also seen as a glamorous game, often played in a roped off room in many casinos.

The perfect hand consists of two cards that total nine, with the second-best hand being two cards that have a total point value of eight. These are the two “natural” hands in the game of Baccarat. If any player in the current game has a two card hand equaling a natural eight or nine then the other players may not draw a third card. The hand closest to nine always wins. When neither hand has a natural, there is no automatic winner, and additional cards are drawn to determine the outcome of the hand. The only hand that beats the natural eight is the natural nine. If there is a tie, all bests are called off.

Aces have a value of one, picture cards (Kings, Queens, Jacks) have a value of 10 and the remaining cards keep their face value. If your hand total is in double figures, then the first figure is ignored, meaning a hand totaling 18 would count as eight. Drawing two picture cards or two tens would give you a value of zero. A draw of a picture card or a ten and an eight or nine gives you the natural hands and no further cards would be drawn in this case with the natural hand being declared the winner.

The banker deals three hands of two cards each, face down. These hands are for two players, one to the right and one the left of the banker, plus his own hand. Other players at the table may bet on either hand or both to beat the banker's hand. If a player declares "banco", it means they are betting the total value of the bank's funds and all other bets are withdrawn.

If either player has a count less than eight or nine, he may stand or get one more card face up. The player must stand on six or seven and must draw on four or less.

Baccarat Chemin De Fer: Rules Of The Game

One of the many forms of the game of Baccarat is the French version called Chemin De Fer. In this version of the game six full packs of cards of the same pattern are used, shuffled together. The players are seated around the table which features a basket on the center for reception of used cards. The cards are shuffled by the Croupier and then the cards are passed on with each player having the right to shuffle in turn. Once the tables have been passed to every player at the table the Croupier once again shuffles the deck and then offers the cards to the player to his left, who then cuts the cards.

The dealer places before him the amount he is disposed to risk and the players "make their stakes." Any player, beginning with the player on the immediate right of the dealer, is entitled to say "Banco", meaning to "go bank," to play against the whole of the banker's stake. If no one does so, each player places his stake before him. If the total so staked by the seated players is not equal to the amount for the time being in the bank, other persons standing round may stake in addition. If it is more than equal to the amount in the bank, the players nearest in order to the banker have the preference up to such amount, the banker having the right to decline any stake in excess of that limit.

The banker proceeds to deal four cards face downwards: the first, for the players, to the right; the second to himself; the third for the players, the fourth to himself. The player who has the highest stake represents the other players. If two players are equal in this respect, the player first in rotation has the preference. Each then looks at his cards. If he finds that they make a natural nine, the highest point at Baccarat, or eight, the next highest, he turns them up, announcing the number aloud, and the hand is at an end. If the banker's point is the better, the stakes of the player become the property of the bank. If the players' point is the better, the banker (or the croupier for him) pays each player the amount of his stake.

The stakes are made afresh, and the game proceeds. If the banker has been the winner, he deals again. If otherwise, the cards are passed to the player next in order, who thereupon becomes banker in his turn.

Baccarat Basics

Eventually, mini-baccarat came to the scene. It's the same game, but without all the ceremonious moves. The game is conducted on a Blackjack-style table with one dealer and a shoe. The shoe holds multiple decks of cards.

The game itself is incredibly easy to play, which is surprising considering how low the house advantage is. In fact, Baccarat is one of the best casino plays around.

In a nutshell, the game consists of two hands-Banker and Player. Each hand is dealt two cards. Depending on the value, each hand may take one additional card. The hand then ends and a winner is declared. Face cards are worth 0 (or 10 if you rather) and the object is to get as close to 9 as possible.

So, a hand of a King and a 4 has a value of four. A hand of a 9 and 4 has the value of three, because ten equals zero and the count restarts.

When you first walk up to a table, you'll notice that there are three betting areas. There's the Player wager spot, the Bank wager spot and the Tie wager spot. For each hand you play, you'll need to select something to wager on. There are three possible outcomes to each hand. If it's not a tie, which is rare, the Bank or the Player wins.

It's important to note that the Bank has a slight edge-since it goes last in the playing sequence. Because of this, there's a 5% vig to pay for each winning wager you place on the Bank.

If you love holding the cards and getting into the game, Baccarat isn't for you-unless you can play the high-roller version. In the mini-Baccarat version, the dealer performs all the action. You just place your wagers as desired.

When you win with the Bank or Player, you'll be paid even money. Ties are paid 9 for 1, which is the same as a saying they pay 8 to 1. The vig from bank wins can be paid at anytime. Usually, you'll want to pay it whenever it equals your normal betting unit.

For instance, let's say you're betting $5 units. Each Bank win will cost you 25 cents. It would be more convenient to let it accumulate until it hits $5.

If you're playing in the real world, there should be a hand tracker sheet and a writing instrument at the table. Most Baccarat players track the hands to look for trends, which is part of the strategy we'll go into in another article.

Online players can just use whatever they have around the house-unless the online casino tracks hands for you.

That's all there is to this simple game. In another article, we'll talk about the hands and the rules that determines if the Player and Bank stand or take a card.

Baccarat Banque: Card Game Rules and Playing Tips

Bacarrat Banque is yet another variation of the pure game of Baccarat. Three packs of cards are shuffled together. The bank is at the outset put up to auction. In some circles, the person who has first set down his name on the list of players has the right to hold the first bank, risking such amount as he may think proper.

The right to begin having been ascertained, the banker takes his place midway down one of the sides of an oval table, the croupier facing him, with the waste-basket between. On either side the banker are the punters (ten such constituting a full table). Any other persons desiring to take part remain standing, and can only play in the event of the amount in the bank for the time being not being covered by the seated players.

The croupier, having shuffled the cards, hands them for the same purpose to the players to the right and left of him, the banker being entitled to shuffle them last, and to select the person by whom they shall be cut. Each punter having made his stake, the banker deals three cards, the first to the player on his right, the second to the player on his left, and the third to himself; then three more in like manner. The five punters on the right (and any bystanders staking with them) win or lose by the cards dealt to that side; the five others by the cards dealt to the left side. Each punter continues to hold the cards for his side so long as he wins. If he loses, the next hand is dealt to the player next following him in rotation.

The breaking of the bank does not deprive the banker of the right to continue, provided that he has funds with which to replenish it, up to the agreed minimum.

Should the stakes of the punters exceed the amount for, the time being in the bank, the banker is not responsible for the amount of such excess. In the event of his losing, the croupier pays the punters in order of rotation, so far as the funds in the bank will extend; beyond this, they have no claim. The banker, may, however, in such a case, instead of resting on his right, declare the stakes accepted, forthwith putting up the needful funds to meet them. In such event the bank thenceforth becomes unlimited, and the banker must hold all stakes offered on any subsequent hand, or give up the bank.

Baccarat: How to Win More

Baccarat is possibly the easiest game to learn and play. The main object is very simple. The player has to assemble a hand of two or three cards. The value of the hand must get as closer as possible to nine.
The perfect baccarat hand is a hand that has the total of nine in the first two cards, without to use a third card.

Everyone agrees that baccarat is a game of chance, but like many other games of chance, an experience player can have better chances to win than a novice player. Why is that? Because there are certain things than can influence the outcome of a betting round and experienced player know how to make better decisions that will maximize their chances to win the hand. The luck factor plays the most important roll in the game, but when a player knows his chances, knows what could be the outcome of each of the optional moves- he has better chances to win in the long run.

And this is exactly why serious casino players, who search for bigger prizes, invest their time in practicing and reading about baccarat. By doing so, serious players develop their own playing strategy that will allow them to make smarter decisions when they play baccarat.

Baccarat, as we wrote before, is a very simple game. All you have to do is to bet on whether you think the banker will beat the player, the player will beat the banker or if the both hands will tie.
This leads me to the most important baccarat tip you'll ever receive: Always bet either on the banker or the player. Do not waste your time and money on betting on a tie. The chances are always greater that either the player or the banker will win.

Another important tip that I can give to players who want to maximize their winnings (and, obviously, minimize their loss) is to pay more attention to managing their money.
Some players use money managing systems like the Martingale system in order to have some sort of a pattern to follow during their game, but you don't have to use a strict system like that. A good way to manage your money is to decide how much you are going to invest in the game and to set a limit. If you'll decide in advance what are your goals and how much you can allow yourself to lose, you'll have more chances to play reasonably and your game will be much more profitable.

If you are reading this article, you probably interested in money aspect of casino gambling, but it doesn't say that you cannot enjoy your game while playing it in the best online casinos.

The most important tip that I can give you is to pay attention and to manage your money correctly, to use gaming strategy and to use your experience and the advices of other experienced players when you're playing, but more than this, if you're not enjoying the game, maybe it's just not worth it. Make sure that the prime target of your casino time is to provide you with exciting gaming experience, because luck will always come and go, and exciting experiences stay forever in our memories.