Game rules Baccarat

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Baccarat is also called Punto Banco. It is an easy tablegame in which you do not have to make any difficult strategic decisions. Yet there are some rules for this casino game. When the game starts, all the players, including the croupier, bet on the bankholder, the player or the tie. The croupier usually bets on the bankholder. The casino players can decide to not play and will then pas the “shoe” to the next player. As long as the bankholder wins the “shoe” will stay with the same player. Though when a player wins, the “shoe” will be passed to the next casino player.

The dealer gives two cards to every casino player. First to the player himself and then to the bankholder. The goal of this casinogame is the guess which hand has the highest value. The principle is the same as betting for black or red at roulette and the payment is even 1:1 (except for the standoff when it is 8:1 or 9:1). A third card can be given to the player or the bank holder on ground of the “Third card drawing rule”.  You do not have to learn this rule because this decision gets taken automatically.

Baccarat is played with a six or eight deck cardgame. All cards with an image or a ten do not have any value. Cards under ten have the value that is on it. The ace counts for one. Types do not count. Everytime the total goes above nine, only the number to the right counts. Fifteen for example counts as five and so does twenty-five.

Every hand has a minimum of two and a maximum of three cards. The dealer puts two open cards under the “shoe” and the casinoplayer that has entered the highest amount or money on the punt the two open cards. The casino player looks at the cards and then gives them back to the dealer. The dealer turns the card and the croupier tells who won. If none of the two hands have a total of eight or nine, the highest number possible, it is called a “Natural”. At that moment no more cards are handed out. If there is no “Natural”, the dealer can decide to hand out a third card based on the totals. This decision depends on the rules of the casino.

If the player does not draw a third card, the hand of the bank stays with six or more and  pulls a third card for five or less. When the player pulls a third card, the card will decide whether or not the bank pulls a third card. With the “third card drawing” rule for the bank the following applies: if the total for the bank is two or less, the bank draws a third card no matter what the third card of the player is. Plus if the total for the bank is three, the bank draws a third card except if the third card of the player was an eight.  With a total of four, the bank pulls a third card expet if the card of the player is a zero, an eight or a nine.  With a total of five, the bank pulls a third card if the players third card was a four, five, six or seven. With a total of six the bank pulls a third card if the players card is a six or a seven. En the final rule that applies is that when the total for the bank is seven in stays in place.

When the third card has been handed out, the hand with the highest value wins. The croupier collects the lost things that have been entered and can then be payed to the winner. The dealer is not responsible for the payment. He is seen as another player playing in the casino.

There is  a difference between the pool of the bankholder and the player. When the bankholder wins, five percent commision or tax has to be paid to the casino. This is the case because in an eight deck card game, the bank holder is likely to win three to four more hands than the player.