The Rules of Baccarat Game
The dealer for the casino game called Baccarat is called a croupier, and people often see them sitting at a game table that is quite different from any other in the casino. The game of Baccarat is played with eight decks of cards, and the object of Baccarat is to get as close as possible to the number 9 as possible.
Before each game of Baccarat starts the eight decks of cards are shuffled twice by the croupier, or dealer and then the deck is placed in a shoe. The betting process for Baccarat is quite different than other games of chance offered in a casino. Baccarat requires a player to place a bet on their cards before the player is allowed to see them.
The wager is a monetary bet, but the primary strategy of the game of Baccarat requires the player to bet on the Player or the Banker. There are further betting possibilities offered in the form of a Tie, and this is separate from the wager for Player or Banker. Each player will be dealt at a minimum, 2 playing cards. They are not allowed to take more than 3 cards, and a point total is applied to the cards in the game to help players reach their desired number of 9.
Other games give face cards a total of ten. In Baccarat, face cards and tens are counted as zero amounts, and the Aces total 1. All other cards in the deck are rated at face value. There are rules in place to determine whether the player take a third card. If the first two cards dealt total 1, 2, 4, 5, or zero, the player must draw a card. If the numbers total 6 and 7 or 8 and 9, then the player stands on the cards in their hand. The 8 and 9 are considered natural hands, and generally win.
There are rules in place that the Banker must follow too. Initially the Banker must draw a card if their hand totals 0, 1, or 2. Then the rules for Banker must be followed. Each rule determination will be based on the card total that is in the Banker hand. If the player stands on 6 or 7, then the Bankers hand will require a larger number to win, and if one more card will get him closer to 9 then the Banker will take that card.
by Melissa.Brown 19 years ago