Baccarat. the King of Casino Games – by Tony Cotton

It should come as no surprise that online casinos operate with a house advantage, just like their cousins in the real world. This is just the way it goes, whether you are playing in Las Vegas, Macau or online in your PJs. Casino companies don´t operate for fun: they are businesses, and they need to make a profit like any other business. The way they do this is to levy a charge for people to move money and chips around in their casino, just as banks charge to move money around the financial world. If you are playing Texas Hold ´em poker, this is the rake. You´ll be charged a small fee for the dealer to deal you a hand.

A casino will keep a portion of the bets going over its tables for itself. This money does not go into the overall pile that pays the winners: it goes to the casino.

That much is generally understood (although some people choose to not think about it). What I find intriguing, is not that people play play roulette or blackjack- it is good fun after all and there are winners as well as losers- it´s that many punters who frequent casinos often play the tables or machines that are the most pricey to play, i.e. that have the biggest house edge.

If you are going to bet, it is advisable to play casino games that give you the best chance of winning, or at least to play games that are weighted to the best payouts.

Now let´s discuss online baccarat, as this will illustrate my point. The Banker Bet in baccarat has a house edge of just 1.1%. American Roulette comes in at a less than satisfactory 5.3% and if you play keno you´ll be paying a 25% “casino tax”. You´ll get very good odds if you play blackjack online IF you play a perfect blackjack game (by that I mean you stand at the optimum time to give yourself the best odds). Baccarat is a beautifully simple game, on the other hand- so it is easy to play to a perfect strategy.

This is one of the key drivers behind the popularity of Baccarat, especially when it comes down to high stakes players and high rollers, as this game has one of the lowest house advantages in the casino. Often you will see baccarat tables in Vegas and Macau sectioned off from the general public. That´s because the baccarat tables are where the big money and glamour are. And it´s a similar story if you play online baccarat.

But you don´t need to be rich and famous to have a go. Play online and there are no velevet cords stopping you from getting to the tables. The best baccarat bet is the Banker Bet as the house only takes 1.17%, while the house edge for a player bet is slightly more, but still an accaeptable 1.35%. Don’t play the tie bet. Although the pay out is tempting at8:1, compared to 2:1, the house edge is punitive at 14%.

So why is roulette more popular than Baccarat? I don´t know. It beats me. I put it down to the film industry, but even that puzzles me as baccarat has its fair share of film scenes and James Bond moments.



About the Author:

Baccarat – by SimonDuffy

Baccarat is a popular casino card game. It is said to have its origins in Italy and during the reign of Charles VIII around the prod of 1483 to 1498, it was introduced to france. In style it is quite similar to Faro and Basset. The three variants of this game comprises of ‘baccarat chemin de fer’ (railway), ‘baccarat banque’ (or à deux tableaux), and ‘punto banco’ (or North American baccarat). In the first two varieties the players are required to make decisions and choices and that constitutes skill, while in eth third variety, there is no skill or strategy making required, it is pure luck and chance.

There can be only three possible results for this game. They are: Player, Banker and Tie. It should be noted that the terms do not refer to the identity of the individuals but are options on which the customers can bet. In a game of baccarat, cards 2 to 9 are worth their face value while the King, Queen, Joker and 10 are worth 0 and the aces are valued at 1 point. 10 is called a ‘modulo’ and a ‘modulo’ is equal to 0. The score is calculated by adding the value of the cards with the tens digit being ignored. A hand that has 4 and 6 is equal to 0 or Baccarat. This is typically unusual as the name signifies the loser. The highest score achievable is 9.

The cards are dealt face-down. The initial deal consists of two cards each to the ‘player’ and the ‘banker’. The ‘croupier’ calls the total after the cards of both the players are turned over and the values added. Then the ‘tableau’ or the ‘table o play’ determines if further cards are required to be drawn. It is a ‘natural’ if the banker attains a total of 8 or 9, and the game ends there. The winner is the hand with the highest total. If the banker’s and the player’s hand have eth same value, the croupier calls ‘Egalite’, that is ‘tie bets win’.

The game is called Mini-baccarat when it is played at a smaller table, akin to the ones used in the game of Black jack. Here a single dealer handles the entire game. Makccarat too is the same game but in a hugely modified version. In the American baccarat, regardless of the number of players, only two hands are dealt with. Out of the ‘banker’ and the ‘player’, the one whose score is closest to 9 wins the hand.

Baccarat has three betting options:

Player Hand

Bank Hand

Tie Hand

The features of the game:

The objective of Baccarat is to draw a two- or three-card hand that totals closer to 9 than the banker.

10, J, K, Q count as 0, A is a 1 and all other cards are face value.

If your total is more than ten, you drop the ten. So a 7-9 hand totals to 6 (16, drop ten).

There is no such thing as a “bust” hand.



About the Author:

Baccarat Variations – an article by Will Win

Did you know that Baccarat is James Bond’s favorite casino game? Neither did I, but apparently it’s true! Unfortunately I wasn’t able to discover if it is traditional baccarat that 007 likes or if it is one of the many variations. Anyway; just so that every-one is aware of the types of baccarat in existence and on offer, here’s a brief overview of some of the variations:

Mini Baccarat

This is the most commonly found form of Baccarat in American Casinos and online casinos; it is very similar to traditional baccarat but with lower limits to enable wider accessibility. Other variations include: a smaller table, only the dealer handles the shoe, and the table is worked by one dealer only.

Chemin-de-fer

If the name wasn’t enough of a give away, this is a French variation of the originally Italian game, Baccarat. It’s translation ‘railroad’ doesn’t sound quite so romantic but quite fitting due to the main difference between Chemin-de-fer and traditional baccarat; namely that the French variation insists on the passing of the shoe from one player to the next when the first player has lost his hand; this ensures a railroading of the shoe around the table.

Super Pan Nine

This is a slim lined version of traditional baccarat; the decks are reduced by having the 7, 8, 9, and 10 cards removed from the decks. To compensate for the low numbers present three cards are dealt rather than two, with an option for drawing a fourth. In this version a hand of 3 or 4 only will result in the banker drawing a fourth card.

Private Baccarat

This is an unusual variation of baccarat in which the banker may choose whether to deal one or two hands to the player. Should he choose to deal the player two, the player then has the choice to play them both or to pick which one to play. If he picks one the game is as a traditional baccarat game. If however he choose to play both hands he must win both of them in order to beat the dealer; winning one and loosing one results in a tie.

Baccarat en Banque

In this French variation the player is dealt two hands, whilst the dealer is dealt one; betting on the dealers hand is prohibited in this game, and the shoe does not pass from player to player but rather stays with the dealer constantly.

Those are all the variants I know of; I’m sure that 007 could probably enlighten me as to some more, and maybe if I was lucky give me a little tutelage. For the most part it is traditional baccarat or mini-baccarat that you will find; however, it’s always good to be prepared.




The Author:

Will Win is a professional gambler, ex casino dealer and author. Play online casino games at the top online casino!

Tells about the spread of Baccarat and its variants in North America.

The History of Baccarat

by Adel Awwad 

Baccarat was introduced from Italy to France during the reign of Charles VIII of France who ruled from 1483 to 1498. It became a very popular game amongst French nobility. Although baccarat has always been extremely popular in European and Latin American casinos, baccarat never really caught on as strongly as Blackjack in casinos in the United States.

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In the 1950s, baccarat became more popularized in Vegas largely because of the efforts of Frank Sinatra who was a co-owner of The Sands at that time. The game of Baccarat was targeted to high rollers-the tables for baccarat were exclusive territories that were roped off and had dealers dressed in tuxedos.

In more recent years, many US casinos are offering ‘mini baccarat’ with lower stakes and played on a standard blackjack shaped table. Baccarat is really a simple game with only three possible outcomes-player, banker and tie. The term player does not refer to the gambling customer, banker does not refer to the house, and it is simply an option on which gamblers can bet.

It is an unusual game in that any score of 10 is worth zero, or baccarat. Nine is the highest score that can be achieved. Two face cards would have a score of zero, a nine and six would not equal 15, but rather equal five (minus the first digit). Aces count as one and the rest of the cards retain their face value.

There are 3 accepted variants of baccarat: Baccarat Chemin de Fer (railway), Baccarat Banque (or a deux tableau) and Punto Banco (North American baccarat). Punto Banco is played in the United States, Canada and Australia-a variation of baccarat in which the casino banks the game at all times. Gamblers may bet on either the player or the banker, the designations for the two hands dealt in each game. The object of Punto Banco is to bet on the hand with the highest total, remembering that two face cards equal zero (10 plus 10 equals 20, minus the first digit is zero or baccarat).

Mini
baccarat
is a
fairly popular game
because of
the lower stakes. Mini baccarat is a fairly popular game because of the lower stakes. It is essentially the same game as Punto Banco, but played on a table similar to a Blackjack table. Baccarat and mini baccarat can be found at many casinos across the United States and Canada, although it is not as popular as some of the other illustrious gambling card games like Texas hold ’em poker and Blackjack.

This article is the property of Casino Directory

[tags] baccarat, history of baccarat, mini baccarat [/tags]

Find out about Baccarat’s European roots.

The Origin Of Baccarat:

The History Of This Fun Card Game

by J Finney 

The word Baccarat is derived from the Italian word ‘baccara’, meaning zero, and refers to the zero value given to all of the face cards and tens. In Europe, the game of Baccarat remains one of the most popular casino games. The game
of
Baccarat is
enjoyed by all
social levels The game of Baccarat is enjoyed by all social levels and can be found played in locals cafes as well as the most prestigious of royalty events.

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An early version of the game was played with a deck of Tarot cards dating back to the middle ages. While Baccarat originated in Italy around 1490 it became the game of choice for the French nobility by the early 1950s. Baccarat evolved into the French game 'Chemin De Fer', which translates as 'Street of Fire'. The French game introduced the words 'Banco' - which means they are betting the total value of the banks funds and all other bets are withdrawn, 'Cheval' - which means other players at the table may bet on either hand, as well as 'Non' for standing and 'Carte' which means the player would like one more card. Many American casinos have adopted the French terms used in the game to further the image of Baccarat as a glamorous game. European Baccarat is another variation but follows the same rules as the other versions of this game.

What is known as American Baccarat actually originated in England and spread to South America. The version of the game that is played today came from the Capri Casino in Havana, Cuba.

When Baccarat was introduced to Nevada in the late 1950s, local casinos attempted to instill the glamour associated with the European game. In most casinos, Baccarat was played in a roped-off area and was closely monitored and sometimes even guarded

A number of casinos have installed a smaller version of the Baccarat game, called Mini-Baccarat and it is played on standard blackjack-sized gaming tables using the same rules. The table is staffed by one dealer who is responsible for handling the cards. The layout, however, conforms to the regular Baccarat table and each of the seven seat positions correspond to a number and betting box with spots for banker, player, and tie. Lacking the formality and large group of players, Mini-Baccarat is played fast and is an ideal place to get familiar with the game. While Mini-Baccarat may not be held in the same esteem as the parent game it still enjoys great popularity with the novice players.

To learn more about Baccarat gambling strategy and online gambling systems, please visit http://www.online-gambling-system.com and http://www.online-gambling-system.com/baccarat.html

[tags]baccarat, baccarat strategy, history of baccarat[/tags] 

A comparison between the games of Baccarat and Blackjack.

Play Baccarat

and you will quickly pick up the skills and give yourself a chance at earning the win

by James Ford  

If you want to Play Baccarat you will discover that it is a fairly easy game to understand and follow. The concept of baccarat is very much the same to blackjack, except instead of trying to reach the value of 21, players are trying to get 9. Those who Play Baccarat know the skill and strategy that is involved in the game, because as far as mathematics go, baccarat
is
a far
more challenging game
than blackjack. baccarat is a far more challenging game than blackjack.

Play Baccarat and blackjack

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The reason why more mathematics is used when people Play Baccarat is that the cards are counted differently than blackjack. For example, all high cards in blackjack (10, jack, queen, king) equal a value of 10, an ace equals a value of 1 or 11, and all of the other cards value their number. When choosing to Play Baccarat, however, face cards and 10 equal 0, ace equal 1 and all other cards count as their number. With this in mind, if a player has more than a value of 9 in their hand such as 7 and 9, these cards are added and the unit of 10 is disregarded, so instead of 16, a player would count the cards 9 and 7 as 6.

Play Baccarat - A challenge

Baccarat is enjoyable to all those who participate in the game. Those who Play Baccarat know that they are up for a challenge, and know that in order to win, skills and strategies must be applied. If you are unsure of how to Play Baccarat, or are interested in learning a few new strategies, you can find this on many online casino websites, as well as in a number of casino game books.Discover how to Play Baccarat, and use your knowledge to get the prize money.

James is a member of Gamblerslab writers. http://www.gamblerslab.com

[tags]baccarat, blackjack, play baccarat, strategy[/tags]
 
 

This article looks at the different versions of Baccarat, how to play, and what the odds are of you winning!

Baccarat for Beginners

by Mansi Gupta

Baccarat is an adorable game of cards on the land of Europe. The term Baccarat means zero in both Italian and French. The game like many others has its own history. While some believe that Baccarat is an Italian product, others hold France as its motherland.

Initially the game was plated with a tarot card deck. It gradually became the favorite of the high-class French society people from where its slightly modified form got its name as ‘Chemin de Fer’. After this the game made its way to the land of England and from there to the American soil. So basically there are four types of Baccarat played today:

• Chemin de Fer 
• European Baccarat
• American Baccarat – It is more or less a mixture of European Baccarat and the Chemin de Fer form of it.
• Baccarat Banque

The best part is that all the four forms of the game have single vocabulary and playing objectives. There are two types of Baccarat tables- mini table and traditional Baccarat table. The two tables differ in size, the number of players that can play as well as the manner in which markings and labeling done on them.

Next comes the card values where only aces are counted as one, all tens and faces are worthless-of zero value. Suits are insignificant here. The value of cards is first added and then the first digit is removed or dropped. So a total of 12 will be counted as 2, leaving the digit 1. In the game of Baccarat, which is most often known as the game of chance, there are only three options to wager. These are- banker wins, player wins or a tie case.

There are more than one card decks used for this game. This always keeps one in a quandary as to who will emerge as the lucky winner. The best a player can do to win this game is to evaluate the number of odds. The odds break down is in the following way- Bank- 1.01% house edge, Player-1.29 % house edge, Tie-15.75% house edge. These figures are an outcome of the drawing rules that are made to produce these results.

The number
of
decks used
is also a
considerable factor
in winning the
bet. The number of decks used is also a considerable factor in winning the bet. For say if 6 decks are used then the chances of bank winning to the player are more. In the widespread American Baccarat either 6 or 8 decks are used. It requires three dealers and the main dealer is called the ‘croupier’.

Baccarat Quotes… %%php_eval [code=randomize(quotes)]%%

The shuffling of cards is the onus of the house dealer while the placement of cards in the shoe and handling it to the first player is the task of the croupier. If a player is disinterested in dealing, he may pass on the shoe, which rotates counterclockwise to the direction of the table to another player.

The betting is to be done before the dealing of each hand. After this the croupier deals four down faced cards. The one who has made the largest bet on the ‘player’ gets the first opportunity to see the player’s hand. If there is an eight or nine – a ‘natural’ on any of the two hands, that player wins, the round comes to an end. If both cards are the same, it’s a tie case and if both hands are naturals, 9 outweigh the 8.

So if you have spare money and time and you are also confident of your luck, try the game of Baccarat …who knows… it may bring a wonderful fortune!

mansi gupta, mansigup@gmail.com http://www.antibiotichelp.com

This article explores some of the mystique and prestige surrounding the game of Baccarat.

The Reputation of Baccarat

by Jack Reider

Playing at
land
based casinos
is quite different
from playing
at online
casinos or online poker
rooms. Playing at land based casinos is quite different from playing at online casinos or online poker rooms. Although the online gaming industry offers every casino game possible at an easy and colorful platform, the real thing is pretty hard to replace, even impossible.

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Some casino games can not reserve there original form at the online casino, no matter how resembles they may be. One of the casino games that answer to this description is the game of baccarat, which is a classic land based casino game.

Baccarat does not have complicated rules or advanced strategies as other games have (like the game of poker for instance) but it has the best element a game needs in order to have good publicity, and that would be questionable reputation.

By questionable reputation I do not mean bad reputation, but I do not mean good either. So what does it leave us with? It is quite simple- it leaves us with a mysteries reputation, unknown but still rising curiosity.

If you have been to a casino before, you probably know that the atmosphere is everything. For those who have not been to a casino, I'll explain. When you enter a casino, you enter some kind of a personal fairytale where you are rich and famous and as long as you are there, women (or men) will ask for your presence, drinks will constantly be given to you and you will have a variety of games offered to you. Until, of course, you will lose all your money and be forced to leave the magic kingdom.

At this kind of place, where everything is so colorful and the variety is infinite, each game tries to stand out and draw players to his side. Some do it with flashy lights and noisy dealers while others do the exact opposite.

The main reason for why baccarat is considered to be such a prestigious game why baccarat is considered to be such a prestigious game is hidden inside the baccarat room. The room is covered with big curtains (usually red suede) and is, by that, separated from the other games of the casino. The game usually has a very high minimum so it can only be played by rich and experienced high rollers. The baccarat players can enjoy the presence of a couple of casino girls or more, who are there to serve them drinks and entertain them.

The game itself is very easy to learn and even easier to play, so why is it considered so prestigious? As I already said, each game has its own glamour around it, and the baccarat's glamour is that not every one can play it.
If you ask me if I think there is more to it then just the atmosphere, I will say definitely not, but for some it is certainly enough.

As for my personal advice, I say go ahead and try every game at the online casinos and land based casinos, as long as you do not forget to do the most important thing of all - have fun!

Jack Reider is writing his PHD on Caesar and Augustus, but also frequents the race track. He runs an online gambling guide to betting and online casinos
Provided By: Recreation and Sports

Some basic pointers about the game of Baccarat, its origins and how it is played.

Baccarat basics by Mansi gupta

Apart from being originated from Middle Ages and being one of the most popular casino games in the United States and anywhere else in the world amongst the upper class, it is also one or the most unique and sophisticated games that anyone across the world can have a shot at and enjoy it as well. And to interest a gamblers spirit within, the stakes of the game can go high – as high as a $1000 sometimes – though this can also send some people thinking twice before even entering the game and for those at many places stakes are as low as $5. Thereby, actually offering a space to encompass many persons , with varying preferences, within its ambit. This feature clearly adds to its ease and elegance.

Baccarat Quotes… 

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Baccarat owes
its
origin from
an Italian word
baccara, which
means 'zero', which
also is the value,
assigned to the face cards in the game.Baccarat owes its origin from an Italian word baccara, which means 'zero', which also is the value, assigned to the face cards in the game. The game as is already mentioned started in middle Ages with people playing it with Tarot cards and eventually it evolved to take a closer shade of today in about 1940s. And in 1950s it spread to the regions of France where it came to be associated with royalty and novelty and it eventually starting spreading across Europe, America etc.

The basic object of the game is to draw two or three card hand that is closer to the number nine (as per the value assigned to the cards in the game which should be known before hand especially by a beginner at the game) than bankers hand. Important point to note here is that the game is not at all difficult to learn but it is still advisable at the outset to know the general rules. Originally two cards are drawn and if the hand is in the range of six or nine then the odds are in favour of playing it on but if the hand is of five or less then a third card is drawn and as per the hand then one has, the future action is decided.

A peculiar quality of baccarat is that it can be found being played in a corner or a place, which is separate from the casino owing to the nature of the game. The game as is known is played by the rich and the noble - which adds glamour and fascination to it - and thus, attracts players attributing it a mysterious appeal. Many beginners at the game would like to try and avoid hitting the game directly in the casinos elegant surroundings and therefore, they may decide to try a hand or two at the online versions of the game and getting their basics about the very game in place. Also another advantage of playing it online first is that the stakes arc much lower than what you have when playing live at the casinos and thus, providing a space to learn as the player can afford to make mistakes.

If the online versions are still not able to quench the thirst for glamour associated with the game then one can try his day out in the casino where the atmosphere is quite valiant. All in all the game does appear to be worth a try.

Mansi gupta writes about baccarat topics .

[tags]baccarat, play baccarat, baccarat history[tags]