Baccarat Rules
With many similarities to blackjack, baccarat is much simpler to learn and is a card game that has the simplest set of rules.
Object
A player’s object is to assemble a hand of two or three cards with a point value that is as close to nine as possible. A player that has a total of nine in the first two cards has the perfect hand.
Betting Options
There are three options a player may wager on: Player hand, Banker hand or Tie bet.
Card Values
The value of a hand is determined by adding the values of the individual cards. In baccarat, all face cards and 10s have no value. Aces are worth 1 and cards worth 10 or less are counted at face value. Only the last digit of the total sum is used, so all baccarat hands have values in the range 0 to 9 inclusive. Example if a hand totals 18, it will become 8 and if a hand totals 13 it will become 3. The hand with the higher value wins; if the hands have the same value, the result is a tie. Remember that suits do not matter in baccarat.
Bank's Third Card Rule
- The banks stand if the total is 7.
- The bank draws a third card if the bank total is 6 and if the player’s third card was a 6 or 7.
- Unless the player’s third card was a 0, 1, 8, or 9, the bank draws a third card if the banks total is 4.
- Unless the player’s third card was an 8, the bank draws a third card if the banks total is 3.
- Regardless of what the player’s third card is, the bank draws a third card if the banks total is 2.
Player’s Third Card Rule
The player draws a third card if the player’s total is less than or equal to 5. The player will not draw a third card if he has a total of 8 or 9 on the first two cards. And this resulting hand is called a natural and the hand is considered over.
The Baccarat Table
The baccarat table consists of player seating positions marked by numbers, and three betting rows going round the baccarat table. It has a very simple layout that is symmetrical and can accommodate up to 15 players. There are three boxes lined up running to the center of the table where each player can place chips. There are also small boxes numbered 1-15 found in the middle of the table where commission fees on Bank Hand wins are tracked.
Players - The first space where chips on the Player Hand are set.
Bankers - The second space back where chips on the Bank Hand are set.
Tie Bet - The third box closest to the center of the table where chips for a Tie bet are set. It is marked by the player's seat number.