Baccarat is an exciting card game which is extremely popular around the world and it is often labelled as a game for the connoisseur. The main aim is Baccarat is to end up with a hand which is closest to 9 as possible, without exceeding this number. You have the option of being able bet on the player or the banker, plus you can also bet on the game ending up in a tie. This is one of the most traditional online casino card games and it is now widely available in the real money mode or in the fee play demo mode.
Players from Australia, Canada and New Zealand can enjoy playing Baccarat online using either a Windows or Mac operating desktop or laptop computer, plus you can also now play online Baccarat directly from your smartphone or tablet device at a growing number of perfectly secure mobile casinos. Let’s take a quick look at the basic rules to this fast-paced card game.
You can place a wager either on the bankers hand and/or on the players hand and/or on a tie. Once you have placed a wager, the dealer (aka the banker) and the player will both be dealt to face up cards. Occasionally, an additional card will be dealer to the banker or to the dealer (or to both the dealer and the banker). The cards are generally dealt from a shoe which often contains 6 decks of cards and this will automatically be shuffled between each round.
All of the number cards including 2 through to 9 are worth their face value in points, whereas the Ace counts as 1 point and the 10’s, Jacks, Queens and Kings have zero value. If the combined value of the two cards in any hand is a 2-digit number you would ignore the first number because it is the last digit which is the end value of the hand. In other words, 7 + 5 = 12, which means this hand is worth 2 and a 3 + 7 = 10 which means that this hand is worth zero points. As soon as the last card has been dealt you will know straight away whether you have won or not.
If you placed your money on the players hand to win and the player does end up winning you will receive 2:1 on your bet. If you placed your money on the bankers hand to win and the banker does win you will be paid 2:1 minus any banker’s commission (say 5.00%). If you placed your money on the result ending in a tie you will receive a 9:1 payout. The best thing to do when playing this game for the very first time would be to practice in the free play demo mode.
There are several different versions of Baccarat available online today such as standard Baccarat, Punto Banco and Progressive Baccarat, plus you can also now enjoy playing Live Dealer Baccarat with real life dealers at a growing number of fully licensed online casinos.