The game of Baccarat has long cultivated an aura of sophistication, as if it were only suited for the most affluent casino patron. In reality, the game could be just the ticket for frugal gamblers who are looking to maximize their profits while keeping their bankroll under control. Here’s everything you need to know about the rules of this simple but rewarding card game.
The simplest way to describe baccarat is that it’s a game of two opposing sides: the player and the banker. During each round of the game, two cards are dealt to the player and the banker. The side that wagers correctly on which hand will have a total closest to nine wins. There are several betting options for players, including Player Win, Banker Win, Tie, and Super Six. In addition, some casinos offer additional optional bets, such as the Pair Bet.
In a typical game of baccarat, there are seven to 14 seats for players and a dealer’s area. The dealer deals two cards to the player and to the banker, who are both visible to everyone at the table. The goal is to correctly predict which hand will win or if the game will end in a tie. Each hand’s total is determined by adding up the values of each individual card. Picture cards and Tens are worth zero points, while cards numbered from 2 to 9 have their face value and the ace is worth one point. The resulting total is then rounded to the nearest double digit.
Once the cards are dealt, the game is played out until one side has a winning hand or until the banker’s turn comes around and they choose to deal another hand. When the game ends, the winning hand is declared based on the total of the last digit after all the pips (the dots on a playing card that represent clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades) are added up.
A high-profile win by a wealthy player can put a dent in the overall take of a game, but it is unlikely to have a major impact on the long-term profitability. For example, Australian media tycoon Kerry Packer reportedly dropped $20 million at the tables during his stay in 2000, but that hardly made a dent in the annual take of the game, which was already close to $536 million.
In order to maximize their profits, savvy baccarat players understand the importance of managing their bets and understanding the odds of each bet. To do so, they use scoreboards that post the results of previous rounds in a variety of different formats, including Bread Pan and Big Road, and prediction screens that advise customers if patterns indicating which side is likely to win are “streaking” and repeating or are “chopping.”