Baccarat (better known in Spain as punto banco) is a game of casino card itself that supposedly emerged in Italy, it expanded to France during the reign of Charles VIII and from there to the rest of the world.

Baccarat / Punto Banco is an increasingly popular game in both real and virtual casinos. It is a game where the house advantage is low (just over 1% on the best bet of the table). It is very simple and for the distribution of cards (2 each) it is similar to blackjack. Anyway, baccarat does not require any skills because it is a game of pure chance.

Objectives Baccarat
Baccarat is usually played in a reserved area of ​​the casino. The game table has more or less the same measures of craps, with 3 croupiers and up to 12 or 14 players. Regardless of the number of players, only two hands are dealt during the game: the player (punto) and the house (banking).

There is no difference between baccarat and mini-baccarat as far as odds are concerned. The only difference is that the mini-baccarat is a faster game because the dealer turns all cards (some casinos allow players to deal the cards). In addition, betting limits are generally lower in the mini-baccarat.

The goal is to guess who will have the best hand and players can bet on the hand of the player, the banker, or tie.

The values ​​of the cards in baccarat are different from blackjack, but there are certain matches. In baccarat, the maximum value is 9 and the minimum is 0. a hand with value 0 is called “baccarat”. The cards 2 through 9 have their face value. As the value is 1, and the figures and tens are worth 0.

Rules and betting

He begins by dealing two cards to the player (punto) and two more to the house (banking), but first you have to bet on one of three possible outcomes:. By point, by banks or tie the dealer will put two cards hidden under the shoe (the box with the letters), and give the player who made ​​the biggest bet the point the other two cards, also hidden.

The player or “point” looks at his cards and returns them to the dealer, who will discover the cards of both hands while announcing the results and the winner.

A hand consists of the sum of the value of the two cards. If the sum of the cards is less than ten, this will be the value of the hand, but if it is higher, the first digit of the resulting number does not count.

Example: 3 + 5 = 8 or 8 + 8 = 6 (1 16 is removed, so the value is 6).

In other words, hands baccarat can never exceed 9 points and unlike blackjack, it can not be. Hand whose value is higher, ie which is closest to 9 wins.

However, as the total value of the hand, both the score and the bank must take another card (see the “rule of the third letter” below).

A winning hand to point bet will be paid at the rate of 1: 1. A winning bet on a tie, a ratio of 8: 1 and a winning bet to banks, to 1: 1 minus a commission of 5%.
The reason that banks have to pay this commission is because it has been found that in games with 8 decks, banks usually win three or four more to the point hands.

Third Card Rule
After seeing the first two cards there are certain fixed rules that determine if the player and / or the bank will take a third card. This is the most complex part of the game, but the casino croupier or program online games will give you this information.

If the point or the bank have a total of 8 or 9 points (remember that the maximum score is 9), that is called a “natural” and not to take more cards. If not a natural, then depending on the value of each hand and the third card rule, the dealer can tell the player to take a third card.

Rule the third point chart
– If the value of the player’s hand is equal to or less than 5, it will take a third card.

– If the point has not taken another letter (the value of your hand exceeds 5) the dealer must take a card if your hand is less than or equal to 5, and if the value of the dealer’s hand is 6 or 7 is planted.

– If the point if you have taken a third card rule described below will determine if the bank takes or does not take a third card.

Rule of the third letter of banking

– When the player rolls a 2 or 3: if the bank takes from 0 to 4 take the third card, but if you take 5 to 7 plant.
– When the player rolls a 4 or 5: If the banker draws from 0 to 5 take the third card, but if you take a 6 or 7 is planted.
– When the player rolls a 6 or 7: if the bank takes from 0 to 6 take the third letter, but if it takes a 7 plant.
– When the player pulls a 8: if the bank takes from 0 to 2 takes the third card, but if you take 3 to 7 is planted.
– When the player draws an ace, 9, a 10 or figure: if the bank takes from 0 to 3 takes the third card, but if you take 4 to 7 plant.