From the name of the game itself to a Tie bet, we are going to cover some general baccarat terms to get you started and sounding like a pro, whatever your experience.

Baccarat or Baccara – basically this means “zero” and refers to the value of face and 10 cards during play. The aim of the game is to get a hand which totals 9, or at least get closer than the dealer.

Bank Bet – this bet bets against the player, in favour of the bank.

Banker – the banker can be a player or the dealer. How refreshing! It is the name given to the person who deals the cards and monitor the table. OK, so it’s usually the dealer, but some casinos are generous!

Bankroll – this is the same as always; the amount of money to be gambled with. The bit that you want to grow.

Basic Strategy – all games have a basic strategy that suggests when to stand or take another card. The idea is that if followed strictly, it will provide the best possible return. Don’t forget the money management side though!
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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.
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If ever there was a game that conjures up visions of rich players in rich evening attire gambling for rich bets it is baccarat. There are three common variants of the game but Punto Banco is the most popular variation found in North American casinos. A regular baccarat table is about the size of a craps table, is staffed by three casino dealers and can host about a dozen players.

Play revolves around to hands dealt for the ‘Banker’ and the ‘Player’. These names are titles for the dealt hands only and there is no real banker or specific player. Players place their bets on which hand they think will win. Hand scores are calculated by taking the face value for all cards worth less than ten, one for an ace and zero for tens and face cards. The value of hand is the total of the cards value but if it comes to more than ten you drop the first digit. For example, 8-ace-jack is worth 8 plus 1 plus zero = 9. But 9-5-5 is also worth 9 (9+5+5 = 19, drop the first digit = 9). The card suit makes no difference to value of the cards.
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Baccarat is based on the simple premise of assembling a hand of two or three cards with a point value as close as possible to nine. Although baccarat may seem intimidating to those unfamiliar with the rules, it is, in fact, one of the easiest games to play. There is only one decision you have to make for each hand, the dealers handle the rest, playing out the hands according to strict, predetermined rules. Baccarat is also seen as a glamorous game, often played in a roped off room in many casinos.

The perfect hand consists of two cards that total nine, with the second-best hand being two cards that have a total point value of eight. These are the two “natural” hands in the game of Baccarat. If any player in the current game has a two card hand equaling a natural eight or nine then the other players may not draw a third card. The hand closest to nine always wins. When neither hand has a natural, there is no automatic winner, and additional cards are drawn to determine the outcome of the hand. The only hand that beats the natural eight is the natural nine. If there is a tie, all bests are called off.

Aces have a value of one, picture cards (Kings, Queens, Jacks) have a value of 10 and the remaining cards keep their face value. If your hand total is in double figures, then the first figure is ignored, meaning a hand totaling 18 would count as eight. Drawing two picture cards or two tens would give you a value of zero. A draw of a picture card or a ten and an eight or nine gives you the natural hands and no further cards would be drawn in this case with the natural hand being declared the winner.
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