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Regardless of the number of players at the table, only
two hands are dealt, the "banker" hand and the "player" hand. The object of
baccarat game is to
bet on which of two hands will have a
score closest to 9. You can bet on
either hand – or you can bet on a tie.
Players make bets before the hands are dealt - any
amount from the table minimum to the table maximum. There are three options:
To find out more read
Baccarat
Betting Rules.
Baccarat is played with eight or six complete decks of
cards. The cards are shuffled by the dealer, and then placed in a special box
called the "shoe."
The deal rotates among the players by passing the shoe
counterclockwise around the table, and each "Player" alternate being the
"Banker". This rules may be intimidating at first, but there are always
"Callers" at the table to assist you, and if you do not want to deal, you may
pass the shoe to the next player. The same person will keep dealing as long as
the "banker" hand keeps winning.
The player with the shoe represents the banker-hand,
although the player takes no additional risk and the
casino remains the banker. Even though
the player dealing is acting as the Banker, he is not obligated to bet on the
Banker’s hand.
Four cards are dealt face-down by the house dealer,
two to the player-hand and two to the banker-hand. The player who
wagers the largest amount on "player"
gets first look at the player-hand.
Card values in baccarat are
different than other games. If either hand has a total of 8 or 9 (nine is the
highest), then it is called a 'Natural' and no more cards are dealt. If it is
not a natural, then depending on the value of each hand the
casino dealer may instruct the card
dealer to draw a third card. The decision when to deal a third card follows
precise set rules used by all casinos.
As a matter of fact, all you need to do to play the
Baccarat is to make the bet. Once a bet has been placed, there are no
opportunities for further decisions - both the banker hand and the player hand
are dealt according to
Baccarat Drawing Rules.
The Baccarat's fixed rules results in final hands of
either two or three cards for each. The dealer keeps track of the player-hand
and the banker-hand totals and announces the winning hand.
The winning hand will be the hand that holds two or
three cards totaling closest to nine. If there is a tie, bets on the banker or
player are returned.
Since your decisions in this game are limited, it's
not necessary to memorize the rules. Of course, you want to know why your money
is coming or going the best way to find it out is to look the rules over, so you
know why you're winning or not.
The classic baccarat is a good way to enjoy the casino
game if you can afford to play the high table limits. But if your budget is low,
there are other options:
You will have the same odds playing the same rules,
but without putting as much at stake. | 
American Baccarat
