Who has not seen James Bond, his face showing signs of intense pressure, considering his bet in a high-stakes game of baccarat? Of all the games offered by the casinos that we at Slots Play Casinos have reviewed and recommended, online baccarat is one of the most fun and easiest games to play!
Each of our recommended casinos is a baccarat casino!
Baccarat is the only casino game in which the best strategy is to bet on the dealer to win! Let’s take a look at the baccarat game!
There are Three Possible Outcomes in Baccarat
The player can bet on the player, the dealer, or a tie. After the player chooses his or her bet, there are no more decisions to make! The rules of baccarat determine every action taken over the course of one hand.
An 8 or a 9 is Like a Blackjack
If the player gets 8 or 9 points on the deal of two cards, he or she wins the hand unless the dealer has the same point count. However, if the player bet on the dealer to win, the player’s hand wins but the player doesn’t win!
Why Would the Player Bet on the Dealer?
Because statistical analysis has shown that a bet on the dealer is better than a bet on the player! We said earlier that baccarat is the only casino game where the best strategy is to bet on the dealer!
How Do You Count Points in Baccarat?
All cards from ace to 9 count as their face value. The 10’s and all face cards count as 0. If a point count goes into two digits, we count only the second digit.
It sounds really easy!
Keep in mind that the player placing the bets and the dealer may take another card but the rules dictate when they do so. No one actually makes any decisions in baccarat!
When Does the Player Take Another Card?
Aha! Now we are getting to the subtle rules of baccarat!
When the player has 0-5 points, he or she gets another card. When they have 6 or 7 points, they “stand”. Remember, an 8 or 9 with the two first cards is like a blackjack and wins immediately unless the dealer has the same point count.
When Does the Dealer Take Another Card?
Whoa, Nelly! Here is where baccarat gets kind of complicated! At this point, the rules get very convoluted but always keep in mind that every “decision” is determined solely by the rules!
If the player had a 6 or 7 count and stood pat, then the dealer plays according to the player’s rules meaning the dealer takes a card with 0 to 5 points and stands with 6 or 7 points.
But, if the player did draw a card, then there are six rules that govern how the dealer HAS TO play:
- If the dealer has 0, 1, or 23 points he draws a card.
- If the dealer has 3 points he draws a card unless the player drew an 8!
- If the dealer has 4 points, she draws a card if the player drew a 2 through 7.
- If the dealer has 5 points, she draws a card if the player drew a 4 through 7.
- If the dealer has 6 points, he draws a card if the player’s third card was a 6 or a 7.
- If the dealer has 7 points, she stands.
Thankfully, the software that runs baccarat at an online casino knows all of these rules! At a land-based casino, the dealers are trained to perform according to these rules fast. Live baccarat players love the game and love playing it at high speed!
Side Bets in Baccarat
We don’t consider a bet on a tie to be a side bet but we do strongly discourage gamers from making this bet. The house edge is so much greater in a bet on a tie as opposed to a bet on either the player or the banker! So, there is no good reason to bet on a tie.
The player can also bet on a pair being dealt to either the player or the dealer. Finally, the Super 6 side bet wins 15-1 if the banker wins the hand with a point count of 6.
We discourage making these side bets as well! We encourage playing baccarat for the fun of seeing how the hands develop! The best bet is with the banker!
Where Did Baccarat Come From?
No one knows for sure where baccarat originated. People are still debating the issue! But most leads lead to Italy in the 15th century. The man’s name is disputed: some say his last name was Falguierein while others insist that his last name was Falguiere!
My, oh, my what some people argue about! Fortunately, no wars were fought over the last name of the inventor of baccarat! By the way, everyone agrees that his first name was Felix, which may be connected to the Spanish Feliz which means “happy”!
Some say that baccara meant zero in the Italian of the 15th century but we could find no verification of this. The word baccara was “translated” into French as baccarat where the final T is silent!
Baccarat Fights for its Place in the Casino Sun
Despite James Bond’s attempts to make baccarat more than a guessing game, baccarat has long been outside the rank of the top game at a casino. At a land-based casino, the top games are slots (of course), blackjack, roulette and craps.
At an online casino. The top games are slots, blackjack, and video poker. Craps and roulette join baccarat as second-level games at online casinos.
Baccarat is a wonderful diversion from the top three online casino games. The game providers have made sure that the graphics and animation in baccarat are top notch so the game play stays exciting for 30 minutes or so.
Given that we encourage relatively short gaming sessions at online casinos, baccarat as a diversion works wonders in setting the tone for a pleasant evening with friends or at home.
Summarizing Baccarat
It’s really very simple. Although the rules can get a bit complicated, they are also carved in stone, so to speak. That means that every hand follows set patterns for every possible holding.
Gamers need only remember to bet on the banker, avoid a bet for a tie, and avoid the side bets.
Slots Play Casinos Provides Valuable Information for Casino Gamers
We cater primarily to online casino gamers. We do understand the excitement many players have at land-based casinos but we feel that excitement is possible in other ways that are a lot less expensive.
After all, land-based casino gaming has many hidden and no so hidden costs such as travel and souvenir costs. So, stick to the online casinos that Slots Play Casinos has recommended and…
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