Hi there and welcome the Baccarat-Guru’s baccarat rules page. I’m here to share my wealth of knowledge about one of the classiest games in the casino. This is where the casino royalty “get down” and raise the stakes for some high-tension, high-stakes gambling. Baccarat has a long history, and started out being played by the royalty of Europe. Now it’s one of the most popular games in casinos all over the world. Let me show you the way to baccarat knowledge and understanding here on my baccarat rules page.
One of the most interesting things about baccarat is that it’s the only game in a casino where the players actually get a chance to deal the cards! Baccarat rules state that the player seated at the #1 position gets to deal first, and so on down the line. You don’t have to deal if you don’t want to; you’re free to pass the “shoe” to the next player. The shoe stays with a player (who is referred to as the Banker while dealing) until the Banker’s hand loses. It’s then passed counter-clockwise to the next in line. With baccarat rules set up this way, it doesn’t give anyone an advantage at the table, but does give the game a certain flair that you don’t find in any other game. It adds a sense of friendliness around the table. Everyone is really in it together, and everyone gets a chance to be the big guy. It’s not just you against the dealer.
When you get down to it, there aren’t very many rules to this game. It’s a game of chance, since you’re betting on the outcome of a stack of 8 shuffled decks of cards, so you’re basically taking a guess with each and every hand. Baccarat rules say that whoever’s hand gets a total point value of 9 first wins. Simple! You can bet (as in Craps) on the Come or Don’t Come, and you can bet on the player or the banker. You can even bet that the player and the banker will tie, but this is not a smart bet since the odds are 8-1, and you can lose your shirt on this one! OK; now on to the baccarat rules.
So in baccarat rules, there is only one pair of hands in play at a time, no matter the number of people at the table. Every one there has the opportunity to bet on either hand winning. The dealer will always deal four cards to start, the first to the player, the next to the dealer, the 3rd to the player and the 4th to the dealer. The player then checks his/her cards and decides whether to take another. The baccarat rules state that the winning hand is the one that comes closest to 9 points. When I say points, I mean that all but the 10’s and the face cards count their value in points. The 10’s and face cards all count 0. So if you are dealt a King and a 7, your total is just 7. In other words, if the total is over 10, just take away the 1.
Here’s how the baccarat rules go as far as how many cards are dealt after the initial 4, and who they apply to:
No one may have more than 3 cards in their hand.
If either person has an 8 or a 9 on the first two cards dealt, there aren’t any more cards dealt.
The player has to take another card if they have 5 or less, unless the dealer has an 8 or 9, but can stand on a 6 or 7.
The banker always draws if their hand is a:
3, and the player's hand stands on a 6 or 7, or draws anything but a face card or an 8.
4, and the player's hand stands on a 6 or 7, or if he draws any card between 2 and 7.
5, and the player's hand stands on a 6 or 7, of it he draws any card between 4 and 7.
6, and the player draws a 6 or 7.
The banker always stands if the player stands on a 6 or 7.
That’s about it for George the Guru on this page. I hope you’ve enjoyed my informative lesson on the rules of baccarat. It’s my intention to send you off into the world with as much knowledge about baccarat as possible. That way you can have as much fun and success as possible when you get to the casino! Have fun out there!
