Okay, here’s part two of our Baccarat guide. In part one we went over some of the basics. Now, we’ll continue forward by looking at hand play, strategy and how things work.
The End
Each hand of Baccarat has one main goal—to get as close to 9 as possible. Both the Player and the Banker try to hit 9. Each side starts with two cards and can draw one additional card if desired.
The Player acts first and the Banker goes last. Because of this, the Banker has a slight edge as it only draws a third card if certain conditions are met. Face cards and 10s equal 0. All other cards equal their rank, so a 7 of diamonds equals 7 points. The count resets at 10, so if the Player gets a 6 and a 5, the score is 1 (11 – 10 = 1). And if the Player had a 5 and a 5, it would have 0. Basically, you just drop the first digit in two digit counts (10, drop the 1, becomes 0).
Player Rules
While it’s possible to play Baccarat without knowing how the two hands work, it’s good to know—increases the fun. If the Player’s first two cards equal 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, a third and final card is drawn.
However, if the Player has a 6 or 7, the Player stands. And if the Player’s cards equal 8 or 9, it’s a Natural, so the hand is over. The Player wins unless the Banker has an 8 or 9 and ties the Player.
Banker Rules
The Banker draws a card with a 0, 1, or 2. The Banker draws on a count of 3 if the Player’s count is anything but an 8.
With a count of 4, the Banker will draw as long as the Player’s hand is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7. With a count of 5, the Banker draws when the Player’s hand is 4, 5, 6 or 7. And the Banker draws with a six if the Player’s hand is 6 or 7.
The Banker always stands on a 7 and just like with the Player, 8 or 9 on the first two cards in a Natural and the hand is over.
Quick Strategy
The first strategy idea is very simple. You bet only on the Banker. Since the Banker has a slight advantage, you stand a good chance of coming out ahead in the long run.
The other strategy is to look for patters and bet against them in time. So, if you see the Player win 5 times in a row, start betting on the Banker, and vise versa.
Either way you go, Baccarat is a fun game worthy of your casino time.
