Baccarat is a casino card game played with eight or more decks of cards. It has become one of the most popular games in casinos worldwide, especially in Macau and Singapore.
In a standard game of Baccarat, each player at the table is entitled to bet on either the Bank or the Player hand. If a player wishes to bet on the banker, they call “banco.” The banker then puts up a stake and all other players in turn place bets on the banker’s hand under the guidance of the croupier. The amount of each bet is determined by a mathematical calculation known as a coup. If the total of all bets is less than or equal to the banker’s stake, a win is paid out. If the total is greater than the banker’s stake, a tie is paid out and the players’ bets are returned to them.
The objective of the game is to guess which of the two hands will be closest to 9 and which will be the winning hand. This is done by betting on the Bank hand or the Player hand, or wagering that a tie will result in a win. If a hand is close to 9, it is considered the winning hand and is paid out 1 to 1.
Before each round of Baccarat, the players place their wagers on a layout called the table. A card dealer, known as a Caller, deals the first two cards to the Bank and Player hands. The house rules for determining whether each hand is eligible for a third card will vary among casinos.
A third card is only drawn if the total of the player’s or banker’s hand is 0 to 5 or equals 10. The player can decide whether to draw a third card by saying “carte,” which means “yes,” or “pas de carte,” which means “no.” The dealer will then look at all the player and banker hands and make a decision on each.
There are a number of ways to win a baccarat hand, but the most popular is to bet on the Bank or Player hand. The banker’s hand is a little more profitable than the player’s, and the house charges a 5% commission for a Bank bet.
When the Player or Bank hand has a total of 8 or 9 in its first two cards, they are declared a natural and the other two hands are exposed. If a third card is drawn, the two hands are compared, and whichever hand has the higher total wins the coup. If there is a tie, the players’ bets are returned to the player and the banker loses his or her right to be the banker.
The player’s hand is dealt two more cards and the player or banker may then choose to stand or draw a third card. The player can also choose to call a “tie bet.” A tie bet pays out 8 to 1.
In Macau, there are many variations of the game, but all of them have the same basic objectives. The player or banker must predict which hand will have the highest total, and bet on it by putting up a stake. When the player or banker draws a third card, all of the player and banker hands are shown to the audience. If the players or banker draws a third card, the cards are placed face down and the hand is compared.