The Good and the Bad of Baccarat

Baccarat is an interesting game and can be one of the best games you would have played. This game has often been thought of as a type of game reserved for the elite. One thing that has fueled this perception is the fact that Baccarat is often played on a secluded section of a casino. The effect is that many players are intimidated by this fairly simple game.

Those who are informed have dispelled the old myth about Baccarat and are enjoying the game. The game can be played on land-based casinos and also on the Internet. Since the game is that easy to understand and play we'll also tackle the fact that Baccarat has both one of the best bets on the casino floor and also one of the worst casino bets you'll see around.

The game is played using a shoe consisting of six decks to eight decks. The cards take on their face value from Ace as one, then two, three, and so forth. The only cards that will not take a value are the picture cards and the Ten-card. The suits don't hold weight in this game. The idea behind the game is to reach a total in your hand as close to nine or exactly nine (somewhat similar to blackjack). If ever the count reaches double digits (e.g. 15 when you get a seven and an eight) the tens digit is dropped (e.g. therefore 15 is counted as five points).

Both the player and the banker are dealt only two cards. If the total is an eight or a nine then no additional cards will be dealt. This hand is automatically the winner (otherwise known as a 'natural'). If the total reaches six or seven then that hand stands on the current total. If the total falls on five and below then a third card is dealt. The rules on how you get a third card differ from one game to another or from casino to another, but these are the basics.

In Baccarat you can bet on any of these three options - Player (you bet that the player wins), Banker (you bet that the house/dealer wins), or Tie (both parties get the same hand value).

Here's the part of Baccarat that gets interesting. The Banker bet has a house edge of 1.17%, one of the lowest in any casino. The Player bet in Baccarat is at 1.36% house edge, pretty good. The Tie bet is at an astonishing 14.12% and pays you at eight to one.

The Baccarat has one of the best bets you can make and at the same time it also has the Tie bet, one of the worst casino bets on the floor. Common sense will have us gear up only for the other two bets. Baccarat is a really easy game but also presents us with one of the best winning opportunities in any casino.