Baccarat is one of the most prestigious card games available at many live and online casinos, having been glamorized in James Bond movies, and featured as an exotic alternative to Blackjack. Baccarat is very similar, in fact, to Blackjack, and is a great table game for those looking to compete against the house with very close odds.

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The basics of Baccarat are straightforward. Baccarat is primarily played with an 8-deck card “shoe”, which is circulated around the table's players. There can be as many as 15 players at a traditional Baccarat table, or up to 6 players at a mini-Baccarat table. Baccarat is an even money game, so at any given bet you stand to win equal to your bet. Upon winning a hand, the house takes a commission, which traditionally runs at 5%.

The objective of Baccarat is to have a hand that totals 9, or is closest to 9, while beating the dealer's (banker's) hand. In Baccarat, numeric card values up to 9 are counted, but the 10 and all face cards have a score value of zero. When the sum total of the numeric cards in your hand exceeds 10, 10 is subtracted from the value to reveal your points value. For instance, a hand of 4 and 5 equals nine, and is called a “natural”. A 9 cannot lose (much like a 21 in blackjack). If you were dealt an 8 and 9, your points total would be 17 subtract 10 (because your card value exceeds 10), so the resulting points value is 7.

The rules of Baccarat are also designed to require all players to face the same rules for drawing further cards. A player must draw whenever his or her first 2 cards total 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 10 (0). A player must stand when their card total equals 6 or 7, and a player must stand “natural” when his or her point value reaches 8 or 9. The banker will draw more cards based on the 3rd card drawn by the player. For instance, if the banker is holding a 2-card sum of 3, he will draw a 3rd card unless the player drew an 8 as his 3rd card. The banker will always stand with a card total of 7, 8, or 9. In the event of a tie in Baccarat, neither the player nor the banker wins, and no money is exchanged. The round is concluded and the player can walk away or bet again. The bet on a tie in Baccarat is not required to ride.

The best part about playing Baccarat online is that the rules are defined by the game itself, so you don't have to concern yourself with when or how to bet like you might in a traditional casino. In physical casinos, many Baccarat tables are roped off, to further glamorize the game, but when playing from home it's easy to enjoy the game for its simplicity itself rather than worrying about renting a tuxedo. One thing to avoid when playing Baccarat is the option to bet through a tie. Due to the way that the rules are setup, it's a fools bet, and though the payout seems good, the house has an edge.

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