It is surprising how simple Baccarat is to play, once you have mastered a few simple rules. Although the casinos would have you believe that Baccarat is a game only for the elite, and that only people who have been playing it their whole lives can play it in earnest.
When you play you are given the choice of betting either on the dealer hand winning or on the player hand winning or a tie between the two. If the tie you bet on win, either the player or the dealer, you win even money. This means that if you bet ten dollars, you are given back your ten dollars and an additional ten dollars. If you bet on a tie between the dealer and the player, then you are paid 8 to 1, which means that you get you ten dollars back and an additional eighty dollars.
Now, a winning hand is a hand that is closest to 9.Tens and face cards count as zero, with the exception of the ace, which is worth 1. Cards 2 to 9 are worth their face value. The only tricky part is that when your initial card total is a two digit number, the first one is dropped. Say you are dealt a six and a seven, and the total is 13. your tally is set to 3, as the one is dropped automatically according to the rules.
If the first two cards of a hand total 8 or 9 the hand is declared a 'natural' and wins (unless there is a tie between two naturals). If either hand is a natural, both hands stand, the natural hand wins. If the total is not a natural win on either hand, another card is drawn for each hand to determine the winner. Winning baccarat banker hands are usually taxed 5% by the casinos. Remember, anybody can be the banker, not always a casino employee. This hint is enough to gain an advantage in baccarat, because you know if the casinos take a cut of just one hand, that one hand probably has a good chance of winning.
Now, when you play, it is important to have fun. That is the paramount thing in any casino game. When you see that you are losing and exorbitant amount of money please, please, leave the game. You will be able to do this with respect. And it would be better to leave than lose a lot of money.
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