Players essentially engage in head-to-head contests against the dealer...
Baccarat ranks as one of the oldest casino table games in the world. The game is steeped in history, with nobles and aristocracy enjoying this high-roller favourite in times of old. The game was first developed by an Italian gambler named Felix Falguierein. He used a packet of tarot cards to play this enticing game. This Italian casino card game – baccarat - simply means zero. All the royals and 10s sport a zero value in the game of baccarat.
This game made its way across the Atlantic Ocean to North America, where it was met with rapturous applause. The aristocratic ambience of baccarat remained intact, and high-rollers continue to have a particular penchant for this game. Fortunately, the advent of online casinos in the 1990s has allowed baccarat to be introduced to a global pool of online casino players.
Online baccarat literally took off from the moment that it was introduced into the gaming scene. While it is still generally perceived as a game for the rich, it is available at low roller, medium roller and high-roller tables. The universal appeal of the game has been cemented with the growth and rising popularity of online casino gaming.
A History of Baccarat for Online Casino Players
Despite its regal allure, baccarat is a surprisingly simple game to play. And best of all, a player’s success in the game is not dependent on position or complex decision-making – it’s purely luck-based. Online baccarat cuts out much of the fussing that is indicative of traditional baccarat gaming. Players essentially engage in head-to-head contests against the dealer.
But unlike traditional card games where the house is a player’s opponent, baccarat allows players to bet on the bank, the player or a tie. In traditional games, there are up to 15 positions. The dealer assumes position 1 and the caller is position/seat number 15. Players can take turns to deal from the shoe, but this privilege can also be turned down.
The caller then collects cards from the player and retains them in their correct boxes. Winners collect off losers in traditional baccarat games. Should the bank win, then a 5% vigorish is paid to the casino/house.
Playing Baccarat Online: The Do’s and Don’ts
Online baccarat players are tasked with hitting a total hand value as close to 9 as possible. The opposite extreme – zero – is the worst possible hand value. Unlike in games of blackjack, baccarat players can never bust out. This is because the hand value resets after 10 has accrued. For example, 8 + 7 = 15, but in baccarat this has a total value of 5. Note that the tens digit has been removed to leave a hand total of 5. All Aces have a value of 1 only and other number cards hold their nominal value.
At its heart, baccarat is all about the player and the banker. But it’s entirely possible to punt on the banker or the player. The betting odds are pretty much even-Stevens on banker/player bets. The only difference is that the odds are slightly better when bets on the banker are made.
Ties are other betting alternatives but their probability of occurring are slim, and the house edge is 14% on these bets. The payouts however are 8:1.