With most casinos, players never have to wonder whether they’ll find a baccarat game. Baccarat is almost always available and allows players to choose between several different tables offering baccarat or some version of it.
That applies to online baccarat as much as baccarat at a physical casino. Because it’s such a casino fixture, players who want a full experience should give the game a try.
Before you stake your first wager, you should know that baccarat is about luck and skill, but it’s mostly about chance. You should also get familiar with the basics of how to play baccarat and what kind of baccarat strategies seem to work most favorably with the exciting baccarat games at BetMGM – a perfect combination of excitement and simplicity.
Baccarat Basic Rules
Baccarat is a card game usually played with eight decks in the shoe. Standard baccarat tables can feature up to 14 positions for players.
In baccarat, your objective is to correctly predict whether the banker will have a higher score in their hand than the player, whether the player will have a higher score than the banker, or whether the scores will tie. In traditional baccarat rules, people seated at the table take turns being the active player in the game.
In most baccarat games, the banker represents the casino’s interest in the game and is the player’s “opponent.” While a hand in most versions of baccarat consists of two cards, many games have rules that allow the banker and/or the player to get a third card.
Normally, non-active players need to get their bets in before the cards are dealt. Following this, the cards are revealed, and bets are settled according to the total values of each hand.
Card Values in Baccarat
Baccarat card game rules assign special values to some cards, while for most cards, the values are shown on their face. Baccarat excludes jokers from play.
Additionally, 10s and face cards are worth zero in baccarat. Aces are worth one. Every other card in the game is worth its face value.
Cards are of equal value regardless of their suit in baccarat. Besides understanding card values, it’s good to be familiar with some lingo you’re likely to hear at the baccarat table.
Basic Baccarat Terminology
In any activity, people eventually repurpose existing phrases and words to make communication more efficient. Baccarat is no exception.
Common baccarat terms include:
- Banco — Another name for the banker in the game.
- Banker Bet — Wagering on the banker to have the higher total in their hand.
- Banque — A baccarat variant that adds a second player to the game.
- Caller — A casino staff member who handles cards and calls out the results.
- Carte — Request for a third card.
- Chemin de Fer — A variation of baccarat in which players take turns as the banker.
- Commission — A portion of winning bets that casinos deduct.
- Coup — A round of play in standard baccarat games.
- Cut — Dividing the deck in half after the cards have been shuffled.
- Dealer — A casino staff member who deals cards to the banker and player.
- Discard Tray — A specific location on the table for cards that have been played.
- Down Card — A card that is turned over to conceal its value.
- Dragon Bonus — A side bet that pays out if the banker or player wins with a score of eight or nine, or if the margin of victory is at least five points.
- Face Cards — The Jacks, Kings, and Queens in the decks.
- Flat Bet — A wager with the same value as the bet that came before it.
- Ladderman — A casino staff member who observes the game and makes a ruling in any disputes.
- La Grande — A hand that adds up to the best possible score in the game of nine.
- La Petite — A hand that adds up to eight.
- Mini Baccarat — A baccarat game with fewer table positions.
- Monkey — Slang for a 10 or a face card.
- Natural — A hand that adds up to eight or nine.
- Palette — A device or tool that callers and/or dealers use to move cards.
- Player — A wager on the player to have the higher total.
- Punto — The player in a baccarat hand.
- Punto Banco — Another baccarat version in which players double as bankers.
- Push — A bet that neither loses nor wins.
- Shill — A casino staff member whose job is to fill a baccarat table.
- Shoe — A card-holding machine or device.
- Tie — Betting on the banker and player hands to have the same totals.
- Upcard — A card facing upwards, showing its value,
Besides these terms, it’s also crucial to grasp how card values determine the results of wagers. Baccarat has a simple but unique scoring system.
How Scoring Works in Baccarat
Baccarat game rules regarding scoring involve simple addition and a limit. To determine scores, the values of the cards in the hands are added together.
Any total that surpasses nine gets an automatic deduction of 10. For example, a hand that has a five and a seven would be a score of two.
Most versions of baccarat include scenarios in which bankers or players either can or must take a third card based on their score after two cards. Bettors can find this information in the casinos’ charts for each game.
Simple Baccarat Rules Chart
A baccarat rules chart is similar but not identical to a baccarat scoreboard. While a scoreboard tracks results and can identify patterns, a rules chart lists potential outcomes and specifies what happens in those circumstances.
Charts can be very helpful because it can be difficult to memorize these rules, especially when they can change depending on the variant. BetMGM gives players access to these charts and so much more.
Play Baccarat Like a High Roller With BetMGM
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When you register for BetMGM, you’ll get access to all of these perks and the biggest collection of online baccarat titles available. It’s time to put your new knowledge to use.
