Casino or online baccarat is a casino game of great sophistication and maturity, it’s simple to master, fun and easy to play, but still regarded as being one of the most sophisticated games at the casino. An interesting fact about the game is that it appears in many movies that involve gambling and rich characters, such as James Bond for instance. In Las Vegas you’ll typically find the baccarat tables in a separate room or behind velvet ropes. Part of the casino’s strategy is to entice players to play certain games. Online baccarat is no exception to this rule. Quite the contrary; it’s the perfect example. A couple of Vegas girls occupy the table area full time for added elegance, and the dealer dons a tux for the same reason. This of course all seems a little paradoxical. Aren’t the sophisticated games supposed to be the ones you have to spend a lifetime learning? Apparently not, as baccarat, one of the world’s easiest games, has shown.

While most casino table games have more than one version – some claim that casino blackjack has over 100 known variations – baccarat is unique in that its two major variants are completely different.
What is now known as European-style baccarat is the original game, a descendant of faro, the same progenitor of modern-day poker. Technically, this form may also be divided into two separate games, “baccarat chemin de fer” and “baccarat à deux tableaux,” basically the only major difference is in treatment of the game’s banker. (In European baccarat, one player serves as the “banker.”

The objective of the game is to score a total of nine points with two or more cards. Though any number can bet, only two hands are dealt, one for the “banker” and one for the “punter(s).” Cards 2-9 are worth face value; 10 and face cards are worth zero; aces are worth one point. When the player’s total goes over 9, 10 is subtracted from the value of the cards, i.e. a seven and an eight would be valued at 5, not 15.

An 8 or 9 on the deal is an automatic winner. If no 8s or 9s are revealed, players may request one more card, in similar fashion to blackjack, though just one more card may be taken.

A tie between punter and banker has the wagers left on the table.

In the American version, the game becomes a matter of luck only, and basically the only decision for the player is whether to bet on “’Player,” “Banker,” or “Tie.” Player and banker each get a hand of two cards and show them. Once the player is settled, the banker “decides” to take a third card based on the player’s draw:

• If player draws a 9, 10, face card or ace, the banker draws on 0-3 and stands on 4 or more.
• On an 8 draw, the banker draws on 2 or less and stands on 3 or more.
• On a 6 or 7 draw, the banker draws on 6 or less and stands on 7.
• On a 4 or 5 draw, the banker draws on 5 or less and stands on 6 or more.
• On a 2 or 3 draw, the banker draws on 4 or less and stands of 5 or more.
• In cases of no draw by the player, banker draws on 5 or less.