If you’re a Las Vegas casino gambler looking for a table game that has low house edges, high payouts and James Bond-style sophistication, then Baccarat is your game. The game of baccarat has become a fixture in casinos worldwide, but many American casino-goers are still unfamiliar with it. They believe that the game is reserved only for high rollers and suave patrons like Bond, but the reality is that Baccarat is easy to learn, fun to play and has one of the lowest house edges in the casino.
During the game, participants bet on either the Banker, Player or Tie. When all the bets are placed, the dealer hands out two cards to each of the two gaming spaces at the baccarat table – the Banker’s space and the Player’s space. The objective is to get a hand total of nine without going over. Aces count as zero and cards from 2-9 are worth their face value. If your card combination has a total of more than 9, simply drop the first digit (e.g. a 7 and an 8 would be worth 5).
Baccarat is played with eight decks of cards that are dealt from a dealing shoe. A third card can only be drawn if the initial hand is a seven or an eight. The game is governed by some basic rules, including the fact that a winning bet on the Player or Banker must pay off at 9 for 1; that is, you will receive nine chips for every one chip wagered on the bet.
The most popular baccarat strategy is to use flat betting and watch for pattern trends. Basically, you start off betting on the player or banker and fill out results in your baccarat score board sheet. Once you’ve figured out the pattern, you switch to betting on the opposite hand and repeat the process until the pattern changes. This strategy is not without its drawbacks, however, as it can be difficult to resist the temptation to chase losing streaks and lose more money than you intended to.
Another effective baccarat strategy is the 1-3-2-6 system. This strategy limits a player’s maximum loss by spreading out their bankroll over six bets. It’s also a great way to avoid the temptation of chasing losing streaks, and it allows players to play the game in a more controlled manner than if they were to bet with a smaller bankroll. Another variation on this strategy is the 1-3-2-4 system, which is similar but reduces the final bet by two units. Both of these strategies can be used at online baccarat games, as well.