Did you know that Baccarat (Chemin de Fer) is James Bond’s favourite card game? Learn the basics and it can become your game of choice, too!
Baccarat originated from Italy centuries ago. It quickly spread into France, where it became popular among nobility, and after that the game travelled further, evolving and changing in the process. As a result, modern Baccarat is played worldwide, but not all territories use the same variant of the game. Three variants of Baccarat are: Punto Banco (the most popular one, especially in North America), Chemin de Fer and Baccarat Banque. The latter two are common in Europe; in them, the gambler playing as Banker sponsors the game.
The Basic rules of Baccarat are very simple. The game is typically played at an oval table with 6 or more decks of cards. Two main roles in the game belong to Banker and Player, and each gets dealt 2 or 3 cards.
Card values in Baccarat are as follows: an ace is worth 1 point, 2 – 9 keep their face value, while 10, J, Q and K are worth 0 points each. The point total is counted with modulo method, meaning that the rightmost digit represents the total. For example: 7+5=12 => 2; 6+9=15 => 5.
The goal is to get 9 points, or come as close to 9 as you can. Getting 8 or 9 with two cards is a natural win.
Gambling in Baccarat is as simple as betting on a coin toss. All you need to do is bet on Banker or Player – whichever you believe will get a higher point total. There is also a third option: egalite or a Tie.
This is essentially all you need to know to be able to play Baccarat, one of the oldest casino games out there!
