Baccarat is one of the most popular card games out there. It’s simple enough to learn but it can take years to master and get better at it. There are also many different versions of the game and it’s offered by almost every casino out there.
Baccarat can be played in a real life casino or in an online version with no difference in gameplay or the amounts you can earn in the process. The game has a long history dating back to the 1400s and it’s possible to play it for tokens if you’re not ready to invest real funds.
Versions of The Game
There are a few different versions of the online baccarat game you could try. All of these could also be played in on-the-ground casinos with actual cards. The most popular version is known as Punto Banco. It’s played with 6-8 decks of cards and it’s the easiest one to learn.
Baccarat Chemin de Fer and Baccarat Banque are other less popular, but still often played versions. There are three possible outcomes when you play Baccarat: A player can win, the house can win and the game can end in a tie.
How Baccarat is Played
-The first step is to place the bets. This is done before the cards are dealt and the players can bet on Punto (player), the house, or the tie.
-The dealer deals with two cards that are facing up. One card is dealt from the player box and the other from the banker box.
-Tens and “face cards” are worth zero points. Aces are worth one point, and all the other cards are worth their face value.
-The value of the hand is calculated by adding the value of all the cards and the winning hand is the one with the value closest to nine.
-When the sum of the cards is higher than 9 you won’t go bust as you would in blackjack. Instead, the second digit is now considered to be the value of the hand.
How Side Bets Are Made?
There are also many side bets that you can make beyond the three major options. These additional bets make the game more complex and more dynamic, since using only three types of bets at all times can be somewhat boring after a while.
-Player Pair/Banker Pair – the bets are made that the first cards on either of these sides will be a pair.
-Either Pairs – The bet is made that either the player or the Banker will get a pair (two same cards within one deal).
-Perfect Pair – The players are betting that either a bank or a player will get cards of the same value and suit.
-Big – With this side bet you’re betting that the value of the round will be 6.
-Small – With this side bet you’re betting that the value of the round will be 4.
Different Variants
There are many different variants of online Baccarat you can try and there is a slight difference in gameplay and therefore your chances that you should be on the lookout.
-RNG Baccarat – Random Number Generator Baccarat uses the RNG to create random card shuffles and therefore it’s the most used online version of the game.
-Live Dealer Games – This version grows in popularity partly due to the pandemic and partly due to the changing lifestyle of the players. It mimics the real game but it happens online and in real-time.
-Speed Baccarat – it’s the same game but sped up to make the gameplay more dynamic.
-Lighting – this version of the game is licensed by its creator and it adds a twist to the gameplay by adding random multipliers to certain hands.
-Squeeze – This is the same game, but the cards are revealed slowly to add dramatic tension to the gameplay.
-Controlled Squeeze- It’s the same game but the players control which cards are revealed slowly.
-No Commission – the player has a 5 percent commission to pay in order to keep playing the game in most versions, but this isn’t the case in this variant.
Baccarat You Can Play for Free
Many sites and apps allow you to play Baccarat for free. The rules of the game are the same and all of the versions we’ve mentioned are available but the game is played for tokens instead of having to invest any real money yourself. Some casinos offer both options.
This is a useful proposition for new players that can use this feature to play the game and learn its rules without having to go through the risks of investing their own funds. The experience can easily be translated into real funds once you’re ready to take the next step.
To Sum Up
Baccarat is one of the most liked and played card games out there. It’s a game that you can play both online and in real-life casinos and there are a lot of variations there to try. These variations usually change the way you bet and how much you can win but don’t change the actual rules of the gameplay.
The rules of Baccarat are simple enough and they are somewhat simple to another popular card game – Blackjack. That means that you can easily learn how to play the game but it can take years until you get really good at it and start winning against other players.
