Baccarat is one of the most popular table games around, and it’s available at casinos and cardrooms in the Bay Area including Bay 101 in San Jose (San Joaquin County), Cache Creek Casino in Brooks (Yolo County) and Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln (Placer County). The game made its big-screen debut in the James Bond movies but originated in Europe as early as the 1500s.
The premise of the game is simple. Two hands are dealt, and the player and banker bet on which hand will have a total value closest to nine. Each hand is dealt two cards, face up and visible to all players. The value of each hand is determined by adding the values of the individual cards and then dropping the tens digit. The side with a total closest to 9 wins. Bettors can back either the player or the banker, or bet on a tie. Winning banker bets pay 19:20, and winning player bets pay 1:1 (plus a 5-10 percent commission). Ties pay 8:1.
A croupier manages the baccarat table, which is about the size of a standard craps table. There are up to 14 seats arranged in rows and columns. A player’s chips are placed in a circle on the table, and a bet is made on which hand will win. The croupier places the first card in the Player’s box, and then the Banker’s. A shuffle of six decks occurs after the croupier deals the cards, and a winner is declared once all bets have been settled.
While the game is not complex, players are often misguided by hunches and irrational trends when betting. For example, the “Tie” bet in baccarat pays 8-to-1, but an expert gambler I know points out that it actually has a 14.1 percent edge for the casino and is one of the five worst bets in any game. Nevertheless, countless players seem to be drawn to this long-shot wager because of its attractive payouts.
The best strategy is to avoid the Tie bet altogether and stick with the two main bets. It’s also wise to keep track of past rounds to see what the average winning and losing bets are. However, don’t let those results dictate your bets; winning and losing streaks have absolutely no bearing on future hands.
In order to prevent yourself from getting carried away, set a loss limit in advance and cash out as soon as you hit it. Baccarat can be a very exciting game, but it’s easy to lose more than you intended to. Exercising moderation and staying within your limits will make the game more enjoyable for everyone at the table. You’ll have more fun and have a better chance of winning when you’re not risking more money than you can afford to lose. This is especially important if you’re playing for real money.