Baccarat became one of the most sought-after betting games both in online and land-based casinos due to the simplicity of its gaming mechanics and the odds it offers. For a novice just like you, playing this game is an easy peasy lemon squeezy. But before we delve into its mechanics, let’s get to know the game first and its history.
Baccarat: Brief Description
Baccarat is a classic betting card game that was founded in the 1400s by an Italian named Felix Falguire or Falguirein. Its original name is baccara, which means “zero” in Italian,because all the tens and face cards bear a value of zero. The other cards from two to nine equally reflect its value while the ace bears a one (1) value. Later on, the term baccaratwas adapted worldwide as the game had moved to its neighboring country—France—where it became a favorite game of King Charles VIII along with other aristocrats. Since then, this card game, which was generally played by upperclassmen,has become a common game among people from various societal statuses.
The migration of the game made it possible for different variations to emerge in other countries. Right now, three popular variants stemmed from the mother game namely punto banco, chemmy de fer, and baccarat banque. Punto banco also known asAmerican baccarat is a South American and Caribbean adaption while chemmy de fer is the French version. In Thailand and other Asian countries, เกมบาคาร่า is also popular. The difference in these variations lies on the rules that were changed or added by the locals.
Game Mechanics
Baccarat is a pure chance-based game that does not require the player to have any set of betting skills or strategies. All you need to do is to place your bet on either of the three choices: the banker, player, or tie. The objective of the game is so simple and that is to guess which hand holds the highest points of 9—the banker or the player. If you think both hold the same points, then you may place your bet on the tie.In this game, the house edge is lower than the player’s hand by 0.5% which is better than Roulette’s players. Although the house edge is lower than the player’s hand, the banker still has a 45.8% winning chance with an additional 9.6% coming from a tie round while the player has only 44.6%. Therefore, the gaming house is always favored.