Procedure of Play
Baccarat is played in a snooty roped off area
to separate itself from the other games. The players are usually very well
dressed and the table minimums are often high. The regular baccarat table is
about the size of a craps table with 3 casino dealers and up to 12 or 14
players. Each player, including the player dealing, may still bet on either the
player or the banker but it is customary for the dealer to bet on the banker.
The deal will rotate around the table, much like the dice rotate around the
craps table. If a player does not want to deal they may pass the shoe to the
next player. The same person will keep dealing as long as the banker keeps
winning. The person dealing will put two cards, face down, tucked under the
shoe, and give the player with the greatest bet on the player the other two
cards, face down. This player then looks at the cards and then gives them back
to the player who is dealing. Then the player who is dealing will turn over the
cards and one of the casino dealers will announce the totals. Depending on the
totals the dealer may then instruct the person dealing the cards to deal a third
card. Finally the dealers will pay winning wagers and collect losing ones out of
the dealer's tray. The player who actually deals is not assuming any financial
responsibility of the other players bets, unlike pai gow, and is just turning
over cards.
The Rules
The House Edge
Except for the tie bet, baccarat is one of the
best bets in the casino. The following table shows the house edge on all
available bets. Usually a tie will pay 8:1 but sometimes will pay 9:1.
| Probabilities in 8-deck Baccarat |
| Bet |
Combinations |
Probability |
House
Edge |
| Bank |
2,292,252,566,437,888 |
45.86% |
1.06% |
| Player |
2,230,518,282,592,256 |
44.62% |
1.24% |
| Tie |
475,627,426,473,216 |
9.52% |
14.36% |
Note: If the tie bet pays 9:1 the house edge on that bet drops to 4.80%.
One and Six Deck Baccarat
Real Time Gaming online casinos offer
a six-deck baccarat game, and Microgaming online casinos offer a single deck
game. The fewer the decks the lower the house edge on the banker bet and the
greater the house edge on the player and tie bets. The following tables show the
specific numbers.
| Probabilities in 6-deck Baccarat |
| Bet |
Combinations |
Probability |
House
Edge |
| Bank |
403,095,751,234,560 |
45.87% |
1.06% |
| Player |
392,220,492,728,832 |
44.63% |
1.24% |
| Tie |
83,552,962,932,288 |
9.51% |
14.44% |
| Probabilities in single deck Baccarat |
| Bet |
Combinations |
Probability |
House
Edge |
| Bank |
6,737,232,640 |
45.96% |
1.01% |
| Player |
6,548,674,432 |
44.68% |
1.29% |
| Tie |
1,372,227,328 |
9.36% |
15.75% |
Riding Trends
Every baccarat table will have plenty of
scorecards and pencils for the players to keep track of the outcome of every
hand. Most players will do so religiously and carefully analyze their card for
trends as the winning hand switches back and forth from the banker to player.
This is a big waste of time! The smart player will bet on the banker every time
and leave the scorecards alone.
Where to Play Baccarat
Big table baccarat can be hard to find.
In Las Vegas generally only those casinos with a large high roller room have it.
Except for the Stardust the minimums usually start at $100 and go up from there.
The Silver Legacy in Reno offers big table baccarat in the main casino for a $10
minimum. While I was there nobody was playing other than myself.
Mini-Baccarat
Are the baccarat minimums too high for you? Then
you may want to try mini-baccarat. The rules and house edge are the same but the
minimum is usually only $5 or $10. Unlike regular baccarat with its player
participation and unique decorum mini-baccarat is played at a blackjack size
table where the dealer controls everything. The pace of mini-baccarat is very
fast, it would not surprise me if more were bet per hour at a $10 mini-baccarat
table than a $25 regular baccarat table. Without the atmosphere of the big
baccarat table it is my opinion that mini-baccarat loses its charm and is
reduced to a redundant and boring game. It is not surprising to me that
mini-baccarat is one of the least popular table games in any casino.
Commission Free Baccarat
The Atlantic City Hilton offers a
version of the banker bet in baccarat which pays even money but only wins 1:2
odds on a winning total of 6. The house edge on the banker bet is 1.623%. As
usual gimmicks do not pay as well as the regular game, and this game is no
exception.
Appendices
Appendix
1 indicates the number of combinations of every combination of banker and
player scores.
Appendix 2 explores the topic
of card counting in baccarat.
Appendix 3 displays the
probability of each possible outcome given the banker and player total after the
first four cards are dealt.
Appendix 4 Details on the Lucky
Pair side bet at the Rio.
