Well I guess the title is a bit misleading, baccarat is a game of chance and you can’t really imitate any style, but it is the game of choice for 007, so you can feel pretty sophisticated if you know how to play it.
Baccarat is a total game of chance, and the point is to obtain two or three cards that add up to eight or nine (nine being the better). The best hand you can achieve is two cards that combine to exactly nine (10s jacks, queens and kings are all worth 0, Aces are worth 1, the rest of the cards retain their face value). If you have two cards that add up to nine or eight then this is known as a ‘natural’. If any players, including the dealer, hold a ‘natural’ hand then they have won and no more cards will be dealt. If two players have naturals then the game is a tie. And finally if no one has a natural another card is dealt.
There are special rules for the drawing of a third card that relate to the player or the dealer.
• If the players hand is less than or equal to five then they are dealt another card.
• If the player does not receive a third card then the dealer will stand on six or higher and be dealt a third card if his hand is five or lower.
• If the player DOES take a third card the following rules apply:
1. If the dealer’s total is 2 or less then the dealer takes another card, it doesn’t matter what the player’s third card is.
2. If the dealer’s total is 3 then the dealer takes another card unless the player’s third card was an 8.
3. If the dealer’s total is 4 then the dealer takes another card unless the player’s third card was a 0, 1, 8, or 9.
4. If the dealer’s total is 5 then the dealer takes another card if the player’s third card was 4, 5, 6, or 7.
5. If the dealer’s total is 6 then the dealer takes another card if the players third card was a 6 or 7.
6. If the dealer’s total is 7 then the dealer stands.
The player with the closest score to nine wins, or again, it can be a tie.
If the total of your hand is more than ten then the first digit is removed – for example if you have a 9 and a 4 then your total is not 13, it’s 3.
If you have a king, a 6 and an 8 then your score is – 0+6+8=14 , you then remove the first digit of 1, so your score is 4.
There are a few different versions of Baccarat, commonly in British casinos the betting usually works in this way – Before a hand is dealt you bet on the outcome, either the player will win (pays 2-1), the dealer will win (pays 2-1, this is less a 5% house fee) or the game will be tied (pays 8-1).
Although the basics will be the same be aware that there are variations of this game and how money is won and lost. Make sure you check the house rules before you start!
And that’s it!!
As I said before it’s a complete game of luck but there are one or two things you can do to help yourself:
1. Casinos will use either 6 or 8 decks of cards – try to use ones that only use 6 decks.
2. Casinos will always charge commission on a dealer win. This is usually 5% but if you can find a casino that takes less then play there.
3. The dealer will always have the house edge and is there for more likely to win.
Remember gambling is, by its very nature, risky. Never gamble with money you can’t afford to lose.
If you would like to practice what you have learnt then feel free to try this Baccarat system.
David is a 28 year old man living the dream in South Korea.
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