When baccarat was originally presented in America, casino's attempted to instill the glamorous ambiance connected with the European game. In most casinos, baccarat is played in a roped-off area, and is directly observed by a pit boss and intermittently the playing area is even guarded by armed guards.

The word baccarat is a derivative of the Italian word baccara, meaning zero, and refers to the zero value given to all of the face cards and tens. It is pronounced 'bah-caw-rah', and not 'back-a-rat' as most unwary gamblers say it. Baccarat is played primarily in European casinos, were it was introduced in the 15th century (in France.) Its worthy reputation in France and England dates from the mid-1800s. The game has today is very popular and it is now played in casinos around the world.

While the colorful atmosphere may attract wealthy high rollers, baccarat is a straightforward game of chance that entails no notable degree of skill by the player. The game may in fact be the best game for the player who doesn't want to take the time to develop expert skills required by other casino games.

Game Play

Baccarat is played with either six or eight complete decks of cards. All cards, ace (ace counts as 1) through nine, are valued according to their count. Tens and face cards count as zero. When any two cards total over a 10 count, 10 must be subtracted and the outstanding total is the card count. For instance, if 5 and 7 are drawn for a total of 12, the count would be 2.

Players, known as punters may sit around a table with 14 seating positions. Three dealers assist each table - the dealer standing in the middle is known as the croupier or the caller. The croupier makes the calls on each hand as they are dealt, and directs the players playing the game. The other two dealers are responsible for handling any payouts.

The cards are shuffled by a dealer and then reshuffled and placed in a box referred to as a shoe. Each player will get an opportunity to handle the shoe. When they are holding the shoe its anticipated that they will bet the bank, but may decline the shoe and pass it along to the next player. The caller receives the cards from the player with the shoe, places them in the suitable boxes and then calls for another card or announces a winner.

The highest total possible for any baccarat hand is nine. A two card total of nine is known as a natural and can not lose. An eight is the second best hand and is also called a natural. If both player and bank are dealt the exact same hands (total), it is a tie and neither bank nor player wins. If neither hand has a natural, the player's hand is at all times the first to be played, followed by the dealer. If the first two cards total five or less, another card will be drawn. If they total six or seven, no further cards are allowed to be drawn. A maximum of three cards can be drawn for either hand, and when both hands have been played, the hand closest to nine wins.

General Tips

Never place a wager on a potential tie. The payoff rate will be 8-1. This is a bad bet for the player as the house edge will be greater than 14%. Remember that the casino takes a commission whenever a player wins a bet placed on the banker side. This is because betting on the banker has an inherent advantage. Instead of collecting after each hand which would slow play, the dealer will pay even money to winning banker bets and consider the 5% an IOU. So make sure you pay close attention to your winnings, losses, and total hands played as you will be responsible for paying commissions on winning banker bets once you decide to walk. It would be very embarrassing if you were to run out of money with outstanding commissions.

Scorecards and pencils are placed on every table for players to keep track of the outcome of every hand. Many players attempt to use these scorecards to count cards or discover patterns in an effort to predict future hands. It is possible to cut down the house edge slightly by counting cards but looking for patterns will not help at all.

Baccarat Betting * 1-3-2-6 System

It may seem to you like the odds are in your favor and not in the casinos, but the odds favor the casino, as in most casino games, and no betting system will change that fact.

Why is the 1-3-2-6 betting system so attractive to punters. Well its quite simple actually, when using this system you are wagering just two betting units for the opportunity to win ten units, so it's a 5:1 return on your investment.

The first bet is one unit - if you win:
1) Add another unit, making the second bet a total of three units.
2) If you win the second bet, there are 6 units on the table. Remove four units, making your third bet two units.
3) If it wins add two more units, making it a total of six units for your fourth bet.
4) If the fourth bet wins you'll collect a total of 12 units (which ten units are fabulous profit!)

General Guidelines

- If you lose the first bet: The loss is one unit.
- If you win the first, but lose the second bet: your net loss is two units.
- If you win the second, but lose the third bet, you have a profit of two units.
- If you win the first three bets but lose the fourth bet, you'll break even.
- If you lose the second bet five out of six times and win four consecutive bets once, you'll be right back to even.
** You can also use this system for even-money betting at any other casino game.