How to play baccarat

Rules for Playing Baccarat

Baccarat is a card game that is played between a dealer and a banker. Several players will place a bet on who they think will win the hand. These players can bet on the Player, the Banker or bet that there will be a tie. Players are not allowed to bet on both Player and Banker, but are allowed to bet on either of the two and Tie at the same time.

Baccarat is usually played with either 6 or 8 decks of cards in a shoe. Before cards are dealt from the shoe, the first card will be flipped over to see how many card the dealer has to burn. If the dealer turns over a face card, they will have to burn 10 cards from the shoe. The cut card is placed 16 cards from the end of the shoe. When the cut card comes, the current hand will be played as well as one more hand before the start of a new shoe.

Here is how the game is played:

After bets are placed, the player will be dealt two cards followed by two cards for the dealer. The two cards receive are added up to a number between 0 and 9. The value of the two cards are added up and only the singles digit will be counted. That means a total of 15 will equal a score of 5 and a score of 20 will equal 0.

Cards are given the following point values: All face cards and 10's are worth 0 points, aces are worth 1 and all other cards are worth their value.

A third card may be dealt to either the player or dealer or both. Here is how this is determined:

1. If the player or dealer receives an 8 or 9, they both stand. This is referred to as a "natural" 8 or 9 and the game is over.
    
2. If the player receives 5 or less, then the player must take a cards. Otherwise, the players stands.
    
3. If the player stands and the banker has 5 or less, the banker must take a cards.
    
4. The dealer will always get a third card if the first two cards total 2 points or less.
   He must always stand with a total of 7 points.

If the player does hit, then the dealer will do the following:

• Player's three card total is 8 - the dealer must hit if his two card total is 
  2 or less, otherwise the dealer will stay.
   
• Player's three card total is 0, 1 or 9 - the dealer must hit if his two card total is 
  3 or less, otherwise the dealer will stay.
   
• Player's three card total is 2 or 3 - the dealer must hit if his two card total is 
  4 or less, otherwise the dealer will stay.
   
• Player's three card total is 4 or 5 - the dealer must hit if his two card total is 
  5 or less, otherwise the dealer will stay.
   
• Player's three card total is 6 or 7 - the dealer must hit if his two card total is 
  6 or less, otherwise the dealer will stay.

The dealer and player's scores are compared. The winner is the one with more points. Winning bets on the banker will have to pay a 5% commission to the house. Winning bets on the player will payout 1 to 1.

In case of a tie, the bets on Player and Banker will be pushed. Any bets on Tie will receive 8 to 1 or 9 to 1 when they hit, depending on the casino. Any non-tie will result in a loss for bets on Tie.

At a casino, when the player who is the banker win the bet, they will be paid even money. The dealer(s) will keep track of the 5% commission owed to the dealers with a marker on that players commission box. The commission boxes are located in front of the dealers and commissions will be collected when a player wants to cash out.