Mastering The Art of Baccarat In Just Minutes

When it comes to classic casino games, it is hard to beat baccarat.

02:43 08 March 2025

When it comes to classic casino games, it is hard to beat baccarat. This is a tried and tested table game that has been around since the induction of land-based casinos. Although baccarat is not as simple as blackjack or slots, it is a fairly simplistic game. That said, do not let its simplicity fool you because going in without a proven strategy would be the first and biggest mistake anyone could make. 

Know Thy Objective

Whether it be blackjack, poker, or baccarat, you want to make sure you fully understand the rules. As was already stated, the good thing about baccarat is that it is a fairly simplistic game. The first thing to know is that the player (player) and the dealer (banker) have the very same objective. And, that objective is to have a hand that totals as close to 9 as possible.

Think of blackjack and how the objective is to reach 21. Baccarat is similar but the objective is to reach 9. Here’s where things get a bit tricky. Players are not limited to betting on themselves. They can bet on the dealer (banker) or even bet on a tie. The good thing about this is, you do not necessarily need the winning hand to win the game. You just simply need to bet on the winning hand.

Understanding The Card Values

Even the newest players wouldn’t go into a baccarat game without a sound baccarat strategy. Understanding the card values and knowing how the point system works would be the very best place to start. Just like blackjack, every card in baccarat has a specific value. The values of each card are added together to create an end value. That end value should be 9 or as close to it as possible.

In baccarat, an ace is worth 1 point. All numbered cards except for the 10 are with their printed value. 2 cards are worth 2. Three cards are worth 3 and so on. The 10 card is worth 0 just like all face cards.

How Does The Point System Work

Just knowing the values of the cards is not all it takes to master baccarat. It is an essential starting point but things do not end there. Just like blackjack, the dealer and the player start with two cards. Pretty simple, right? The tricky part is when you get into the double digits. When it comes to double digits, players only use the second digit to determine their score. 

For instance, if a player gets an 8 and a 5 the total would be 13, but the player’s score would be 3. A 6 and a 2 would be would a total of 8. A 10 and a 4 would be 14 because 10’s are worth 0 points. 

Moving On To The Rules And Steps

Familiarizing yourself with the objective and the point system is only the beginning. The next step is learning the basic rules of the game. There are far more complex rules but that will be something players will have to learn later on. 

The Game Layout – In baccarat, player’s positions are usually numbered. In most land-based casinos there are usually anywhere from 12 to 14 positions. In online casinos, there are only typically 5 positions. Another thing to keep in mind is that the number 4 is usually omitted in the lining. For instance, there would be a number 1 seat, a number 2 seat, a number 3 seat, and a number 5 seat. 

Placing the Bet – Each player will have a betting station on their side. The betting station will usually have one spot marker Player, another spot marked Dealer, and a final spot marked Tie. These spots represent the different areas where a player can place a bet. In some games, there might be additional Player Pair and Baker Pair bets. Placing a bet means you are betting on the hand that you think will win. You can either bet on yourself, the dealer, or you can even bet on a tie.

Conclusion

As you can see, baccarat is a fairly simplistic game but the furthest from the easiest. When you throw in all the strategies and complex rules, things can get ultra-confusing. Just like most things in life, keeping things simple is essential for the beginning stages. Once you know the simple ins and outs, you can move on to the more complex sides of the game.