Baccarat is a game of chance played with 8 decks of cards for the sole purpose of predicting which hand will win. It is a game of luck and skill, where the player must decide which hand to bet on, if any. In traditional baccarat, the player can either bet on the ‘Banker’ or the ‘Player’. The hands are then drawn from the cards and the winner is the hand that is closest to 9 when their totals are added.
Baccarat is easy to play, with just a basic understanding required. It can be played with a small number of people or a large number, and does not require any special equipment. To start the game each player must make a bet either on the Banker, the Player or a Tie. After all bets have been placed, two hands are dealt from the eight deck shoe.
Once the cards have been revealed, the total of each hand is calculated, and the hand closest to nine wins. The total of the hand is calculated by adding up the value of all the cards in the hand and then taking off the tens digit of the total, to determine the final hand value. For example; if the two card total of the hand was 16, then the total would be 6.
If either hand totals 8 or 9 (referred to as a ‘natural’), then the hand automatically wins. If neither hand has a natural then additional cards may be dealt as required, determined by a set of rules known as the ‘tableau’. At the end of the game, all bets are settled and the winner is rewarded.