The
term “baccarat” is usually used to
refer to the American version of baccarat that
is played in North America. However, you will
find many variations of this game in other locations.
The rules vary from one variety to another, but
they all have one main thing in common: the goal
is always to get a hand with a score as close
as possible to nine. The most common variations
that you will run into are mini baccarat, chemin
de fer, European baccarat and baccarat en banque.
Mini Baccarat
Mini baccarat is almost the same as American baccarat.
It uses a smaller table that is about the same
size as a blackjack table. Only seven people can
play at one time. There is only one croupier at
a mini baccarat table, instead of the normal three
that work the larger American baccarat tables.
The croupier deals the hands and acts as the banker.
Mini baccarat is a less intimidating version of
baccarat. It is not held in a roped-off area of
the casino. Instead, it is right out on the floor
with the other table games. Bets in mini baccarat
often start as low as five dollars, so this is
a good way to get your feet wet if you are just
getting started playing baccarat.
European
Baccarat
There are two main differences between European
baccarat and American baccarat. The first is that
the player has the choice of standing or drawing
if their initial hand is 5. The second is that
the banker also has a choice on whether to draw.
Usually, however, the banker plays in accordance
with the American baccarat rules.
The banker’s hand is funded by the casino,
and the players may not bet more than the amount
that has been funded. For example, if the casino
funds the banker’s hand at $1700, then the
player’s bets may not total more than $1700.
Once that amount has been reached, no further
bets are accepted. A player can shout “banco”
to bet the entire amount that the banker’s
bet has been funded. If someone does that, no
other bets are taken for that round. Chemin
de Fer
This variation of baccarat is mainly played
in France. In this game, you can’t bet
on the player or banker (punto or banco) unless
you are one or the other. The banker role rotates
counterclockwise around the table, and all other
participants are players. If a player does not
want to be the banker when it is their turn,
they can pass and the shoe goes to the person
to their right.
The players bet amongst themselves, and the
casino is not directly involved in the betting.
The house provides a croupier to oversee the
game and make sure that no one is cheating.
In exchange, the house takes a commission on
winning bank hands.
In chemin de fer, the player has the choice
of drawing or standing on an initial hand scoring
five. The banker is free to decide whether to
stand or to draw.
Baccarat en Banque
In this game, the casino always performs the
role of banker. This allows players to place
larger bets, since the bank is not being funded
by an individual player. |
