The main goal of this gambling game is to predict the outcome. There are three possible outcomes:
- Dealer’s win.
- Player’s win.
- Draw.
Let’s take a look at the most popular baccarat games: Bank (Banque), Chammy (French baccarat, Chemin de fer), Punto Banco, Mini Baccarat, and Live Baccarat.
To understand how baccarat is played, you first need to know the card values.
- Cards from two to nine are worth their numerical values.
- 10s and Face cads (except Ace) are worth 0 points.
- Ace is worth 1 point.
Not hard at all, right? The highest hand in baccarat totals 9 points. Hand values are calculated as follows:
- If a player or dealer has collected two 4s, that will be eight points in total.
- If a player has, say, a 7 and 8, their hand totals to 5 points, and not 15 (only the last digit is taken into account).
How to play Punto Banco
This type of baccarat is the most popular at online casinos, and players choose it pretty often. In this card game, the player (Punto) is opposing the dealer (Banco). In other words, the client plays exclusively against the dealer and not against other players (unlike in live baccarat).
This type of Baccarat is played with 6 to 8 decks. The rules are the same as in other baccarat games. At the same time, Punto Banco has different payouts.
- Banco pays 1 to 1, with the house charging a 5% commission.
- Punto pays 1 to 1 (no commission).
- Draw pays 8 to 1 or 9 to 1.
French baccarat (Chemin de Fer)
French gamblers prefer Chemin de Fer, the original version of baccarat. This game has more complicated rules compared to Punto Banco. (By the way, did you know that the French often call Punto Banco Mini Baccarat?) In Chemin de Fer, players are competing against each other, and not against the dealer. Here the players do not play against the dealer, but against each other. As for the casino, it’s monitoring that the players stick with the established rules.
Chemin de Fer is played with 6 decks. One of the banks, who is also a banker, deals the cards. The remaining players (Punto) are waiting for their cards. The Banker status is passed on from player to player.
Baccarat Banque
The game is played with 2, 3 or 4 decks of cards. The status of the Banker is also passed on from player to player. (However, this doesn’t happen until all cards are dealt.)
The banker's task is to deal two cards to themselves, as well as to the players sitting to their right and left. Hand values are calculated just like in other baccarat variations.
As you can see, all baccarat variations share the same goal which is to guess the outcome of the game. Which baccarat game you choose depends on your personal preferences, play style, bankroll, and other important factors. We recommend that you try out all the available variations before picking your favorite!