Baccarat – A Game of Strategy, Superstition and Fate
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From sticky California card rooms to the luxurious casinos of Monaco, baccarat can be found everywhere from sticky California card rooms to tuxedo-clad casinos. Yet its surface simplicity belies its depth – this game of strategy, superstition and fate involves gathering around a table in silence as players record winning hands and loser hand histories like obsessively detailed paintings. Lou is just being initiated into this brotherhood of gamers; quickly learning that every card he’s dealt will be scrutinized as though they belonged to him – as he discovers ways he can gain an edge against both dealers and other players.
Players sit opposite one another on opposite sides of a table, with a dealer dealing two hands to each player. Their goal is to bet on which hand will total closer to nine than its opponent. Each Player and Banker hand is scored using both their total pips (the dots that represent clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades and aces) as well as individual card values such as picture cards or tens which count for zero and any aces that reach double-digit totals automatically dropping one digit down, so for example a 7 and 6 would become 3.
Bets can be placed either on the Player or Banker hand, with odds varying depending on which side is chosen as an initial bet. Betting on the Player offers straightforwardness: simply wager that his hand will outnumber that of the Banker in total sum and receive 1:1 returns upon winning; whilst Banker betting offers more statistically favorable odds but requires payment of a 5 percent commission when winning.
Players can place multiple bets, not only on the Player and Banker but also a Super Six or Pair bet. Super Six bets pay out if both cards in the Banker’s first two hand total 6, while Pair Bets return when both Player and Banker share identical first two cards. Minimum betting requirements at US casinos typically range from $20-25; other international casinos may vary accordingly.
Bill Zender, former Nevada Gaming Control agent and casino dealer who wrote the book on table games management. However, Zender does not believe baccarat will disappear from American casinos any time soon due to new technology like Bonus Spin Xtreme that allows casinos to link multiple table games under one progressive jackpot – meaning even if its share decreases substantially it could remain an attractive alternative to more volatile bets like slots or blackjack.