This is a simple, yet fast and pure card game that lends itself to the feature-rich online casino environment. The game of Baccarat was originally invented in France, and, in fact, gained its worldwide popularity and entry into mainstream card gambling after 1953 when it made several notable appearances in the first edition of the James Bond movie, Casino Royale. Today it is the betting game of choice for many casino high rollers, and, due to its fascinating set of rules and gambling possibilities, baccarat is enjoying a fresh wave of popularity with players who to take pleasure in fast, high-action type games.
Baccarat is a card comparing game, but, unlike Poker or Blackjack, has the interesting feature in that the most popular version of the game, Punto Banco, requires no skill whatsoever to play. Players compare the face value of their cards to those of the banker, but during the course of the game players do not need to make any decisions that make an impact on the value of their hand. The only decisions that a player needs to make in this game are regarding the size of the wager and the bet type. This very simplicity leads to the game of baccarat being a thrilling, fast-paced gaming adventure, and thus something that will appeal to Americans. Another reason to enjoy the game is that the very simplicity also makes Baccarat quick to learn and easy to play. A game of Baccarat has three winning options; the player wins, the banker wins, or there is a tie. The ‘banker’ in Baccarat does not mean the ‘house’ as it does in more traditional card games, and during game play, players have the option of being able to bet on either their own hand or on the bankers’ hand, or even on a tie occurring.
What Makes This Such a Popular Game to Play?
The intriguing and interesting aspect of baccarat casino game is the way the cards are added up during play. The cards are added up strictly according to their face value, with the ace being 1 and all picture cards being 0. The aim is to have as high a total as possible, with 9 being the perfect number. When the cards are added up and the total goes into double figures, the single digit number, or most right hand number is used as the total, i.e. if your cards are a 4 and a 9, the total is 13 and, as can be seen your hand value is 3. Based on the hand value and the rules of the particular game being played, a further card is automatically drawn. Similar to Blackjack, a direct winning hand in Baccarat consists of two cards adding up to 8 or 9, which in Baccarat is known as a ‘natural hand’.
The Other Variations Available
Even though the most popular version of baccarat is Punto Banco, and this is the version offered by most online casinos, there are two additional and widely played versions, namely Chemin De Fer and Baccarat Banque. These two versions are historically popular in France and do actually have a small element of skill attached; due primarily to the fact that these versions of baccarat involve additional players.