Online Baccarat

The game of Baccarat is played over many different decks of cards. The game is usually played between the player and the bank which represents the casino. At the start of the game, two cards are dealt each to the player and the bank. Whoever gets a total of 9 by adding the two cards together or whoever gets closest to 9 wins the round. 

At first, Baccarat can seem a bit confusing especially if you’re playing it for the first time. This is due to the fact that different cards have different values - 10 and all cards above 10 are considered to have a value of zero. Aces have a value of 1 and the value of cards between 2 and 9 are the face value of a card. Here are some examples to understand the value of cards in Baccarat better:

• If the two cards you get are an ace and king, the value of your hand is 1 as the value of the ace is 1 and King is zero as per the rules.
• If the two cards you get are a 5 and a 2, the value of your hand is 7.
• If the two cards you have are a 9 and a Jack, the value of your hand is 9 as the value of any card above 10 is zero.

Another important rule in the game is that if both of the cards you’re dealt combine to create a two-digit total, then the value of your hand is determined just by the last digit and the first digit is discarded. For example, if the two cards you get dealt are two 7s, then the value of your hand is not 14 but 4 instead.

The best hand you can get in Baccarat is 9 and the second best is 8 as the player whose hand value is closest to 9 wins and as mentioned earlier, 10 or higher cards are not considered to have any value in the game.

The third card

If the banker or the player do not have a value of 8 or 9 with the two cards dealt, a third card is drawn. If the total value of the player’s hand is less than 6 then they have to draw a third card to add to the value of their hand.

If the player doesn’t draw a third card then the dealer has to draw a third card based on the same rules followed by the player i.e they draw a card if the total value of their hand is 5 or less.

If the player does draw a third card, the bank has to follow the following rules when it comes to drawing the third card:

• If the total value of the bank’s hand is 2, a third card is always drawn regardless of the value of the player’s third card.
• If the total value of the bank’s hand is 3, a third card will be drawn unless the player’s third card is an 8.
• If the total value of the bank’s hand is 4, a third card will be drawn unless the player’s third card is 0,1, 8, or 9.
• If the total value of the bank’s hand is 5, a third card is drawn unless the value of the player’s hand is 0, 1, 2, 3, 8, or 9.
• If the total value of the bank’s hand is 6, a third card is drawn unless the player’s third card is 0,1,2,3,4,5,8, or 9.

While these rules may seem to be difficult to keep track of, most players usually get a hang of it after playing just a few rounds online. A lot of online casinos also allow you to play Baccarat without real money which can be a great way to practice and get used to the game.