Several hypotheses have been made regarding the origin of Baccarat. Some experts on the subject agree that this game originated in Macau and later spread to France. Other scholars see Italy as the state in which Baccarat generated its roots. Finally, there is no lack of those who trace Baccarat back to the time of the Etruscans; a clue in favor of this hypothesis would be a legend that sees as protagonists 9 Gods, a virgin, and a 9-sided die. Regardless of its origins, it seems certain that as early as 1500 the French nobles were familiar with this pastime, which was destined to remain an elite game for several years. Depending on the country reached, Baccarat has been assigned different rules. In England, for example, the French version, known as “Chemin de fer”, was very successful. From the Old Continent, the game began to find fertile ground in South America and then spread throughout the world. It was the famous casino “Dunes” that introduced it to toLas Vegas, presenting a version halfway between “Chemin de fer” and European Baccarat. Nowadays players can choose between different versions, the most popular of which is the American one, followed by the “Punto Banco”.
Instructions for playing Baccarat
The protagonists of a Baccarat game, even within all the Italian sites that allow you to play for free right away, are the Banco, the player, and a variable number of other participants. If the game mechanism allows you to choose between several types of bets, the aim is to reach, through the cards in hand, and overall value as close as possible to 9, without exceeding it. If you get (or if the dealer will) a value from 10 onwards, 10 points will be deducted from the total sum. Each card has a different score. The ace takes value 1, while the cards from 2 to 9 keep the value that appears on their side; finally, the cards from 10 to the King are assigned a value of 0. For example, if in a hand you were to hold a 4 and a King, the total value will be equal to 4 (as the King is worth 0). On the other hand, with a 9 and a 6, the overall value is 5 (given by 9 + 6 = 15, from which 10 points must be deducted).
Each game has as its initial phase the distribution, to the player and the dealer, of 2 face-down cards each. If one of the two, adding the cards, should obtain a value equal to 8 or 9 (an event called “natural”), the hands are shown, and the winner will be whoever comes closest to 9. If the sums of the dealer and the match, a tie occurs, and this leads to the return of the bet to the player. If neither of the two participants has cards that add up to the values 8 or 9, we will continue taking into account the cards held by the player.
If their sum is 6 or 7, the player will be required to “stand”; otherwise he will have to draw a new card. At that point, it will be up to the dealer to make his move, linked to the total value given by the 2 hole cards and the player’s third card. If the dealer’s hand value is 7, he will be forced to “stand”. With a 6 the dealer will draw an additional card, but only if the third card previously drawn by the player was a 6 or a 7. If the value of the dealer’s cards is 5, a new card is drawn if the third player’s card is 4,5,6, or 7. The mechanism is repeated following the same logic for the other values. When the dealer has finished his move, the cards will be shown. The winner, also, in this case, will be the one who has obtained the total value closest to 9. In Baccarat, as anticipated, there are 3 types of bets; in addition to betting on the bank, you can do it on the player or the “Draw”. The first two bets are paid 1 to 1, but you have to consider that winning bets on the bank have a 5% commission applied. The draw, on the other hand, is paid 8 to 1.
Baccarat in online casinos
In recent years, Baccarat has achieved great popularity in land-based casinos, especially in Asia. In the rest of the world, online casinos have contributed significantly to its spread. In particular, to encourage more and more people to bet from the PC screen using a network connection, it is the choice adopted by various virtual rooms to offer it in a “Live” version. The Live games are characterized by the presence of real croupiers, who will allow you to live your games by experiencing the same adrenaline as those who usually frequent land-based casinos. If your passion is video poker or slot machines, you will have the opportunity to play with versions of Baccarat very similar to these pastimes. By now, online Baccarat has reached an enviable level of quality; this is also thanks to the interest shown by the major software creators, Playtech and NetEnt in the first place. In Italy, Baccarat is present in many of the casinos with AAMS authorization.
In the first, the bank is entrusted to the casino, and the games have a minimum bet limit, decided by the players themselves. The European Baccarat, on the other hand, was born in England and, compared to the previous version, sees the choice of minimum bets assigned to the bank, ie the casino. Mini Baccarat is characterized by a greater speed of the bets, and by the presence of a smaller number of participants, equal to 7, instead of the 12 foreseen in the other variants. Furthermore, Mini-Baccarat games take place on tables traditionally assigned to Blackjack. There are other differences between Baccarat and Mini-Baccarat. Assuming that the basic rules are essentially the same, there are mainly 2 elements that vary: game speed and table layout. Those who prefer Baccarat are above all “high roller“, That is, players who like high-value bets. It is not uncommon for the minimum bet on the tables to be 100 euros. If in Baccarat the players can also deal with the cards, this operation is not allowed in Mini Baccarat; this task rests exclusively with the dealer. If you want a fast game, this last version will satisfy you, allowing you to play many hands in one hour, the number of which can reach 200. Compared to the traditional version, Mini-Baccarat has lower limits, and this peculiarity continues to exercise a certain fascination on users who have never had the opportunity to test their skills in a card game.
Play Baccarat in online casinos from mobile devices
If you find the time you need for online betting has become increasingly difficult due to work and family commitments, thanks to the technological progress of recent years you will no longer be forced to give up your passion for gambling. In this specific case, some apps allow you to bet directly from your smartphone or tablet. You no longer have to turn on the PC, as it will take a few minutes to place a bet. The apps intended for gambling immediately enjoyed excellent feedback from the public. This has prompted manufacturers to concentrate their efforts on making them even more functional. Initially, there was no lack of “adaptation” problems, because smartphones are equipped with much smaller screens than those offered by PCs. But, as the years go by, this problem has gradually disappeared, being able to count on optimized apps. Significant improvements were also found graphically, so much so that in many cases the quality level associated with online Baccarat from PC was reached.
Also from a safety point of view, you will have nothing to fear. You will be able to manage your account, making payments or withdrawals, using the touch screen of your smartphone, and using the methods accepted by the casino in which you have chosen to register. The existence of encrypted protocols will protect you from any scam attempts. At the same time you will guarantee fun, adrenaline, and the possibility of obtaining even substantial winnings; all this without exposing your portfolio to unnecessary risks.
Tips for playing Baccarat at its best
If you have decided to dedicate a few hours of your free time to Baccarat, keep in mind that you will have no way, with your actions, to influence the order of the different cards, nor to decide freely whether to draw another or whether to “stay”. The fact that the statistics, in this game, are not able to help you in making “predictions” on your future bets, does not necessarily mean that you have to give up on improving the game strategy, to increase your chances of winning. By choosing the online version of Baccarat you will have at your disposal legal gambling software capable of offering a “history”. But the most effective way to minimize the bank’s advantage is to bet on the bank itself.
It will be by accumulating enough experience that you will find yourself more and more frequently making the best bet at the most suitable time. Your passion for gambling is quite recent, and you don’t want to risk getting frenzied by betting, without realizing it, quite high amounts? Before starting with the bets, establish the budget to invest. If luck does not turn out to be a faithful companion from the very first moments, avoid consuming the entire budget by giving yourself a regenerating break. Even if the winnings will not be long in appearing, however, do not forget that the situation could change at any moment, without any warning. If, on the one hand, abandoning a gaming session could leave a bad taste in your mouth, on the other hand, consider that, by proceeding in this way, you will limit the risk of losses. The best way to enjoy a game of chance, whatever it is, is to have fun; try to remind you. Finally, if you want to have more information on the most famous casino games, read reviews of the best virtual rooms with an AAMS license.