Baccarat games, also called punto banco, is usually played on the special table in the separate quiet casino section, where there’s no much noise. Usually there are three dealers and from 7 to 15 players (watch baccarat rules).

The main gaming principle is to make bets on a win of the certain team, player (punto) or casino (banco). The third kind of betting is egalite, or standoff, which means a draw.

The players can bet for punto or banco, and only dealer has no choice but to bet on banco. If there is a possibility of not placing a bet on baccarat gaming table – it’s the next player’s turn.

The game is player on two hands. The player has to place bets on the win of one of them, or on the draw. Punto and banco bets are paid:

  1. punto – one to one;
  2. banco 95 к 100 (5% of bet is given to the casino itself);
  3. draw - 8 to 1 or 9 to 1.

Each hand consists of two or three cards. Dealer puts two cards (suits up) at the table and gives other two cards to the player with the highest bet on punto).

The player looks at his cards and gives them back to the dealer during baccarat online gaming. The dealer puts all cards (suits down), declares the results and the winner and pays them.

Combinations

If both hands have combinations of 8 or 9 points, it’s considered a “natural”, and there’s no more cards used. If the combination is worth 8 or less, one more card is added. Each casino has its own rules on this occasion.

In baccarat, the cards have their own values:

  • from 9 to 2 – equal to card’s nominal;
  • ace – one point;
  • from King to 10 – zero points.

Only the last number of card’s value counts. For example, if the total sum of all cards is 25, you have 5 points.

Rules of the third card

Those rules determine whether the player gets one more card after the dealer has declared the results, or not. The rules for punto and banco during baccarat online game play are different.

Rules of punto-dealer:

  • If punto or banco has a natural 8 or 9 in their hands, no more cards will be drawn. The game ends.
  • If the total sum on hands is 5 or less than 5, the player gets a third card;
  • If the player doesn’t get a third card: banco stops, if he has 6 or more. If the banco has a combination of 5 or less, they get a third card;
  • If the player gets a third card, one of the rules, mentioned below, will be used.
  • If the banco has two on his hands, he gets a third card, despite the nominal of punto’s third card in baccarat online game for free;
  • If the banco has a three, they get a new card, but only if punto’s third card isn’t 8;
  • If the banco has a four, they get a third card only if punto’s third card isn’t 0, 1, 8 or 9;
  • If the banco has a five, they get a card only if the punto’s third card is 4,5,6 or 7;
  • if the banco has a seven, they don’t get a third card.

Rules of banco-dealer

At first it always seems pretty complicated, but as the practice goes – you’ll remember all the rules with no effort. And you don’t have to learn the rules of the third card in baccarat game online for money – it’s dealer’s job. In good casinos the personal keeps track of the game to make sure that no fraud takes place and that there’s no mistakes in the gaming process, so you don’t have to worry about this and concentrate on having fun by playing the game.

We cannot say for sure where does this game come from, because in numerous European countries this games have been popular in ancient times and differs only in some special features. In the Middle Ages epoch baccarat was played with the help of tarot cards, it was the privilege of exclusively upper class society.

One of the legends says that the rules of this game are based on the Etrurian sacrifice ritual. Depending on the fallen out dice side the fate of young virgin was determined. In better case, she became priestess, in worst one she had to die.