Ultimate Book of Card Games: The Comprehensive Guide to More Than 350 Games (73 page)

A typical Baccarat shoe holds six to eight decks of cards. Each player gets a turn to handle the shoe. Note that when handling the shoe, you are expected to bet on the banker. If this seems quaint, or too stressful, you may pass the shoe to the next player.

HAND VALUES
In Baccarat, cards have the following fixed values:

2 to 9 are worth face value

10s and face cards are worth zero

Aces are worth 1

Simply add up the cards to calculate a hand’s value. If the value is greater than 9 (that is, if it’s two digits, such as 10 or 11), the first digit is dropped. Don’t ask why, that’s just the way the game is played. For example, the hand 8-4 adds up to 12, so the 1 is dropped and the value becomes 2. The hand A-10 is worth 1 point, while the hand K-10 is worth zero.

DECLARING A WINNER
After the initial deal, if the value of either hand is 8 or 9, it’s called a
natural
. In this case both hands
stand
, or stop taking cards, and the scores are compared. The hands tie if they are of equal value. Otherwise, the natural hand wins. If neither hand is natural, the game continues with the player first, followed by the banker, according to the following rules:

If the player’s initial cards are valued at 6 or more, the player stands. If the player’s initial cards are 5 or less, the player draws one (and only one) card.

If the banker’s initial cards are valued at 7 or more, the banker stands. If the banker’s initial cards total 0,1, or 2, the banker draws one card. If the banker’s initial cards total 3, 4, 5, or 6, the banker draws one card if:

The banker’s hand is worth 3 and the player took no third card, or if the player’s third card is worth zero to 7 points or 9 points.

The banker’s hand is worth 4 points and the player took no third card, or if the player’s third card is worth 2 to 7 points.

The banker’s hand is worth 5 points and the player took no third card, or if the player’s third card is worth 4 to 7 points.

The banker’s hand is worth 6 points and the player’s third card is worth 6 or 7 points.

BETTING
You are gambling on one of three potential outcomes:

The player’s hand wins. This generally pays 1:1, so if you bet $50 you win back the $50 plus another $50.

The banker’s hand wins. This also pays 1:1, but with a major catch. Nearly every casino charges a 5 percent commission on hands won by the bank. This effectively reduces the payout to .95:1 (you bet $50 to win back your original $50 plus another $47.50).

The hands tie. Casinos generally pay 8:1, so your bet of $50 wins $50 plus another $400.

Once all bets are placed, there’s nothing more for you to do. Both hands are simply dealt according to the rules.

STRATEGY TIPS
There are no effective strategies in Baccarat. All cards are dealt according to fixed rules and there’s nothing you can do about it. So what’s the point? For many people, the answer is
pattern chasing
, which is a fancy way of saying “betting on an irrational hunch.” A typical pattern chaser tallies the number of times the player’s or banker’s hands win and then bets either with or against the pattern. Statistically speaking, the banker’s hand wins slightly more than 50 percent of the time (which is why casinos charge a 5 percent commission when the banker’s hand wins).

VARIATION 1: CHEMIN DE FER

Chemin de Fer takes the basic Baccarat game and adds a few twists. First and foremost, there is some decision-making involved for the players. Second, players bet against each other rather than against the fixed player’s and banker’s hands of basic Baccarat.

In Chemin de Fer, one player acts as both the bank and the dealer. The amount he bets determines how much other players can wager. If the bets of one or two players match this amount, the remaining players may not bet in the round. As in Baccarat, the casino makes its profit by taking a 5 percent commission on all winning banker hands.

The player to the right of the casino’s dealer is the first banker and places on the table the amount of chips she is prepared to wager. If you want to bet against the banker, you call out “banco,” and place an equal number of chips on the table. If more than one player challenges the bank, precedence is given to the player closest to the casino dealer’s right. If the banker is not challenged at all, two or more players may join together to match the banker’s wager (the player who contributes the largest amount plays the hand).

As in Baccarat, two cards are dealt face down to the player’s and banker’s hands. If the player has a natural (8 or 9), the cards are turned over immediately. If the player must take a card, or with a total of 5 chooses to do so, you say “carte,” but do not turn over the cards (exposing them gives the dealer an advantage). The third card is always dealt face up for both the player and the banker.

VARIATION 2: MINI-BACCARAT

Casinos have introduced Mini-Baccarat as a way to make the game less intimidating. The rules are identical to the basic game; the only differences being that minimum bets are smaller and the dealer takes on the role of banker, so the players never touch the cards.

1. DIFFICULTY
   :
   low
   
2. TIME LENGTH
   :
   short
   
3. DECKS
   : 1
   

There’s not much strategy in Blackjack, except when it comes to betting, which makes it an ideal game for novice card players. The casinos know this—and know that novice card players are typically “easy money.” That’s why Blackjack was one of the first games to be legalized in Las Vegas back in 1931.

It is possible to win money at Blackjack, but it requires a lot of doubling down and splitting. If that puts you off, enjoy a few hands of casino Blackjack and just remember that the odds are heavily stacked in the casino’s favor.

Blackjack evolved from the French game Vingt-et-Un (Twenty-One), part of the Chemin de Fer family. Originally, casinos offered 10:1 or even 100:1 payouts for players dealt
A of spades
with a black jack.

You do not compete against other players. Instead, your only goal is to beat the house (dealer). You do this by creating a hand that is closer in value to 21, without exceeding it, than the dealer’s hand.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS
Up to 9

HAND RANKINGS
All face cards are worth 10, aces are worth 1 or 11 (whichever makes the best hand), and all numbered cards are worth their
index value
. The hand K-8, for example, is worth 18. The hand A-5 is worth 6 or 16 (it’s up to you).

BETTING
Players put their bets on the table in a clearly marked spot before any cards are dealt. Minimum and maximum bets are always posted and range from $2 to $100 or more. At home games, the maximum bets are usually $1 or $2. Payouts for winning hands are 1:1, which means if you bet $10 and win, you receive the original $10 plus another $10.

The only exception is when a player scores 21 with two cards (e.g., A-K or A-10). This is called Blackjack and is usually paid at 3:2, which means if you bet $10 and win with Blackjack, you receive the original $10 plus another $15.