House Game

The actual origin of baccarat is lost in history, however some historians claim that there is no reliable record of the game before the middle of the nineteenth century, and the game originated in Italy. The game is thought to be a spin-off of the French game vingt-et-un (twenty-one), the game we know as blackjack. It is similar in that the goal is to get as close as possible to a set number without exceeding it. Baccarat differs from blackjack in several ways:

  1. The total aimed at is nine rather than twenty one.
  2. If the total is exceeded the player doesn't automatically lose. Rather, the total cycles around a base of 10, so that if the total is greater than 9, 10 is subtracted from the total to obtain a number between 0 and 9. For example if the hand contains an 8 and a 5 the total of 13 has 10 subtracted from it and it is treated as a 3.
  3. The 10, Jack, Queen, and King have a value of 0 (10 minus 10 = 0)
  4. The ace has only one value; 1.
  5. The decision to pull another card is determined by a fixed set of rules, and is not left to the players judgment (in most versions)
In Europe chips are used to place wagers, while in North America they often use real money for betting. (This is thought to make the game more exciting.)There are three present-day games that are essentially the same and sometimes all thought of as baccarat. They are:
  1. Chemin de fer : This game is played in some European casinos, but is not played in the U.K. and North America. The goal is the same (to get as close to 9 as possible) but the rules allow a few conditions where drawing a card is optional. The casino doesn't play the role of banker, the players bet against each other, the players take turns being the banker-dealer (the option may be declined, and it then passes to the next player to the right) the house takes a standard cut out of the player banker's winning coup.
  2. Baccarat : This game is the only game played in the U.K. and North America. The goal is the same (to get as close to 9 as possible) however the game is strictly mechanical with formal rules dictating every aspect of play. The house banks the game, thus the bets can be much larger than when another player is acting as the bank, also with the house assuming the role of banker the game can be played with as few as one player (in chemin de fer you have to wait for additional players before the game can start)
  3. Mini-baccarat : A new version of the game. The game is played at a blackjack sized table with up to seven players. The rules are the same as for the full version of baccarat, however to speed up the game the players don't touch the cards they are dealt by the casino dealer. The stakes are much lower for this game than the full version, this plus the less formal atmosphere make this version appeal to many players.

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There is no strategy available for the game of craps as it is a game of chance and the house always has the edge. There is however a large difference in the house edge varying from about 1.5% to 16.5% so it is in any players interest to know which bets are the best ones to place. The best possible odds are for the line and the come, either pass or don't pass COME BETS & DON'T COME
Even money bet with the house edge of 1.414% DON'T COME
Even money bet with the house edge of 1.402%, PASS LINE
Even money bet with the house edge of 1.414%, DON'T PASS
Even money bet with the house edge of 1.402%, PLACE BETS
The 4 and 10 pay 9-5, true odds 10-5, yielding a house edge of 6.66%. The 5 and 9 pay 7-5, true odds are 7.5-5 (house edge 4%) The 6 and 8 pay 7-6, true odds are 6-5 (house edge 1.51%. PLACE BETS
The 4 and 10 pay 9-5, true odds 10-5, yielding a house edge of 6.66%. The 5 and 9 pay 7-5, true odds are 7.5-5 (house edge 4%) The 6 and 8 pay 7-6, true odds are 6-5 (house edge 1.51%. BUY BETS
Player pays 5% "vigorish" to get true odds on all numbers. Only the 4 and 10 make buy bets worthwhile. They reduce the house edge to 4.76%. SEVEN
This one-rol l bet pays odds of 4 to 1, correct odds are 5 to 1 with the difference giving the house a 16,66% edge. ELEVEN
This is another one-roll bet. It pays 14 to 1, but the true odds are 17 to 1 with a house percentage of 16.66%..bad bet! HARD WAYS
This bet can be made on the 4, 6, 8 and 10. Payoff is 9 to 1 on the 6 or 8 and 7 to 1 on the 4 or 10. The house edge is 9.09% and 11.11%, respectively. Another bad bet. THE FIELD
A one-roll bet that pays even money or 2 to 1 on 2 or 12. House edge is 5.55%. ANY CRAPS
This is a one-roll bet. if a 2, 3 or 12 hits, you'll get 7 to 1 odds. House edge is 11.11%, which makes this a bad bet.
Only take the high risk shots as fun and not part of a system. You should also realise that Any uneven bet in craps is normally rounded down so betting the right amount for the payout is recommended

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The Martingdale is usually the first choice of a novice gambler. It sounds perfect, wait until a table result is statistically due, then launch a wagering series. If you lose, double your bet. Lose again, keep doubling. Given time, the odds will be so heavily in your favour, that you'll have to win. Hold on. Not so fast. Do you recall the table I told you about when an even money proposition didn't show up for seventeen spins? Do you know how much it would cost to finance a series of eighteen bets that double each time? Assuming that you start at the $5 level, your eighteenth bet (which would net a $5 profit would cost you $655,360. Financing those bets would cost you over a million dollars. But it's a moot point, because you would never get a waiver against the house maximum in the midst of all that. And that point would be reached about half way through the series.

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