It is surprising how simple Baccarat is to play, once you have mastered a few simple rules. Although the casinos would have you believe that Baccarat is a game only for the elite, and that only people who have been playing it their whole lives can play it in earnest.When you play you are given the choice of betting either on the dealer hand winning or on the player hand winning or a tie between the two. If the tie you bet on win, either the player or the dealer, you win even money. This means that if you bet ten dollars, you are given back your ten dollars and an additional ten dollars. If you bet on a tie between the dealer and the player, then you are paid 8 to 1, which means that you get you ten dollars back and an additional eighty dollars.Now, a winning hand is a hand that is closest to 9.Tens and face cards count as zero, with the exception of the ace, which is worth 1. Cards 2 to 9 are worth their face value. The only tricky part is that when your initial card total is a two digit number, the first one is dropped. Say you are dealt a six and a seven, and the total is 13. your tally is set to 3, as the one is dropped automatically according to the rules.If the first two cards of a hand total 8 or 9 the hand is declared a 'natural' and wins (unless there is a tie between two naturals) If either hand is a natural, both hands stand, the natural hand wins. If the total is not a natural win on either hand, another card is drawn for each hand to determine the winner. Winning baccarat banker hands are usually taxed 5% by the casinos. Remember, anybody can be the banker, not always a casino employee. This hint is enough to gain an advantage in baccarat, because you know if the casinos take a cut of just one hand, that one hand probably has a good chance of winning. Now, when you play, it is important to have fun. That is the paramount thing in any casino game. When you see that you are losing and exorbitant amount of money please, please, leave the game. You will be able to do this with respect. And it would be better to leave than lose a lot of money.

Players place an ante on the table. The ante is set by the card room, and is not applicable in games where increments are $0.50/$1.00.

3rd Street - three cards are dealt - two "hole" cards, and one visible "door card".

At this point, the Player with the lowest card must bring-in the betting.

First round of betting - options are to check, fold, bet, or raise.

4th Street - the fourth card is dealt - face-up.

Betting round - options are to check, fold, bet, or raise.

5th Street - the fifth card is dealt - face-up.

Betting round - options are to check, fold, bet, or raise.

6th Street - the sixth card is dealt - face-up.

Betting round - options are to check, fold, bet, or raise.

River Card /7th Street- the final card is dealt - facedown.

Final round of betting follows. If two or more Players are still vying for the pot when the betting concludes, the hands at the table are turned face-up

The Showdown! All remaining Players create the best possible five-card high and five-card low poker hand using: any 5 of the 7 Cards to create a high-hand or any 5 of the 7 Cards to create a low-hand

The two Players with the best high and low hands split the pot!

There is probably no other casino game so simple yet so seemingly aloof. There are two considerations for two main possibilities: where and how much? The rules are hard and fast, with the game moving at a pace that makes it easy to understand the strategies and outcomes. Compared to fast-action, multi-bet craps, baccarat moves at a snail's pace. Thought of in a different light, this is a game of heads and tails, with one other wrinkle, the Tie. There are only three choices on which to bet: Player, Banker, or Tie. The outcome of the game features no other options. Player offers odds of 1.23% and Banker odds 1.06%. There are subtle game variations, but this is how the game is played: eight decks are thoroughly shuffled by a dealer sitting in the middle of a large oval table with six to eight spots on either side. The mathematics of the dictates the Banker hand will win 44.8% of the time, the Player hand will win 44.6%, with the Ties winning 9.6%. With Ties excluded, the Bank wins 50.7% as opposed to 49.3% for the Player. This difference accounts for the 5% commission commonly charged by the casino to offset the Banker's winnings.Some casinos make the commission a bit more attractive at 4%, but that is usuallya short-term promotion. The commission can be paid at any time during the game,but if it hasn't been dealt with prior to the end of the game, after the lasthand in the shoe is dealt, the dealer will ask that each player settle up. Youmay also be asked to pay if and when you leave the table for any reason. Baccarat has rituals which are descended from the European games of "En Banque" or "Chemin de Fer." In the traditional game, there can be up to three dealers, each responsible for a different function or table area. In most casinos, eight decks are employed with the cards shuffled then dealt from a shoe, beginning with an initial "burn" sequence similar to blackjack. The object of the game is to choose the side, "Banker" or "Player" which finishes closest to a total of 9, with 8 the next best possible hand.Two cards are drawn face down for Player and two for Banker, in this order, Player,Banker, Player Banker. Player's cards are turned over or exposed first, thenBanker. Tens and face cards or royals have a value of zero. An ace counts asone. If either side has a total of 9, or 8, with the two exposed cards, it iscalled a "natural" with 9 winning automatically and 8 if there is no nine onthe other side. Failing this, one or two cards are drawn to decide each total.There are specific drawing rules for each set of circumstances with no option,the third card draw is quite specific. The side closest to 9 wins, with casino chequess paid by the dealer equal to the amount initially bet. Remember on the Banker bet, a commission of 5% is charged if that side wins. In the case of a Tie, neither side wins, but if you had placed a bet in the Tie circle, the third option next to Banker or Player, you would be paid at an 8-1 ratio. The reason for these odds is that tie occurs approximately once in every 12 hands. An entire shoe can be dealt without a tie, or it can occur several times in a row, 3 or 4 different times.When you consider the third card draw chart, it will be obvious Banker has manymore options than Player, giving this side an advantage of 1.23%. The casinoselevate this to the 5% vig or commission. Again, the commission is paid uponthe completion of each shoe, if not before. The betting ranges differ at each property, but as a general rule, full tables run $25-5000, minimum to maximum, and mini-bac tables $5-1,000. There are higher level tables available at certain properties, reserved for upper limit players who have been known to wager as much as $250,000 on the turn of a card. If you want to experience a real thrill, wander over to the high-roller pit (or area) and you will probably see more money bet on one hand than most folks make in a year.