The game of Baccarat

Lots of people think the game of baccarat is so complicated but it's actually rather simple. Baccarat is the French spelling for the Italian word baccara, or zero, signifying the point values of face cards.  The game has been traced back to 1490, when the reign of King Charles VII.  Baccarat was first offered in Las Vegas in 1959.

Baccarat comes closer than most other casino games to offering the player an even break, with house edges of just 1.17 percent for a bet on the banker hand and 1.36 percent for a bet on the player hand.  Unlike most casino games baccarat has no strategy and requires no skills.  This game use to cater to high rollers but now any average player can sit down at a baccarat table for a minimum of $10.

At a full -scale 14 player baccarat table, one dealer (the callman) stands up.  The callman turns cards face up after they are dealt by the bettor holding the shoe.  The callman ks responsible for calling out the point totals of each hand and announcing whether either hand gets another card according to the set hit/stand rules of the game.  Two other dealers remain seated on either side of the callman.  They are responsible for paying off the winning bets and collecting losing wagers as well. 

Regardless of how many people are playing only two hands are dealt.  One is designated the banker hand, the other hand is the player hand.  Any player maybet on either hand, with the exception that the player holding the shoe in the full scale game must either bet banker or pass the shoe. 

Initially two cards are dealt for each hand.  The point totals determine whether wither hand gets a third card.  The player hand is completed first.  A total of 8 or 9 is called a "natural," and the player hand gets no more cards.  Unless the banker has a natural 9 or ties the natural 8 no further cards are drawn making the naturals automatic winners.  The player also stands on totals of 6 or 7.  On any other total, zero through five, player draws a third card unless the banker has a natural, in which case the bank hand wins witht no further draw.

Banker rules are a little more complex.  The banker also stands on 7, 8, or 9 and draws on 0, 1, or 2, but on other hands the banker's play is dependent on the value of the player's third card.  The banker hits 3 unless the player's third card is an 8; hits 4 unless the  player's third card is 1, 8, 9, or 10; hits 5 only if the player's third card is 4, 5, 6, or 7 and hits 6 only if the player's thrid card is 6 or 7.

You can also bet that both the bank hand and player hand will be a tie with an equal number of points.  It pays 8 to 1.  Although this bet is very tempting, yet I strongly encourage you not to make it.  This bet gives the house a 9.5 percent edge.

Like I said this game is rather simple just remember that all cards are equal value except face cards which are 0 and an Ace is valued at 1.  Good luck!

21 + 3 Blackjack

This is another one of my favorite table games. I actually came across this game by accident about 4
years ago. I was trying to play a traditional blackjack game but the tables were always full. This game is basically playing blackjack and three card poker at the same time. The good thing about this game is that no poker skill is required. The three card side bet pays relative to the combination of your first two cards
and the dealer's up card. You receive two cards both face up, and the dealer one face up card. If you

made a 3-card bet and these first three cards from a winning outcome, you are immediately paid according to the side bet pay table. In 21 + 3 blackjack most side bets pay 9 to 1. An example of a winning side bet would be if you had a pair of tens and the dealer's up card was a ten you would have 3 of a kind. This game is a lot of fun. Good Luck!