Baccarat is a card game played with a set of 52 cards and a pair of dice. The aim is to form a hand whose point value is closest to nine. The game is played in casinos around the world and online.
The first version of Baccarat appeared in France in the early 19th Century. The earliest known description of the game was published in an album of games by Charles Van-Tenac in 1847.
In this game, the Player and Banker are dealt two cards each. They then try to form a hand with the highest possible points out of a total of nine. When they reach a score of 9 or higher, the Player wins. When they do not, the Banker wins. When the two hands are tied, the bets on each side are returned.
Some casino versions of Baccarat are called ‘Baccara a deux tableaux’ (two tables) or ‘Chemin de Fer’ (railway Baccarat). In the United States and elsewhere, it is usually just referred to as ‘Chemmy’.
The cards are dealt according to fixed rules in each hand and a third card is optionally drawn for both the Player and the Banker. When a third card is drawn, the value of the card is summed. If the value of the card exceeds 9 it is ‘picture’ or ‘ten’, if it is less than 9 it is ‘pip’.
Pip cards carry a value of 1 and pictures and tens are worth 0. The values are added up, then compared to the hand of the Banker or Player.
A third card may be drawn if the Player asks for it or if the Banker’s total is less than 5. The player must then decide whether to call ‘carte’ or ‘non’.
When the Player draws a 2 or 3 as a third card, the Banker will draw on a 0-4 score and stay on a total of 5 or 6. If the Player does not request a third card, the Banker will stay on a 0-5, if he has a 6 or 7 the Banker will stay on a 5 or 6.
Some players choose to play alone with no bets on them against the Banker. Alternatively, they can bet against all the other players. In this case, the Player should call ‘carte’ with a total of zero and ‘non’ with a score of 4.
There are also many different variations of the game. Some of them are streamlined and more complex than the original, while others are less common.
The rules of Baccarat are simple but the outcome of each hand is not predictable, which makes it a popular game among high rollers. The player must be willing to risk their money, even when the odds are low, but if they win they will receive a good payout.
Often Baccarat glasses are engraved with a pattern, either by cutting through the glass with a stone or copper grindstone or by using acid engraving. These patterns can range from floral designs to animal silhouettes, and even abstract geometric shapes such as diamonds or circles.
