What a newcomer to baccarat should know

Baccarat is a casino table game, the history of which dates back to the Italian and French gambling parlours of the 1700s. It’s a game that was historically reserved for high rollers, playing in closed back rooms inaccessible to the general public.

But thanks to James Bond movies and other cultural influences, baccarat has become one of the most popular casino games among regular players.

How popular is it? According to Forbes’ 2018 data, Macau casinos earned around €33.2 billion in 2017. Around 88% of this revenue came directly from baccarat tables. The Forbes article also states that casinos in Singapore also make most of their money from the game.

Asian players appreciate baccarat because it fits well into their culture. The rules appeal to them, especially since the outcome of the game may be predetermined by the shuffle. Asian high rollers love baccarat so much that they rarely play other games.

That being said, you might be a beginner. If so, there are a few things you should know about baccarat before you start placing any serious bets.

1. It’s easy to play. Regardless of where players come from, one of the things that baccarat fans often mention is how easy it is to play the game. It’s so easy that the average player can learn the game in less than five minutes. Unlike poker, you’re not trying to strategically build a hand. Unlike roulette, you are not dealing with dozens of different betting options. And compared to blackjack, the number of outcomes is more limited.

A typical game of baccarat at https://nolimitway.com/ uses six to eight packs of cards. Cards 2 through 9 are valued at face value. An Ace is worth 1. Cards from 10 to the King are not valued at all.

The aim of the game is to bet on which of the two hands will eventually yield a total close to nine. You can bet on the banker’s hand, the player’s hand or a draw. Most experienced players avoid a draw because the casino’s advantage in it is very large. By comparison, the casino advantage on the other two bets is quite low.

2. The next thing to realise is that you don’t have to pay to play like in poker. There is no ante to sit at the table. Anyone who wants to play can just walk up, bet on the next hand and watch it unfold.

In terms of gameplay, it doesn’t make much difference. But it is actually very important from a technical point of view. The nolimitway.com baccarat rules described refer to the two hands “player” and “banker”. But these designations are meaningless in terms of the rules. You don’t play the hand as a player. You’re just betting on the result of the hand.

Moreover, the croupier doesn’t play either. He/she simply confirms the bets and deals the cards according to a set of rules, which never change. This makes baccarat a true game of chance. There is no strategy unless you learn how to count cards. But even that strategy doesn’t work very well in baccarat because of the zero value from 10 to king.

3. Why casinos love baccarat. It’s quite simple: casinos love this game because it’s popular with players. Remember that casinos – online and otherwise – only make money when players come to play. The fact is that baccarat attracts players.

Players love the game because it is so easy to understand and play. They love it because winning doesn’t depend on them coming up with some complicated strategy or magic formula. The game depends entirely on the luck of the draw. And the results of each hand are known pretty quickly. This makes baccarat a very good game for players who appreciate instant gratification.

4. Why casinos are afraid of baccarat. Casino operators not only love baccarat, but also fear it to some extent. Why? According to NolimitWay Casino, the gambling house’s advantage in player and banker stakes is quite low. Combine the fact that experienced players tend to stay away from betting on draws, with the tendency of high rollers to bet big, and casinos can lose large sums if something goes wrong.