Baccarat Table
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Baccarat - Further Info

The only complicated aspect of baccarat is known as "the third card rule." This applies only to the banker's hand. Again, the rules for the player's hand are quite simple. The player, having less than 6, takes another card. With 6 or 7, the player stands. An 8 or 9 is a natural, and the banker cannot draw. That's it.

But for the banker the following set of complicated rules apply:

•    If the banker's first two cards total 0, 1, or 2, the banker will take an additional card.
•    If the banker's first two cards total 3, the banker takes an additional card unless the player draws an 8.
•    If the banker's first two cards total 4, the banker takes an additional card unless the player's third card is an ace, 8, 9, or 10.
•    If the banker's first two cards total 5, the banker takes an additional card unless the player's third card is an ace, 2, 3, 8, 9, or 10.
•    If the banker's first two cards total 6, the banker takes an additional card unless the player's third card is an ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, or 10.
•    If the banker's first two cards total 7, the banker stands.
•    If the banker's first two cards total 8 or 9, it is a natural and the player cannot draw.
•    If the player takes no cards, the banker stands on 6.

There is an easy way to memorise the third card rule. If the banker has a total of 4, banker draws when the player's next card is 2 through 7. With a total of 5, banker draws if player's third card is 4 through 7. If banker has 6, banker draws if player's third card is 6 or 7. If you don't want to bother learning this part of the game, let the dealer worry about it. He knows what to do.

There is one proposition bet on the table where you may bet that the hand ends in a tie. If a tie occurs, you're paid 8-1. Statistically, a tie comes up in baccarat once every 10.5 hands, which means the casino has a 14.4% edge. It isn't a very popular bet.