A casino game with a rich history, baccarat has been around even longer than roulette. Baccarat originated in Italy and was subsequently offered in France around the period 1483 – 1498. Baccarat is usually played in Europe under the name punto banco. This casino game is by no means known to everyone, lovers of James Bond films have probably seen this casino game in the films Dr. No and Golden Eye. Baccarat is actually not a difficult game to learn at all. On this page we take a closer look at the rules of baccarat and punto banco. In addition, you have the option to try baccarat for free. This way you can immediately apply the rules of the game that you have learned. Baccarat or punto banco is offered at almost every online casino, you can determine the bet per game round if you choose to play for real money. A plus of this casino game is the low house edge that online casino has.
Card Values
Of course you want to know the exact value of the different cards. The values of the playing cards are different from, for example, blackjack. Below we will list the different playing cards and the value assigned to them.
- Ace 1 point
- Numbers 2 to 9, are also worth 2 to 9 points in the game
- 10, Jack, Queen and King are worth 0 points
But beware, these numbers are not always added together. The moment the total value together is greater than 9, 10 points are deducted. Until the number is between 0 and 9 again. So the last number of baccarat and punto banco is always between 0 and 9.
Specific game rules that apply to the player
During the game you have no choice to take another card or to continue. The choices are predetermined in the rules of the game and you have no influence on this, except of course where you place your bet on the table. The specific rule that applies to the casino player is as follows: If the player has a total number of points between 0 and 5, he takes a 3rd card. If the player has a total number of points between 6 and 7, he will pass.
Specific game rules that apply to the banker
The rules for the banker are slightly more extensive and have more rules and exceptions. If the player has only 2 cards, then the bank only takes his own hand and behaves according to the same pattern as the player. This means that the bank takes a 3rd card with a value between 0 and 5, and folds if the value is 6 or 7. However, when the player takes a 3rd card, the rules of the game become more extensive for the banker:
- If the player is dealt a 2 or 3, the banker takes another card with a score of 0 to 4 and passes on 5 to 7 points.
- In the event that the player gets a 4 or 5 from the dealer, the banker takes a card from 0 to 5 and stands at 6 to 7 points.
- If this is a 6 and 7 for the casino player, the banker takes a card from 0 to 6 and stands at 7 points.
- If you are dealt an 8 from the dealer, the bank takes a card from 0 to 2 and passes from 3 to 7 points.
- Finally, if the player gets an ace, face card, 10 or 9. Then the dealer takes a card from 0 to 3 and stands at 4 to 7 points.
Because these rules and exceptions in baccarat and punto banco may require some practice, it is a good idea to practice in the free game mode before playing for real money.
Game Features
In baccarat you often have the opportunity to look back at previously played hands. This is often presented as a kind of notepad in the game. On this you can see exactly what the score was of, for example, the last 20 hands played. Usually this is indicated by the first letter, B (Banker) or P (Player), this indicates who has won the previous rounds. Of course, the past says nothing about the game rounds to come, baccarat and punto banco continue to be games of chance. But there are online casino players who like to look at these results and make a prediction based on them.
The moment a new card is added, player or dealer. You can immediately see how this affects the total score of your hand. At various online casinos you have the option to choose from different variants of baccarat or punto banco. One of the differences is, for example, the betting limits, because there are also special gaming tables for the high rollers. These are casino players who like to be able to bet a lot of money per game round. Usually these limits go up to a maximum of €1,000.
With live Baccarat, these maximum bets are even higher, in a live casino you can sometimes bet up to €5,000 per game round. However, there is something for everyone, whether you play with small amounts such as €0.10 per game round or €5,000. There is a right gaming table for every casino player at the various online casinos.
Well-known baccarat and punto banco strategies
There are a number of well-known strategies in circulation for baccarat and punto banco. However, these strategies do not guarantee a profit, it remains a game of chance. Read more about this baccarat strategy.
Seeing patterns
Casino players love to discover patterns in a casino game. This strategy is therefore based on looking as far back in the game as possible, to see if patterns can be discovered. The bet is then increased when one is convinced that a certain outcome can be predicted. To be honest, we don’t really believe in this, because as stated before, a game of chance is called a game of chance for a reason. You as a player have no influence on this.
Paroli system
When betting according to the Paroli system in baccarat or punto banco, the player constantly adjusts the bet based on the game result from the past. The moment the player wins, the bet is increased the next game round. If one loses, the bet is lowered the next game round. This system seems to respond to the recognition of so-called patterns.
Double
When playing according to the doubling strategy, it is doubled every time the player loses. The player continues to repeat this until a win is made, then the bet is adjusted back to the initial bet. The doubling strategy has a lot of risk, because as a player you can never lose how many times in a row. The amounts that are bet can then add up, so we do not recommend using this strategy.
