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How to play baccarat
Once considered the game of noblemen and aristocrats, baccarat has a mysterious history and comes from origins that are still unknown today. It is known that baccarat today is played as it was centuries ago. Baccarat is a game of prediction between two hands; the banker hand and the player hand. Bettors have the option of wagering on either the player or banker hand (the winner being the hand that ends with the higher total) or if both hands will be equal resulting in a tie. Baccarat plays with a fixed set of rules regarding the drawing of additional cards, so unlike blackjack there is no possibility of drawing a card incorrectly or taking someone else’s card.
The simple breakdown of how to play baccarat is as follows:
• At the start of the hand, both the player and the banker will receive two cards each (first and third card will make the player’s hand, the second and forth card will make the banker’s hand).
• If either side is dealt an initial total of 8 or 9 (a “natural”), the hand ends and the side with the highest total will be declared the winner.
• If neither side was dealt a natural on the initial deal, the hand of the player will be evaluated first. If the player’s hand total is 0-5 the player hand will always draw a single additional card.
• Next the banker hand will be evaluated. The banker hand will always draw to a total of 0-2 and stand on all totals 7+. For totals between 3 and 6, the banker will draw an additional card based on the value of the card drawn by player. When totaling cards any hand with a two-digit total has the first digit dropped (27 = 27 = 7).
Third Card Hitting Rules for Baccarat
The hitting rules for baccarat may seem quite complex at first glance; the good is that cards are drawn automatically according to an established set of rules. The player doesn’t need to know the hitting rules in order to play baccarat. The rules work as follows:
Naturals:
If either the player or the banker is dealt an initial
total of 8 or 9 (a natural), both hands will stand, and
the highest hand will win.
Player Hand:
• If the player is dealt a 6 or 7, they will stand.
• If the player is dealt a 0 to 5, they will
automatically draw one additional card.
Banker Hand:
• If the banker is dealt an initial two card total of 7,
they will stand.
• If the banker is dealt an initial two card total of 6
and the player doesn’t draw a third card, the banker
will stand.
• If the banker is dealt an initial two card total of 6
and the player draws, the banker will draw a third card
if the player’s third card was a 6 or 7.
• If the banker is dealt an initial two card hand of 5
or less and the player stands, the banker hand will draw
a third card.
• If the banker’s initial two card total is a 5 and the
player draws a card, the banker will draw a third card
when the player’s third card was a 4-7.
• If the banker’s initial two card total is a 4 and the
player draws a card, the banker will draw a third card
when the player’s third card was a 2-7.
• If the banker’s initial two card total is a 3 and the
player draws a card, the banker will draw only when the
player hand’s third card was an 8.
• The banker will always draw a third card on initial
totals of 0, 1 and 2.
Other Baccarat Wagers
In addition to the base game of baccarat there are
several other wagering options available. Bettors have
the option to wager on a tie between the player and
banker hands which will pay 8:1. Bettors also have the
option to bet on the player or banker hands winning with
three cards, either side getting dealt a pair or perfect
(suited) pair which can pay up to 200 to 1.
Tracking Trends
Baccarat is all about predicting the outcome of the
future hand and betting accordingly. Most baccarat
bettors like to examine the results of past hands and
use that information to predict future results. Runs of
banker or player give bettors the opportunity to cash in
on the trend. Whether you are waiting for a run of one
side or can predict the end of streak based on the
trends of previous hands, we’ve got the result tracking
tools that will make following the game trends a breeze.
Bettors have the option of seeing the results for the
last 10 hands, viewing the bead plate which shows more
than the last 100 hands or tracking trends using the big
road, the big eye road, the small road and the cockroach
road.
Baccarat Variations
One of the most exciting moments in baccarat is centered
around the dealing and revealing of the cards. With
DraftKings Squeeze Baccarat, we give the bettor the
power to reveal their cards at their own pace. Bettors
can choose to reveal their cards one at a time by
peeling their cards as they would in a high limit
baccarat game in a casino, or they can choose to reveal
their cards by scratching as they would a lottery
scratcher ticket. Bettors also have the option of
revealing none, one or both of the card in the opposing
hand at any time.
Baccarat Tips and Hints
• Not sure what to bet? Take it to the bank. Not only is
the banker hand in baccarat one of the best bets in the
casino with an extremely low house edge, it also wins
more often than the player hand.
• Look for trends and patterns as you play. If the
player or banker is streaking, following the flow of the
cards can be profitable. While no outcoming is
guaranteed, tracking patterns and predicting future
trends is a fun and interesting way to play.
• Never bet the player and the banker at the same time.
Only one side can win at a time.
• Try baccarat variants as a way to mix things up.
DraftKings offers specialty baccarat variations like
Lunar New Year Baccarat that change the feel of the game
based on the lunar calendar.
