Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Baccarat - Its History And Game Rules

The French claim to have invented Baccarat as it is similar to Chemin de fer, which was imported from France to England. The Italians also claim the game as it was invented by an Italian by the name of Felix Falguierein in the middle ages and played with a deck of Tarot Cards.

A famous Vegas gambler, Tony Renzoni, brought the game to the Dunes in late 1950s and the American version was born by combining the European version with Chemin de fer. He had imported it from Cuba before the island was taken over by Castro. As with other venues where the game is played, the original baccarat was played only by gamblers with large bankrolls. This was further accented in the States with the movies of James Bond as Chemin de fer was played in the movie to suggest a game for high rollers. The basic change in the American version is the casino acts as the bank.

In the Baccarat rooms in most fancy land casinos, the game is roped off and the minimum bet can be quite high. The croupiers are elegantly dressed and the stakes are very often in the thousand of dollars per hand. Casinos have also found that the general public likes the game too, so they deal it as a table game in the main casinos. The limits are much lower, but the game is played the same except the dealer does all of the dealing. In the room, the shoe passes to each player after the current player-dealer loses the shoe because the bank lost.

The game is a simple game of two or three cards to the player hand and the dealer hand. The cards are dealt and if either hand is a natural nine or eight, the hand is over. If the hands tie, there is no losing hand by either the bank or the player. Each player at the table can bet one of three bets. The can bet the tie, the player hand or the bank hand. The tie bet pays eight to one and the other two possible bets pay even money with the winning bank hand charged a commission of five percent. The secret to winning Baccarat play is to catch a run on either side of the shoe. For this reason, most players keep track of the winning hands on a scorecard provided by the house. A run of four or five wins on one side or the other is not uncommon. Runs of over ten or twenty hands are also seen every now and again and are a shoe following betters dream come true. A better who follows the shoe is one that bets the side that last won the hand. Players who try to buck a trending shoe can lose a great deal of money very quickly by always being on the losing side of the hand. A player could also play a run of flip flopping bets if the shoe is going back and forth between the player and the bank. These are ample reasons to make a player keep accurate track of how the shoe is playing.

Tie Hands

Tie hands can present a different type of problem for the player. A shoe could have very few ties and another shoe could be exploding with tie hands. One rule to follow is to not bet a tie hand until the first tie is dealt. One scheme that has worked in the past is to count the hands from the tie and if they are multiples of three a tie bet may be warranted. A small increase in the bet can be used in this scenario. If a player captures a few tie hands during the play of the shoe, the profit from this shoe should be more than the losses. In the Baccarat room, keep note of players who seem to deal a tie when they get the shoe, it may not happen on the first deal, but if they have shown this tendency, it could well be worth a small increasing bet. This author did that one night and was rewarded consistently by one player-dealer.

Do not be afraid to play in the room if the stakes are within your betting budget. Baccarat players are well taken care of when playing in the room. The play is more fun and you can play off other players luck when they deal from the shoe.

Some players are good for several bank wins in a row while others cannot seem to get past the first or second hand. Watch how the cards are working when each player is given their turn at dealing the shoe. Gambling is nothing but a series of trends that ebb and flow. Like life, some times things go well and some times they do not. Baccarat is a very trending game and a player can take advantage of the shoe tendencies.

Conclusion

Baccarat has a very low house edge and is very easy to play as the only thought process is to decide where to place your bet. By being aware of the flow of the shoe, small betting trends can be played and little parlays can be won. Tie hands can be captured after the first one shows. Do not fight a trending shoe, as it will cost a great deal of money before you are right. This is one game that the house is truly a little frightened by as they cannot change a losing shoe and start over until the shoe is completed. Some of the biggest losses casinos have are at this game. A fearless better can take a small amount of money and grow it to a sizable amount in just a few shoes. Tie hands can be devastating to the house since the tie pays eight to one. Find a tie play plan that works for you and stick with it for the playing session.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

About My Lucky Run At Baccarat

I call this story my "lucky baccarat morning" but morning is pushing it a bit. It was more like my lucky baccarat half an hour. It was a morning which made me a believer in people who know that fate or luck or whatever is on their side and they immediately act upon it. I was glad I found the right person at the right time so I could act too.

I'm a very optimistic person by nature and I would love to say it was a "typical" morning at the baccarat table, but it wasn't. However, this particular morning, the hands were not slow and the table was favourable for the players.

There is nothing like hitting a great run at the baccarat table. I woke up at 8am sharp and headed down to get my usual cup of strong tea with no intentions of playing anything before I'd had at least two cups and a bacon sandwich with extra ketchup. I bumped into a friend of mine who regularly plays baccarat and immediately changed my mind.

The man in question can be very good at the game and also terrible at the game. If he is on he can't lose and you should follow him to a healthy profit. But if he's off, you can certainly win if you go against him or kiss goodbye to your betting bank if you choose to follow him. I make money with him because I follow whatever his "play" provides.

Realising I had left my room with nothing but thirty dollars in my pocket because I only planned to get some breakfast, I stuck it in the money area. The dealer announced "money plays".

I could tell my friend was "right on" as soon as he sat down. I took the entire $30 and pressed it up to $960. I took the $900 profit and started over with $60 and pressed it up to $1920 and was ready to start over with $100 when he said: "that's it and it's gone". As I had played with him before on several occasions, I knew he was probably right. Everyone calls him the "hit and run kid" so I did not encourage him to stay.

He had made a profit of over $5000 and decided it was time for some breakfast. After tips and a few other expenses, I walked away from the table with over $2800.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

The History of Baccarat

Baccarat is the most sophisticated and upscale game at the casinos. Remember James Bond with the two beautiful girls hanging over the table while he rakes in a pile of chips of 10,000 or more. This is baccarat, simple to master, fun and easy to play.

To keep baccarat the game of high rollers, the casino generally puts the baccarat tables in their own room or behind velvet ropes. The dealers are dressed in tuxedos with a couple of girls dressed in evening gowns with low cut necklines.

What makes this simple game so appealing? That's a question only the player can answer. Some say they love the simplicity of the game, others play because of the really low house edge and still others enjoy the James Bond affect with its sense of elegance and high stakes. One thing you will always hear is baccarat is a highly profitable game for the casino.

It is commonly accepted that the Italians invented baccarat and it was introduced in France during the reign of Charles VIII, who ruled from 1483 to 1498. The term baccarat in both Italian and French means "Zero" and was originally played with a Tarot deck. In medieval France, the game was popular with the French nobility, and it eventually evolved into "Chemin de Fer", a variation that is stil played today. The game then migrated to England, where it underwent further development, and "European baccarat" emerged.

Baccarat first spread to South America from England and eventually up to Cuba. Baccarat came to America through the casinos of Havana and was introduced in Vegas in the 1950's. The game became more popular in Las Vegas largely through the efforts of Frank Sinatra who was co-owner of the Sands at the time. The game at that time was exclusively targeted to high rollers. In more recent years many US casinos are offering mini baccarat with lower steaks and played on a standard blackjack shaped table.

The baccarat table has three positions that you can place your bets on, player, banker and tie. The term player does not refer to you the gambling customer and banker does not refer to the house, they are simply an option on which gamblers can place their bets.

It is an unusual game in that any score of ten is worth zero or baccarat. Nine is the highest score that you can achieve. Two face cards would have a score of zero and a nine and six would not equal 15, but 5, you drop the leading digit. A nine and ace equal zero, with the ace counting as one. Only two cards are dealt to the player (gambler), on some occasions three cards, the hand with the highest count closer to 9 or 9 wins the bet. The tie bet is won when both hands are equal. This tie bet usually pays a multiple of the bet.

There are 3 accepted variations of baccarat: BaccaratChemin de Fer (railway), Baccarat Banque (or a deux tableau) and Punto Banco (North American baccarat). Punto Banco is played in the United States, Canada and Australia.

Mini baccarat is becoming very popular because of the lower stakes. It is essentially the same game as Punto Banco, but played on a table similar to a blackjack table. Baccarat and mini baccarat can be found at most casinos across the United States and Canada. Most online casinos have baccarat and it is very popular with because of the fast pace and the chance to win big bucks.

Why You Should Never Play Baccarat Alone

Baccarat is a fun, social game and one which is easy to play and understand. The game holds some of the best odds in the casino for a player so make sure you know how to take advantage of those odds.

You can bet Banker, Player, or Tie. You also have the option of betting a tie bet with the Banker or Player bets. That’s the only decision you make until the hand is dealt. Chips are then won or lost and you then bet again.

The game of baccarat can be played with a table full of players or by yourself. The nice thing about baccarat is with so many players strategically playing their hands, you have the opportunity to sit out and think about your next move or jump in and play every hand.

When playing alone, some casinos allow you to play both sides of the table if you are trying to watch for runs and are using charts to find patterns. If a casino refuses to let you play both sides of the table, then don’t play alone until another player joins the game.

Secondly, baccarat is a game where there are significant runs, for example the banker runs with eight banker winning hands and then the player side runs with eight player winning hands or something that can be easily seen when you are charting the plays accurately on your Baccarat Card.

The other side of a “run” is a little thing known as the “chop” and when the cards are choppy, it is safe to assume you do not want to be playing the game by yourself.

When a chop appears, it is very hard to determine what card is supposed to fall where when you look at your card or chart. When it occurs, you may have a series of banker and player wins scattered and in no particular pattern.

If you are playing a chop, you can lose a lot of money fast. If you are playing by yourself, without the luxury of sitting out a few hands at your leisure, this game can eat up even the heftiest of bankrolls.

The best rule of thumb is to never play by yourself at all unless the casino will allow you to play both sides of the table until you have someone else join the table.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Baccarat - A Game of Skill or Chance

Believe it or not, Baccarat can be played as a game of skill or as a game of chance. The game offers players more than just one viable option for success when playing the game yet the most likely way you will win at this very easy game is to keep a chart and chart the patterns and jump on the runs that appear throughout the game.

Baccarat is played with much skill by people who have been studying the game for a great number of years. A lot of the players who take the game a little more seriously than others will play huge amounts on one deal. The game is very simply. You choose to bet on the player's cards or the banker's cards. You bet with the banker or the player and you have the option of betting a tie hand. The winner's total are calculated as follows: The deal consists of the initial two cards for each side (the banker and the player) and the cards are added up.

Tens and face cards are 10 points and aces are counted as one point. The points are added up and the place value for the ten is dropped and the final score is the outcome which also determines if another card will be drawn. The closest to nine wins. A natural win occurs when either side has an eight or a nine with the nine winning over the eight.

Baccarat is played as a game of chance when the player just sits down at the baccarat table and doesn't keep a card or tally of how many banker or player hands have been winning hands. The player is basically "flying blind" and just going with what the whole table does or just going on their gut-instincts and basically guessing at whether the next deal will be a banker or a player. If the player chooses to play baccarat like this then they are going to experience a volatile game in most situations because there really is some reasoning to keeping score in baccarat.

Players who keep a score card in baccarat are watching for runs. These runs often occur when you least expect them, naturally and they can be very profitable if you know when to jump on them and know how to play the runs for the most profitability to you as the player watching for these runs.

Patterns will develop in the game of baccarat. There are many different ways to keep a score card and you will likely note that there are different ways to follow patterns within a score card. The way you keep the card is by using X for player or banker and O for the other side of the game. Most people in the South will use the O for player and the X for banker when tracking the shoe on a score card. Once you start watching for runs on the shoe, then you will see how quickly patterns will develop. You will notice when there have been three players and then three bankers with the start of three more players, or at least that would be your expectation and then you would likely bet that way until the pattern was broken.

There are all kinds of little tricks to catching runs early and watching for significant patterns. If you want to have the significant advantage as a player in baccarat, then you should buy a book and learn all that you can on the game of baccarat.

Remember, if you are keeping score and watching for patterns, the game of baccarat is a highly skilled game and if you aren't then you are playing in a game of chance. If you aren't keeping a score card, then you are relying on luck and you will need a lot of it!

Net and Online Casinos

Internet has brought about a sea change in how gaming is now a days. The root of all Internet casino games online is the offline or land based casinos. Unlike the offline casinos, the casinos online have remarkable flexibility and are in a constant phase of development. The gaming software both online and downloadable will go a sea change in time to come as programmers work their minds and come up with greater variation and combination to make gambling more alluring and exciting. The Internet has become the most popular means for people to play bingo game and online casino game on the net. The game played in an online gaming or gambling sites (as it is also known) country wise is named as US Slot in USA online or French Roulette in France and in United Kingdom is known as UK bingo or UK casino online.

Online Games

Not only does the Internet enable you to play various exciting Internet versions of online bingo, roulette, slot, and crap but also help make interaction across the Net world possible with online chat among experienced and newbie. The chatrooms offer great place to share information and enhance the expertise of the players. Internet casino sites allow you to play casino games or gambling on the web.

New Technology

The new technology has brought in downloadable software (from site) to play games or you can play games online from the software that is installed there on the site itself. The online casino sites offer various Internet gambling games like online bingo, keno, craps, blackjack, roulette, poker, and online slot. These are very popular games on the Internet and are played for jackpot, bonus, and cash rewards. You can win big cash money from deposits at some online bingo portals on Net.

Gaming Resources

Take assistance of gambling aid like article on strategies, tip, advice, rules, news reviews. Keep tab on offers for information on latest updates and promotions in casino gambling in UK and worldwide. There are various types of portals on Net to play casino online that offer free gaming or gambling, free game, cash bonus, rewards, jackpot, fortune and no deposit gaming. Many portals on gambling online offer directories of online casino sites and online casino halls offering online roulette, online bingo, craps online, online blackjack game, online slot, and video slot.

Fun Gambling on Internet

Free gaming site is the best for betting on Internet. Free gamble on Net is thrilling to play, and you can win fortune get cash rewards, bonus, and a big jackpot. Learn about gambling strategy, rules from experts and old hands.

Cyber Chatting

The chat rooms allow online chat for gamblers on Internet. Cyber chatting is an added attraction for online bingo players as it helps them develop new relationships. It again helps you by providing an interaction with a gaming expert. It is truly an exhilarating feeling to hit the jackpot in an online bingo game and have someone interesting from the chat room congratulate you on a great gaming fortune.

Powerful Baccarat Betting Strategies

In previous posts and articles, I explained in detail how the game of Baccarat is played.

If you want to get the basics, read my article:

“Baccarat Made Easy”

If you want to get the details beyond that, read my article:

“Baccarat – Basics and Beyond”

If you have the knowledge already, then read on…

• How do you bet?
• When do you bet?
• Which do you bet?
• And
• How much do you bet?

The first question: “How do you bet?” is the easiest to answer, so let’s get that out of the way right now. You simply place your bet in the area marked “Banker” or in the area marked “Player”. As you remember, you are NEVER to bet the “tie”.

The next question: “When do you bet?” is a bit harder to answer. I consider a gambling session to include every betting opportunity within that session, bet it a certain time limit, or a bankroll limit, or a profit goal.

That means I decide before the session: either how long I will play regardless of the outcome, OR, how much of my bankroll I’ll put into play, OR, what profit goal signals the end of the session.

Regardless of the session criteria, I see no reason to skip betting opportunities while the session is alive.

The third question: “Which do you bet?” is where the fun kicks in. I use and highly recommend the “Outcome Before the Last” betting strategy when playing Baccarat.

That means you bet on the repeating of the outcome of the hand BEFORE THE MOST RECENT HAND. This is why it is imperative that you keep accurate records of the outcome of each and every hand as you play.

Example:

Here is a possible record of a few hands of play. I will list the winner of the hand.

1. Banker
2. Player
3. Player
4. Player
5. Player
6. Banker
7. Player
8. Banker
9. Banker
10. Banker
11. Banker
12. Player

OK, let’s look at how we would have played that sequence.

Our first two bets were only guesses… and were insignificant – win or lose! BUT our third bet begins the strategy…

Our third bet would have been on the “Banker” because that was the winning outcome of the first bet we recorded. Note that it skipped the preceding hand (And, we lose this bet).

Our fourth bet would have been on the “Player” because that was the winning outcome of the second bet we recorded. (Won)

Our fifth bet would have been on the “Player” because that was the winning outcome of the third bet. (Won)

Our sixth bet would have been on the “Player” (Lost)

Seventh bet “Player”. (Won)

Eighth bet “Banker” (Won)

Ninth bet “Banker” (Lost)

Tenth bet “Banker” (Won)

Eleventh bet “Banker” (Won)

Twelfth bet “Banker” (Lost)

And so forth….

This strategy will keep you ahead (assuming all bets are of equal value) throughout the session because it capitalizes on every type of run except one.

For example: B=Banker, P=Player

A run of B, B, B, B, B would of course make you a winner.

But so will a run of P, P, P, P,

And… B, P, B, P, B, P

Any type of run at all makes you a winner… EXCEPT:

A run of “twosomes”… B, B, P, P, B, B, P, P, That’s the thing that will put you under! But that’s the only thing, and it cannot happen very often… agreed?

The last question: “How Much do you Bet” is impossible to answer. It depends upon so many variables. Look for my upcoming article on “Money Management”.

Official Rules of Baccarat Games

Baccarat is one of the most popular casino games that you will find in the UK casinos Baccarat is offered William Hill casino, Ladbrokes casino and Littlewoods casino and it is very simple to play. Here are the official rules.

A game of baccarat must have at least one player that can play against the Banco (which is also the online casino dealer. The object of the game is to reach a point total as close to 9 by putting a hand with two to three cards in play. Both the player and the banker are dealt two cards initially, beginning with the player. The hand that obtains the point total closest to 9 without going higher than 9, wins.

The point values of cards the cards in a Baccarat game are very simple All 10’s and face cards have a value of zero, and while all other cards (Ace through 9) are worth their face value. An Ace is always worth 1.

If you find yourself holding two or more cards is greater than 10, the point total is reduced by 10. For instance if you are dealt a 9 and a 8, resulting in a total of 15, 10 is subtracted, leaving a point total of 5 for that hand.

There are only 3 betting options in this particular online casino game. Each player at the table may bet that the current player’s hand will win, that the banker’s hand will win, or that there will be a tie. Placing a wager on the player’s hand or the banker’s hand will pay the winner at 2 for 1, minus a 5% commission from the UK casino on a winning banker’s hand. If you bet that the hands will tie your wager is paid back at 9 for 1.

The rules that dictate the dealing of a third card in this simple online casino game are as follows:

1. If either the player or the banker has a point total of 8 or 9 after the first two cards dealt, the winner is the one with the higher total.
2. The player will be dealt another card if they have a point total of 5 or less
3. The banker will draw another card if the point total of their hand is 2 or less and will stand at 7.
4. The banker will also draw another card if their initial 2-card total is:
- 3, and the player's third card are an 8.
- 4, and the player's third card are a 0, 1, 8 or 9.
- 5, and the player's third card are a 0, 1, 2, 3, 8 or 9.
- 6, and the player's third card are a 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 or 9.

As you can see this online casino game is very easy to play and in some ways has some similarities to Baccarat. On the list of online casinos uk that offer Baccarat online are the William hill internet casino, the Ladbrokes casino and the William hill casino online.

Now you can see just how simple baccarat rules are to learn. With only three betting options, and two hands to keep track of, you can be playing like a pro in no time at all, especially with the baccarat game included in our software suite. So take the opportunity to get some free practice, right in your own home. Once you feel like you’ve mastered the game, you can switch to real money mode, and put your newfound experience to the test.

Baccarat Strategies

Baccarat is one of the most exciting online casino games simply because the odds are stacked a little less against you, but when you win, you usually also win big. This is why almost every online casino UK has a baccarat table. They make a lot of money as the house has an edge in two out of three possible bets. This house edge is not just particular to uk gambling online. It is also common on American sites.

When you are playing baccarat in an Online casino your best bet is the safest bet is the one that you place on the Banker. This is because the house in an UK online casino has a bit of an edge over any the players (a 1 % edge to exact!) When you bet casino online possibly the only game that has a similar house advantage is craps. To top it off online casinos such as the William hill internet casino, the ladbrokes free casino also charge a fee called a vigorish. This is the 5% that the house of both online and offline casinos takes if you win. Obviously you will make the most money if you bet on the house (The Bank.) as the UK online casino has the odds in its favor and not yours!

The Player bet also has a higher house edge, about 1.25% and you make more money simply because if you win you are not charged the 5% online casino charge by the house. As there is no house percentage, your winnings are yours to keep. One strategic mistake that most beginning players make is to always bet on the player. This is a bad habit that just seems to be a bad habit with players who lose a lot. This is because they are conditioned to bet on the player when they play blackjack in an online casino.

The bet casino online UK such as the William Hill casino, Ladbrokes casino and the Littlewoods casino offer you the option to play either as a single player or as a multiplayer. If you are just learning these online casinos also offer practice rooms where you play with fake tokens or coins so that you don’t lose money.

You may, while surfing the internet for tips about playing baccarat in an online casino find all kinds of software and products for sale that use card counting as a strategy. However this is not a good strategy as the best casinos online UK usually shuffles six decks of cards when they deal. This makes it practically impossible to finding a pattern or a system that will turn up winning cards. There is a lot of debate among UK online casino customers about whether trying to card count during a game of baccarat is cheating or not!