Baccarat can seem like a complicated, mysterious game to plenty of gamblers, which is rather odd, since it has now be a staple at most American casinos, whether online or land-based. It's really a reasonably basic card game - originating from the European game of 'chemin de fer' - which is determined by strict rules of play for both the dealer (also known as banker) and the player. What makes this game simple is that the players don't really have to master the guidelines to be able to play and enjoy baccarat. The truth is, the only decision the player ever must make is who to bet for and just how much.

The game is extremely dissimilar from Blackjack in that players make decisions on their own play even ahead of the cards are dealt. The gambler must choose whether to bet on the banker, on his own hand, or fantastic gambling (continue reading this..) on a tie. There after, they just have to sit-back and allow the action unfold before their eyes.

Baccarat is played with one objective: for the player to hold 2 or 3 cards which should count to 9 or as close to 9 as it can be. In the event the player is dealt 2 cards and it totals to 9, the hand is called a "natural" and will be considered unbeatable, even if the banker gets another 9. The next highest hand in baccarat is a 2-card hand totaling to eight, which can also be called a "natural". Neither the player or banker wins if a tie occurs.

All face cards have a value of zero in baccarat, and also tens. Aces are valued as 1, and all the cards are worth their face value. If your hand totals a number over 10, the 10 is disregarded. As an example, should you have a hand of a 5 and a 9 (totaling 14), the value of your hand will be counted as 4, not 14. So all hands are scored from 0 to 9, with virtually no busts.

Six or eight decks of cards are used in a casino baccarat game. The cards are all shuffled and after that placed in a covered box, described as a "shoe". Among the formalities of baccarat includes giving each of the players the possibility to deal with the shoe. But don't worry; for anybody who is new at the game and unsure what direction to go exactly, the banker is always there to guide you. A player handling the shoe at that moment is expected to bet with the bank, not against it. If a player wishes to decline handling the shoe, they're free to do therefore, of course.

A game of baccarat begins with 2 cards being dealt to the player, and 2 more cards to the banker. Depending on the initial value of the hand, the player and banker may want to be dealt one more card to enhance the value of their hands. Just one additional card might be dealt, unlike Blackjack that permits the player to hit as many cards as he wants before he desires to stand or busts. The winning hand in baccarat is the one whose count is 9 or as close to 9 as is possible.

If either the player or banker gets an initial count of 8 or 9 on his two initial cards, these are called naturals as well as the hand must stand. If neither the player or banker gets a natural, the player's hand will be the first one played. Another card is drawn in the event the cards total 5 or less. The hand must stand in the event the first two cards total 6 or even more. The banker, in contrast, follows slightly different rules of play. In the event the banker gets an initial hand of 0, 1, or 2, another card must be drawn. If his initial hand totals 3 up to 6, the banker's play then depends upon whether or not the player drew another card, and if consequently, just what the value of the drawn card is.