Online Baccarat | How to play | Baccarat news | Baccarat glossary | Baccarat variants | Baccarat strategy | Baccarat history | Baccarat anecdote

Baccarat variants

A constant among the Baccarat variants is that the object of the game is to get the highest possible hand up to 9. For all of these games, suit is irrelevant, Aces count as 1 point, 10's and face cards as zero. When the point total of a hand goes above 9, the left digit is eliminated, i.e. if the point total is 16, the hand is considered a 6.

European Bacarrat
There are two main differences which distinguish European from American Baccarat.

1. The Player hand has an option of standing or drawing when its point total from the initial deal is 5.
2. Although the Banker hand generally adheres to the rules of American Baccarat, it does have the option to draw a third card or not.

Furthermore, the casino fronts the money for the Banker's hand. If the Banker fronts $10,000 and two players wager $5,000 each, additional players are not allowed to bet on the hand. If a player wants to match the Banker's bet, he says "Banco" and then for the rest of that round other players may not bet.

Baccarat en Banque
Baccarat en Banque differs from other versions of Baccarat in that one Banker's hand and two Player's hands are dealt. Casinos which offer Baccarat en Banque often lease the Bank to a syndicate which receives 50% of monthly winnings with the casino but absorbs all eventual losses. The Banker, employed by the casino, may stand or draw as he sees fit. A player may bet on either of the Player hands but not on the Banker hand.

Chemin de Fer
The principal difference between Chemin de Fer and American Baccarat is that the players bet against each other and the house collects a fee from each player's winnings, thus risking nothing. The hands are dealt two at a time, first to the Player and then to the Banker. One Player must be the Banker; Players may take turns being the Banker; both the players and the Banker may draw a third card regardless of the point total of their initial hand.

Mini Baccarat
Mini Baccarat is ideal for people who like the idea of Baccarat but don't want to dress to the nines (pun intended) for or brave the high minimums of the standard game. It is played on a blackjack sized felt with room for up to seven players and is administered by only one dealer. In most other respects in most casinos, the rules of play are identical to those for American Baccarat.