Baccarat

Possibly the oldest of any casino card game played in the world today, baccarat's popularity has spread due to its innate simplicity. Originating in Renaissance Italy, the game spread through Europe, finally reaching the shores of North America, where it is more commonly known as punto banco.

The derivation of the word "baccarat" comes from the Italian and French word for zero. This refers to the fact that face cards and 10-point cards count as zero in the point count. Game play involves player and dealer receiving two cards each, both face down. The player then decides on his bet amount and wagers whether the player (punto) or house (banco) holds the highest card point count when the cards are flipped. Players can also bet on a tie, where player and dealer hold identical point counts.

The winning point target in baccarat is nine, with eight being the next target, then seven, and so on. After bets are placed, the player can draw further cards dependent on their point count using drawing schedules defined in a baccarat draw table. A player wins if his selection of player, house, or tie has the highest card point count.

Game play summary: 

• Player and dealer receive two initial cards, face down
• Bets are placed on player, house, or tie, and cards turned over
• Player and dealer use draw table to determine further draws
• Player wins if he has bet on player, house, or tie and those bets win the round
• 10-spot cards and all face cards count as zero points
• If house receives eight or nine points on initial deal, no further cards are drawn
• Best odds are on house winning, next best on player, and lowest odds on a tie