What is Baccarat? Origins, gameplay and appeal

Origins and global popularity

• Historical background: The game began as a card game among Italian aristocrats, then spread to France and evolved into today’s baccarat.
• Global presence:
  • Macau: 38 casinos, approximately 230 baccarat tables
  • Las Vegas: 85 tables, mostly dominated by Chinese players
• Fairness: Recognized as “one of the fairest games in the world” due to its fixed card order.

Basic rules of baccarat

Card Value and Points Calculation

• A-9 corresponds to 1-9 points; 10, J, Q, K are all 0 points.
• After adding up the number of points of two/three cards, only the “digits” are taken as the total number of points:
  • Example: 6 + 7 = 13 → 3 points; 3 + 9 + 8 = 20 → 0 points.

Rules for mulligans

• The Banker and Player each get a minimum of 2 cards and a maximum of 1 additional card.
• If either player has 8 or 9 points (“Banker or Player”), the mulligan stops.
• The rest of the mulligan rules are determined by the casino’s designated mulligan table.

Various Wagering Options and Odds

Common Wager Types

• Player: 1:1
• Banker: 0.95:1 (subject to 5% commission)
• Tie: 8:1
• Pair: 11:1

Advanced Play

• No Water/Commission: The Banker win rate is still 1:1, but if the Banker gets only 6 points, the payout is changed to 0.5:1.
• Other options such as size, single and double, dragon and treasure, etc. are set by the casino.

Road Reading Tips and Common Myths…

Board and Bead Reading

• Red (Banker), blue (Player) and green (Tie) stakes represent Banker/Leisure/Draw respectively, and are marked with dots to indicate “pair”.

Myths of Reading

• It is possible to have a straight banker or a straight draw. The reading is for reference only and does not guarantee a win.
• Shouting “Four Sides”, “No Sides”, “Bow”, etc. on the spot is a heart attack and will not change the result.

Online Baccarat Demonstration

Platform interface and betting process

• Take Yellow Medicine Entertainment as an example: After logging in, click on “Online Casino” and enter the small table screen to place your bets.
• The betting areas are Banker, Casual, Tie, and Pair, and you can place your bets by clicking on the selected amount.

Example Exercise

• “Standing card” situation: The Player or Banker has 8 or 9 points in total, and the winner will be decided immediately.
• Mulligans: If both players have lower points, follow the rules to mulligan, and then compare the final points.
• Pair pressed can get a high return of 11:1, but the hit rate is very low.

Risk warning and rational play

Gambling is a high-risk activity, and you may encounter delays in payouts and cheating by lotteries, both online and in brick-and-mortar casinos.
“Nine out of ten gamblers lose, nine out of ten cheaters” is no joke; please set an entertainment budget and use small amounts of money to relieve boredom, and do not regard baccarat as a sure-fire way to make money.