Variations of Baccarat
Spice up your sessions with variations of baccarat: games on the program
The game baccarat is said to be a distant cousin of blackjack. Connoisseurs will know that this is not the case, the two games are opposed on many points.
On the other hand, there are many true brothers of baccarat … Each has its advantages and disadvantages, the whole being to find its way. We present the most common variations of baccarat to you in this article: which one will have your favors?
Chemin de Fer variation of baccarat: become a croupier instead of the dealer and spice up your sessions
Chemin de fer is one of the variations of baccarat. The main difference is some decision making on the part of the participants. The naming of the cards is the same as for classic baccarat, but the table which governs the game is different in that there are three situations when the option to “stop” or “draw a card” exists.
The Chemin de Fer was born in France, and this variation of baccarat would even be the ancestor of the baccarat game we know today. The course of the game is basically the same, except the role of the croupier is taken by one of the players, the casino staff therefore only intervene to distribute the cards and the winnings.
The great advantage of Chemin de Fer is that the player is more free in his decisions regarding his hands and actions during play of this variation of baccarat. Note first that he can refuse his role as the dealer and thus retain his betting freedom. Another major difference: when the player scores 5 points, he is not obliged to draw a 3rd card.
The Chemin de Fer is played from two to eight people. Eight standard full decks of 52 cards are shuffled together and placed in a box called a “Shoe,” which releases one card at a time, face down.
One of the distinguishing features of Chemin de Fer is that players bet against each other, as opposed to American Baccarat or European Baccarat for example, where it does not matter whether player bets on the Player’s hand or on the hand of the bank.
Thus, at Chemin de Fer, the player acting as a ” Banker of opportunity ” by dealing the cards of the Shoe, is, in fact, the Banker, as long as the latter wins (when he loses, he passes the Shoe to the next player, who becomes ” Second-hand banker”) – the amount he wagers governs the number of stakes that other players can bet against him. If one or more players bets an amount corresponding to this amount, the remaining players can no longer bet for this round.
As in classic baccarat, the casino makes its profit by taking 5% of all winning hands in the bank. This House Cup is taken immediately after wagers are placed on the baccarat table.
The objective of Chemin de Fer baccarat is to form, in two or three cards, a combination that comes as close as possible to 9. Kings, Jacks, Queens and 10’s count as a draw, Aces have a value of 1, the other cards have their face value (ex: a 2 is worth 2 points, a 3, three points, etc …). The tens are ignored in the total count, so a 5 and a 6, for a total of 11, is equal to 1.
If a player totals 8 or 9 with his first two cards, he has rolled what is called a “Natural” and shows his hand immediately. If only the dealer has a Natural, he wins all bets. If a player only has a Natural, the croupier pays all bets to him.
A Natural 9 beats a Natural 8. Two Naturals of the same number produce a draw. When this happens, the cards are discarded, all bets are removed, and the players place their bets for the next “Hit”.
If neither the dealer nor any player rolls a natural, a third card is dealt face up. The dealer can also draw a third card face up. (Variation: in some games, the dealer and the players are allowed to use their own judgment as to whether or not to draw a third card).
When both players are served, all cards are turned over. If the dealer is closer to 9 than the player (s), he wins all bets. Otherwise, the player closest to 9 receives all the bets, which are paid to him by the Banker. If the Banker and the player have the same total, all bets are void and removed.
Variations of baccarat: Punto Banco - the standard version you already know
As its name suggests, Punto Banco comes from South America. The great peculiarity of this variation of baccarat compared to the Chemin de Fer is that each laying is opposed to the bank. What appeals to players about this variation of baccarat? Its dynamic tempo makes parts lively, more lively, and also faster than other games.
As is the Punto Banco rule, when you play, you can bet on the spawn, or on the bank or on the tie. All you have to do as a player is to bet, the rest, namely the management of the spawning and the bank, it is the croupier who takes care of it!
Variations of Baccarat in the bank: when the rules of the game get a little tough
A bit like Chemin de Fer variation of baccarat, the rules applied to bank baccarat are simple. Unlike Punto Banco baccarat, the challenges are numerous and rather aggressive!
Here, the role of the bank is also assigned before the game. The dealer then deals one hand to the bank, one to the player on the left side of the table and a second to the player on the right side. Participants then decide which of the player’s hands they want to bet on, but can also bet on both. Finally, it will be possible for them to confront the bank directly. After three successive failures, however, this option is no longer available …
You can see it now, it is not the easiest of the variations of baccarat, but this somewhat tough game will spice up your sessions.
Baccarat in banking is the most combative form of baccarat. You can call “Banco” as for Chemin de Fer to boost the Banker if you wish. If you are successful, the “Hoof” moves to the next player, who in turn becomes the Banker. Everyone gets the chance to be the Banker during a game.
To become the Banker in Baccarat en Banque, you have to take the position of the current Banker. To do this, you have to call “Banco” and cover the stakes/bets of the Bank. If you win, you win the stakes, and the right to be the Banker, until it is picked up by another player in the same way.
The odds in Baccarat in Banking are also lower than in other forms of baccarat. This is due to the fact that Baccarat en Banque is played with only three full decks of cards in the Shoe. The fewer decks of cards in the Shoe (for example, 6 to 8 for American Baccarat), the greater the advantage of the Bank.
Here is how Baccarat en Banque is played:
1. The dealer deals the hands of the players on either side of the table and the Banker’s hand in front of the bank.
A. Only the Banker can bet on the Banker’s hand. The other players must bet on the Player’s hand on their side of the table or on two hands at the same time.
B. Players can bet up to the limit of the bank amount. Once this amount is reached, no other player can bet.
C. A player can “boost” the Bank by calling “Banco” and betting the amount equal to the Bank’s stake. If the player wins, he becomes the Bank in turn.
D. If a player fails to outsmart the banker after calling “Banco” three times during a game, he can no longer call “Banco”.
2. The rules can be determined by the Table, but generally follow those of Chemin De Fer baccarat.
A. If the player receives an 8 or 9, the game ends.
B. If the player’s hand is 4 or less, the player must draw a card.
C. If the player’s hand is 6 or 7, the player cannot draw any more cards.
D. If the player’s hand is a 5, he has the option of drawing a card or stopping.
E. The banker can draw a card or stop as he wishes.
Baccarat en Banque is a mixture of several variations of baccarat. For some variations of baccarat, the casino still plays the role of the Banker, and players are only allowed to bet on one or two hands. When you sit down around a baccarat table, make sure you know what the House rules are, as the rules can vary widely from casino to casino.
Mini baccarat: a simplified variation of baccarat that seduces by the speed of its games
We agree the Punto Banco is certainly one of the simpler and more fun of the variations of baccarat. What about mini baccarat? And especially how to play mini baccarat? This is the other most enjoyable of the variations of baccarat to have fun on!
Relaxation and low stakes, the mini-baccarat rules of the game offer the perfect combo for beginners or players who want to have fun without too many complications. The mini-baccarat strategy, the rules of the game, and the mini-baccarat odds are the same as in classic baccarat, but the stakes are simply lower. Heaven, right?
The Mini Baccarat table is smaller than that used in classic baccarat. It is the size of a blackjack table, with seven seats for players.
The zones of a Mini Baccarat table:
- Stacks of chips
- Box for casino commissions
- Tie betting area
- Bank betting area
- Player betting area
- The shoe
Each player has three betting areas in front of him, corresponding to his seat.
* Red circle: bet on the Player
* Yellow circle: bet on the Bank
* White number just above the yellow circle: bet on a “Tie”
The dealer’s seat is in front of the players. It has a stack of chips in front of it and a numbered area used to keep track of the commissions’ players owe. The numbers correspond to the number of seats of the players at the table (max. 7).
The central position of the croupier allows him to reach all areas of the table. In the classic game of baccarat, the bank rotates from player to player. In Mini-Baccarat, the ritual of passing the Shoe disappears, the dealer is still the Banker and the players never deal with the cards.
All other rules are exactly the same:
1. Players place their bets according to the rules of classic baccarat
2. The dealer deals four cards face up, two to the “Player” hand and two to the “Player’s hand” Banker.
3. The dealer distributes (or not) a third card if necessary to both or to one hand, always according to the classic rules
4. The dealer compares the hand values of the player (s) and the Banker
5. The dealer collects the lost stakes and pays the winnings
On a winning hand of the croupier / Banker, he pays the Bank 1 to 1, and take notes to remember commissions players owe, which are collected when the player leaves the table.
Today, you can find Mini-Baccarat tables in almost all traditional casinos. Mini Baccarat is also the most common form of variations of baccarat found in online casinos.
The Super Pan Nine: a change that will bring renewal to your sessions
A little exotic, the rules of Super Pan Nine are more or less the same as in classic baccarat. The intricacies of the game lie rather in the number of cards dealt with each player, and also in the card extraction systems. Super Pan Nine is often compared to its cousin American baccarat.
Here, cards 7, 8, 9, and 10 are removed from the game, each deck in the shoe then having only 36 cards. To overcome this, the player and the bank will no longer receive two cards to form their hand, but 3.
Another difference: the Super Pan Nine also allows the role of the bank to rotate around the table, as with Chemin de Fer.
European Baccarat
European Baccarat sits somewhere between Chemin de Fer and American Baccarat on the evolutionary scale, retaining characteristics of both of these baccarat games. This is one of the variations of baccarat that evolved in the UK from an earlier version of Chemin de Fer baccarat.
In Chemin de Fer, the casino has no involvement in the stakes/bets of the game. The House offers a dealer, a baccarat table, and chairs. For this service, the casino takes a commission of 5% on all winnings of the bank. The player acting as “second-hand banker ” determines the highest stake allowed.
In European Baccarat, the casino plays the role of the Bank and establishes the maximum amount of bets. Players’ bets cannot, therefore, exceed this amount. When the maximum is reached, no more bets are allowed. For example, if the casino has posted a wagering limit of $ 2,000, and the first and second players bet $ 1,000 each, no other player will be allowed to bet for that round. A player can also call “Banco” and bet the full amount of the bank limit. When this happens, no other player is allowed to bet.
In addition, the players at the chemin de fer are either the Banker or the Player. In European Baccarat, players are allowed to bet on the Player or the Bank as they see fit. If a player decides to bet on the Bank and wins, the player will however be charged the casino commission on the winnings (usually 5%).
The rules of European Baccarat for players remain the same as Chemin de Fer baccarat:
- The player must draw a card with a score of 4 or less.
- The player stops with a score of 6 or 7.
- A score of 8 or 9 is “Natural” and stops the game.
- The player chooses to draw a card or not with a score of 5.
In theory, the Casino can stop or draw a card as it sees fit, but in practice, most casinos follow the rules of American Baccarat:
- The Bank must draw a card with a score of 2 or less.
- If the bank has a score of 3, the banker must draw a card if the player’s third card is anything but an 8.
- If the bank has a score of 4, the banker must draw a card if the third player’s card is anything but a 0, 1, 8, or 9.
- If the bank has a score of 5, the dealer must draw a card if the player’s third card is a 4, 5, 6, or 7.
- If the bank has a score of 6, the banker must draw a card if the player’s third card is a 6 or 7.
- The bank always ends with a score of 7.
- A score of 8 or 9 is considered “Natural” and the game ends.
European Baccarat, therefore, encompasses some characteristics of the two variants Chemin de Fer and American Baccarat. This is one of the variations of baccarat of choice for players who enjoy the game of Chemin de Fer but would prefer to be able to bet with the Banker if they so choose.
