Aces count as one, 2′s – 9′s are face value and 10′s – K’s count as zero. The objective of baccarat is for the player to come as close to the number 9 as possible. Numerous optional side bets have been added to increase the house edge. Hence, a new version was born, Mini-Baccarat.The rules for this game are exactly the same as Punto Banco except one house dealer controls he game for up to seven players. Today baccarat is played in high limit rooms throughout the world where millions are won and lost each day.Įventually gaming establishments saw profit potential with Baccarat however they had to make it attractive to the average player. Eventually the name baccarat, Italian for zero, was coined. A tie bet was added to increase the house edge, and the 5% commission to the house for a winning bank bet remains in place. The main difference from the French version is that the house banks the game. Punto Banco, meaning Player, Banker, was introduced in Nevada from Cuba in the late 1950′s, where it was very popular until Castro closed he mob run casinos. A 5% commission for winning bank hands paid to the house was to cover the casino overhead. Players could decline the bank and pass the shoe to the next player. A dealer shoe rotated around the table counterclockwise after each hand. In this original version Players wagered among themselves and won or lost with their own money. No, when Bond, played by Sean Connery, was winning in a Monte Carlo casino. Americans got their first real glimpse of this casino game during the 1962 James Bond movie, Dr. Before I explain this Baccarat game that dates back to the 15th Century, let’s review a brief bit of history.

French casino card game