Baccarat rules are quite basic and easily understood. Once you learn them you will feel completely at ease at any Baccarat table or mini Baccarat table either at a casino or when playing online. If this is your first time for learning the rules, you should download a free software package from some casino online and play along. There are many that will allow you to play for free without limit. It is often easier to learn by actually playing the game that you can download from many real online casinos and tryout what you are learning as you go along. Much of the tutorial style software that is available is overly complicated.Baccarat, which etymologically comes from the Latin word baccara, originally hails from Europe, although you will most likely run across the American version when playing baccarat in an online casino.  The game is reportedly credited as being the invention of the Italian, Felix Falguierein.  Records show that baccarat was brought to France in the 15th Century, making its way to America in the late sixties when Las Vegas casinos needed a makeover of sophisticated gambling games.  And although the rules of the game itself are not at all sophisticated, baccarat does have a reputation of being a high-class game for high rollers.

When you are the player you have the choice of betting on either the banker’s hand winning, or the player’s hand, or a tie. The player and the banker are each dealt two cards. You win even money if the hand you are betting on wins. This is a 1 to 1 bet. So if you bet five dollars you would get back your five plus five. So you are ahead an amount equal to your bet. If you bet on a tie and it turns out to be a tie you are paid at the rate of 8 to 1. In this case if you had bet $5 you would win back your original bet plus $40 dollar in addition.

The layout of the baccarat table is relatively unchanged since its royal beginnings.  Each side mirrors the other, and consists of fifteen places for players to sit at one time, with 4 half circles directly in front of the players.  The first row of numbers is simply a position marker.  The second row has the word Players marked on it, which conveniently has one letter corresponding to each number marker.  This is where wagers on the Player Hand are set.  The following half-circle has the word Bankers marked on it, which also conveniently has one letter corresponding to each betting position. This box is where bets on the banker’s hand are set.  The last and remaining circle says the word ‘Tie’ and 8 to 1 (or 9 to 1), depending on what odds the casino pays tie bets.  This is where bets on a tie hand are set.  A series of numbered boxes (one for each player) is where commission fees are kept track, since the casino does not collect its commission fees from players every game.  The three boxes behind these numbers are the drop box, discard tray, and tip box.  There are usually two dealers and one caller, also called a croupier, who directs the game.  In online baccarat you will only be confronted with probably three betting seats and the corresponding player, banker, and tie wager