Endless Online Baccarat Fun at ZAR Casino
You can play Baccarat now at ZAR Casino and walk in the shoes of none other than James Bond! Yes, it was this game that Bond actually played, no matter what the movies tell you. Baccarat is a game with a long and interesting history, originally considered to be exclusively in the territory of high rollers. But time passed, things changed, and now we have online Baccarat. We even have live dealer Baccarat, which is something that the original James Bond couldn’t even dream of. So basically, what we’re saying is that you can now be cooler than 007.
Like Blackjack but Different
Online Baccarat is notably not as popular as some other casino games, with most iGaming enthusiasts being far more familiar with Blackjack, Roulette, and, of course, slots. Though, as time passes Baccarat online is slowly gaining more attention. It is, after all, a game that is remarkably similar to Blackjack, with a few interesting twists.
First and foremost, online Baccarat is about getting a hand as close to 9 as possible, as opposed to 21. Though, in this case it isn’t a matter of going head to head with the house. Instead, you are given the options of betting on the player hand, the banker hand, or on a tie. The player and banker hand are simply the names given to the hands; the player hand is not your hand. You get to see the cards dealt to both and can bet on either.
Understanding the Rules
Whether you’re playing the software version of online Baccarat, or live dealer Baccarat, the rules all remain the same. A hand is dealt to the player, and a hand to the banker. As would be expected, the hand with a total closest to 9 is the winner. But there are a few interesting differences from Blackjack that need to be taken into consideration.
First, cards with a number between 1 and 9 are counted as their value says, while 10, Jack, Queen, and King are counted as 0. This is all fairly straight forward, but online Baccarat also works on a system that resets to 0 if the total exceeds 9. For example, a 6 and a 7 would count as 3. 6 plus 7 equals 13, which gives a hand value of 3.
Choosing your Bet
Your options when you play Baccarat for real money are simple, as already said, the player hand, the banker hand, or a tie. The trick here is that although the option to bet on the player hand or the banker hand seems equal, it isn’t. Given the house edge, there is a slightly higher chance that the banker will win. But, this bet also pays out slightly less, given that the casino will take a small cut. A winning bet on the player hand pays out 1 to 1, while a house hand bet pays out 0.95 to 1. Betting on a tie, meanwhile, gives you a payout of 8 to 1, but also only has a 9.5% chance of succeeding.
No matter how you decide to play at a Baccarat at an online casino, remember that it is always about having fun.