Baccarat Strategy

Baccarat Strategy:
The first thing a casino player asks themselves when stepping up to a game is "how do I improve my odds?" The answer in Baccarat is easy: you don't. Other than avoiding the Tie bet there's nothing you can do.

What about card counting you ask? After all, everyone seems to do it on TV. Save yourself the trouble because it's a facade. Statistical analysis has shown that card counting in Baccarat is totally ineffective until the game hits the bottom of the shoe and even then it's a miniscule advantage. It basically boils down to paying yourself $10 an hour for risking $1,000,000. You're better off getting a squeegee and washing people's windows for spare change.

As to playing the game, that's it. As to knowing what's going on, it's a matter of strict and fixed rules, and here they are:

The Objective

The objective of Baccarat is to draw a two- or three-card hand that totals closer to 9 than the banker.
10, J, K, Q count as 0, A is a 1 and all other cards are face value.
If your total is more than ten, you drop the ten. So a 7-9 hand totals to 6 (16, drop ten).
There is no such thing as a "bust" hand.

The Rules

The banker and the player each draw two cards.
If either the player or banker total 8 or 9, both automatically stand, no exceptions.
If the player's total is 6 or 7, the player stands.
If the player stands, the banker hits on a total of 5 or less.
If the player's total is 5 or less, the player automatically hits and the banker gives the player a third card.
If the player receives a third card then the banker draws a third card according to the following:
-Banker's hand totals 0,1,2: Banker always draws a third card.
-Banker's hand totals 3: Banker draws if Player's third card is 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-9-0 (not 8)
-Banker totals 4: Banker draws if Player thirds 2-3-4-5-6-7
-Banker 5: Banker draws if Player thirds 4-5-6-7
-Banker 6: Banker draws if Player thirds 6-7
-Banker 7: Banker stands.
Once the final cards are dealt, the one with the total closest to 9 wins.

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