Read these important first principles of good baccarat play. We’ll look at the operation of the player and banker hands and why you should always be aware of the subtle rules of the game.

1. Baccarat
First Principles
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2. Baccarat: First principles
• In most casino rooms in Las Vegas, Punto Banco baccarat,
which remains the single most popular version of the game,
will often be played in specially demarcated rooms that are
fairly removed from the main casino floor. Besides giving
baccarat players a sense of elitist separation from the other
"plebeian" casino wagerers, the sense of spatial separation
also exists for practical purposes: baccarat players are well
known for wagering in very high-stakes games, which
requires additional security resources for player protection.
The smaller space aids casino is keeping a closer eye on
even the most subtle mechanics of play
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3. Baccarat: First principles
• Different rules exist for each of the baccarat hands. For the
player hand, a total of between zero and five (inclusive)
requires that it draws a third card. A player hand with six or
seven must stay, and a player with a natural eight or natural
nine must reveal their cards immediately.
• The rules around the banker hand are substantially more
complex. In many ways, the banker hand is directly
dependent upon the actions of player hand in terms of
whether or not to draw third card. The banker hand
principles can be summarized as follows:
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4. Baccarat: First principles
• If the player's third card is a two or three, then the banker
must draw with a total of between zero and four, but must
stay with a total of between five and seven
• If the player's third card is a four or five, the banker must
draw if he has a total of between zero and five, but must
stay with a total of between six and seven
• If the player has a third card total of between six and seven,
the banker hand must draw if it has a total of between zero
and six, but must stay with a total of seven
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5. Baccarat: First principles
• If the player's third card total is an eight, then the banker
will only draw if he has a total of between zero and two, but
must stay with a total of between three and seven.
• Finally, if the player's third card is an ace, nine, 10, or face
card, the banker must draw if he has a total of between
zero and three, and must stay the total with a total of
between four and seven.
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6. Baccarat: First principles
• Strictly speaking, it's not necessary to fully comprehend or
remember every nicety of the banker hand procedure,
because that’s the dealer's job and no amount of carefully
considered strategy can improve your odds at the baccarat
table. That being said, dealers have been known to make
mistakes and when your bankroll is on the line you would
do well to check the systems and outcomes of the dealer's
actions to ensure everything is being played according to
book.
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7. Baccarat: First principles
• In a legal context, it’s often said that ignorance of the law is
no defense. We’d like to apply this principle to the casino
context and positively say that knowing the rules, even the
most intimate ones, are the surest way to ensure that if a
profit is due to you that you receive it.
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