Baccarat

THE LAYOUT AND BASICS

Baccarat Table LayoutOne of the first things you will notice about a baccarat table is that it is much bigger than a blackjack table. It will, in fact, seat either 12 or 14 players, which would be double what a blackjack table usually holds. Let's talk about the 14-player table as we forge ahead.

There are going to be seven seats on each end of this table, and they are numbered. They go from one (1) to fifteen (15). They skip 13, as they do in many buildings, and that is altogether appropriate in a casino, where Lady Luck plays such a big part.

Each of the seats at the baccarat table has spaces in front of it to bet on two different outcomes - on the Player or the Banker. This is where the individual players will make those particular wagers. There is a common space where wagers can be made on the third outcome, which is a Tie. In the center of the table are markings for "Bankers" and "Players" which are where the cards representing each of the sides in this game will eventually be placed.

There is a "crew" of three casino employees who staff this game. The "Caller" is in the middle of the table and is the person in charge of the game for the casino. There are also two dealers, working each end of the table, responsible primarily for handling bets and making payoffs.

The entire crew participates in shuffling eight decks of playing cards that will be put into play by virtue of placing them into a shoe. The top card in that show is revealed to the players. Then there are "burn cards" that are taken out of the game, sort of like the casino does in blackjack. In baccarat, though, they are removed from play altogether. Generally the number of burn cards that are taken correspond to the value of the top card. In other words, if the top card revealed was an eight, there will be eight burn cards removed.

One part of the procedure of baccarat that is somewhat similar, at least in spirit, to that of craps is that players are given an opportunity to be pro-active participants. In craps a player may get the chance to be the "shooter." In baccarat players get the opportunity to be the Banker. That means the player will, in effect, deal the game. The player who is seated in the #1 designated position will get the first crack at it. This offer can be declined, at which point it will then be passed on to the next player in order, as it moves counter-clockwise.

It is important to remember that even though a player may be dealing the game as Banker, that doesn't mean he or she is in any way obligated to bet on the Banker in the game. In fact, often the player/dealer bets "against himself" (figuratively speaking, of course). However, as a part of the general procedure of this game, when the Banker loses, regardless what bets the player holding the shoe made, the opportunity to deal is passed on to the next player (again, in a counter-clockwise rotation).

OK - now it's time to deal the cards.