How to Play Baccarat
The game of baccarat is a card game that has once been reserved for the richest players only. However, the game has become available to small-stakes players as well thanks to some changes that took place over the years. Ultimately, it also became available online for free. (see above)
When it comes to baccarat rules, they are very easy to grasp and are always the same, even when you play the game for free. As is usually the case with card games, there is a dealer who is in charge of dealing the cards. While a baccarat table can accommodate multiple players, a hand revolves around two groups of cards — one is known to represent the banker, while the other one is known to be the player.
The dealer deals cards face up — the player and the banker get two each. Additionally, a third card can be drawn after the values of the first two cards are totalled. The main goal is for each of the hands to come closest to nine. In case none of them does, the second-best option is for one of them to reach eight, and both of these options are called a natural.
Now, there are some additional rules for both the player and the banker should the total of their hands be other than eight or nine. First up is the player’s hand — the third card will be drawn in case the total is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or zero. If the total is 6 or 7, the hand must stand, meaning no additional card will be drawn.
When it comes to the banker, a total of 1, 2, or zero requires drawing another card, while a total of 7 requires a stand. In case the total is 3, 4, 5, or 6, the decision whether or not the third card will be drawn depends on the third card that was drawn by the player.
Although this sounds a bit complicated, you don’t have to worry about memorizing the rules by heart, as there will always be a reminder for each of the actions required.
What you should memorize, though, is that in baccarat, the players can make three different bets.
They can bet on:
- Player — A sum of player’s cards will be closer to nine.
- Banker — A sum of banker’s cards will be closer to nine.
- Tie — Both groups of cards will have the same value.
The cards’ value is assigned as follows:
- All 10s and face cards are counted as zero.
- All cards from Ace to nine are counted at their face value.
In case a total of a hand happens to be higher than ten, the first digit is removed to get the total value.
Where to Play Baccarat for Free?
Players who want to take part in free online baccarat have two options to choose from:
- Play a demo game in an online casino — Many online casinos offer demo versions of most games, including baccarat. However, you’ll still have to create an account to be able to play free baccarat.
- Find a free online baccarat platform — Nowadays, there are many platforms that offer free versions of various games of chance. If you are persistent, you can find baccarat among them and play the game for free.
Why Should I Play Free Online Baccarat?
Playing online baccarat for free comes with multiple advantages. We’ll start from the most obvious one — it is absolutely risk-free as you don’t need to invest any real money. If you are only interested in the game itself and the excitement it brings, you can play free baccarat for as long as you want without spending a dime.
Additionally, the gameplay is very simple and doesn’t require any particular skill since players don’t need to make any specific decisions except choose the type of bet they want to make. The decision whether the third card should be drawn or not depends on the rules of the game, so there’s nothing in particular you as a player should worry about.
There’s no need to memorize the rules either, as those will be pinned somewhere at all times.
All of this makes baccarat perfectly suitable for beginners, as this card game can even be seen as a guessing game since there’s no particular action required from the player.
Apart from being great for novice players, free online baccarat is also great for regulars who want to practice before playing baccarat for real money. It can be useful to play a few hands for free just to see whether Lady Luck is on your side that day.
Bottom line — baccarat is a great game, and playing it for free makes it even better, so make sure you try it out when you get a chance.
