As card games go everything about this one is a tad unusual but it’s still one of the most popular being played today. The card game of choice of James Bond the entire plot of Casino Royale revolves around a game between 007 and his nemesis. However somewhat disappointingly baccarat is replaced by Texas hold’em poker in the new 2006 adaptation of the original!
It’s believed the game of baccarat was originally introduced into France from neighbours Italy during the reign of Charles VIII in the mid 1400s. There are three internationally accepted variations of the game, they are baccarat chemin de fer (railway), baccarat banque (or a deux tableaux) and punto banco (or North American baccarat). Over the coming weeks we will look more closely at each of these variations.
Named after the worst hand baccarat cards have the following value. Cards 2-9 are worth face value, 10's and face cards are worth zero, and Aces are worth 1 point. When the total value of cards in a hand exceeds 10, the first digit is dropped. For example: a hand consisting of 3 and 2 is worth 5 (3 + 2 = 5). A hand consisting of 8 and 7 is worth 5 (8 + 7 = 15 = 5)(The first digit is dropped because the total is higher than 10) A hand consisting of 3 and 7 is worth zero, or Baccarat. (3 + 7 = 0) The name "Baccarat" is unusual in that the game is named after the worst hand, worth 0 (or 'Baccarat'). The highest score that can be achieved is 9.
The object is to assemble a hand of two or three cards with a points value as close to nine as possible. The perfect hand is one that totals nine in the first two cards. Eight is the second-best hand and, along with the nine, it constitutes the two "natural" hands. The only hand that will beat a natural eight is a natural nine.
A simple yet testing game you’ll need to know how to stick some times or risk picking up a card that brings your total tumbling down!
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