Baccarat is an exciting card game that was a featured plot device in the James Bond novel Casino Royale by Ian Fleming. It originated in Italy during the middle ages and derives its name from the Italian word for "zero", because the face cards and Tens – which normally are high value cards in most games – are counted as zero in Baccarat. At some point it migrated to France where it was embraced by the aristocracy. Today, Baccarat is a favorite game of high rollers and famous gamers around the world.

The object is to bet on which of two hands (the "Player" or the "Banker") will have a score closest to 9. You can bet on either hand – or you can bet on a tie.

Dealing and Scoring

Baccarat is played with a single deck of 52 cards (no Jokers), shuffled after each hand and placed in a "shoe." Each hand will receive at least two cards, but no more than three. The first and third cards dealt from the shoe constitute the Player's hand and the second and forth cards constitute the Banker's hand. If required, a third card is dealt to either hand according to specific rules outlined in the charts below. All cards are dealt face up. >>