Baccarat is a widely popular card game in both land-based and online casinos, with several variations to choose from. However, the most renowned options are Mini Baccarat, Chemin de Fer, and Punto Banco.
Baccarat – Punto Banco
Punto Banco, also known as American Baccarat, is a popular variation of baccarat that can be found in numerous land-based and online casinos across the world, including Macau, Australia, and North America.
As previously mentioned, Punto Banco involves betting on the Bank hand, Player hand, or a tie. What distinguishes Punto Banco from other baccarat variants are the following features:
● The Bank and Player hands are governed by fixed house rules.
● The house always serves as the banker.
● A commission of 5% is levied on all winning Banker bets.
In essence, the casino, rather than the Player, decides when a third card must be drawn, which is the defining feature of Punto Banco.
Chemin de Fer
Chemin de Fer, which means “the railway” or “railroad” in French, is a baccarat variation commonly played in French casinos.
Also known as chemmy, Chemin de Fer follows nearly identical rules to Punto Banco with only two differences:
● Players have the option to become the Banker and control the Bank’s hand.
● Players can choose whether the Player hand or the Banker hand should draw a third card.
Typically, six standard 52-card decks are shuffled together. One player is selected to be the Banker, with all players taking turns to be the Banker.
The Banker chooses their bet, and all players take turns to place their wagers. The bettor with the highest bet becomes the Player.
A player may opt to match the Banker’s bet and say “banco,” which excludes all other players except the two.
The croupier deals two face-down cards to the Banker and the Player. Each player examines their cards.
● If either hand has an 8 or 9, it wins, and the round ends.
● If both hands do not have an 8 or 9, the bettor responsible for the Player hand decides whether to draw a third card or stand.
After the Player hand is complete, the Banker determines whether to draw a third card or stand. Then, both the Banker and the Player reveal their cards to determine the winner.
In Chemin de Fer, the Player generally stands on 6 and 7, draws on 2, 3, and 4, and either stands or draws on 5.
Since players have considerable control over the game’s direction, it can be challenging to use betting systems like Martingale, Poli, Fibonacci, etc.
Baccarat – Mini Baccarat
“Mini baccarat” is a more accessible variant of “Punto Banco” or “Big Baccarat” designed for low-limit betting. Typically found on the main floor adjacent to blackjack tables in land-based casinos, these mini-baccarat tables can seat six to seven players.
In contrast to Big Baccarat’s multiple bankers, mini-baccarat only has one dealer, which makes games faster. Furthermore, players are not permitted to act as the Bank and distribute cards.
Despite these differences, players can apply the same rules and strategies as in Punto Banco.
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