Baccarat

Baccarat was popularised by the famous Ian Fleming character, James Bond, 007 in a number of movies featuring the youthful Sean Connery in the leading role. Bedecked in his trademark dinner jacket and bow tie, Bond went eye to eye with the baddies across the baccarat table. He never lost, of course...

The card game baccarat has a fascinating history, probably originating in Italy. Its fame spread across Europe, until finally making its way across the Atlantic to the Americas where it is more commonly known as Punto Blanco. In France, the game is also called chemin de fer (railway).

If you're not a fan of complicated card games with bundles of rules, then baccarat is for you. In fact, there are only three outcomes to the game - banker, player, or draw. To make it even easier, most people don't even use the draw option.

The game begins with the dealer dealing two cards to both player and dealer. The player bets if he thinks his hand or the dealer's will come closer to the ideal score of nine points. The cards are flipped using that wonderful paddle gadget and if you've bet on player, and your cards are closer to nine than the dealer's, then you win. If the dealer's total point count is closer to nine, you lose. The same applies if you bet on the dealer option.

Where the game gets a tiny bit more complicated is when the card totals are seven or below. If that occurs, the dealer has the option of dealing more cards. A draw chart is displayed at each baccarat table showing the options available.

And that's it! It's a game of chance, and steely nerves, so dust off your dinner jacket, and pull up a chair for an exciting game of baccarat!