Mini-baccarat

Mini-baccarat is a smaller, lower-stakes version of punto banco baccarat. Mini-baccarat is different in that it is generally lower limits, the player does not get to pick up the cards, and that the table is smaller in size. Mini-baccarat is popular in many casinos, especially among Asian gamblers.[1][2][3]

Mini-baccarat is a comparing card game played between two hands, the "player" and the "banker". Each baccarat coup has three possible outcomes: "player" (player has the higher score), "banker" (banker has the high score), and "tie". It is strictly a game of chance, with no skill or strategy involved; each player's moves are forced by the cards the player is dealt.

Valuation of hands

In mini-baccarat, cards have a point value: cards two through nine are worth face value (in points); tens, jacks, queens and kings have no point value (i.e. are worth zero); aces are worth 1 point; jokers are not used. Hands are valued according to the rightmost digit of the sum of their constituent cards. If the total of the cards is a two-digit number, the tens place is ignored.[4] For example, a hand consisting of 2 and 3 is worth 5, but a hand consisting of 6 and 7 is worth 3 (i.e., the 3 being the rightmost digit in the combined points total of 13).[5] The highest possible hand value in baccarat is therefore nine.

Tableau of drawing rules

The player and banker hands are each dealt two cards. If either the player or banker hand, or both, achieve a total of 8 or 9 with the first two cards (known as a "natural"), the coup is finished and the result is announced: player wins, banker wins, or tie. Natural 9 beats natural 8. If neither the player nor banker hand is dealt a total of 8 or 9 in the first two cards, the tableau is consulted, first for the player rules, then the banker rules.

  • Player's rules
If the player hand has an initial total of 0–5, a third card is dealt. If the player hand has an initial total of 6 or 7, it stands.
  • Banker's rule
If the player stood pat (i.e., has only two cards), the banker acts according to the same rules as the player. That means the banker draws a third card with hands 0–5 and stands with 6 or 7.

If the player hand drew a third card, the banker acts according to the following more complex rules:

  • If the banker total is 2 or less, then the banker draws a card, regardless of what the player's third card is.
  • If the banker total is 3, then the bank draws a third card unless the player's third card was an 8.
  • If the banker total is 4, then the bank draws a third card if the player's third card was 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
  • If the banker total is 5, then the bank draws a third card if the player's third card was 4, 5, 6, or 7.
  • If the banker total is 6, then the bank draws a third card if the player's third card was a 6 or 7.
  • If the banker total is 7, then the banker stands.[6][7]

If a bettor bets on tie and the hands tie, the bettor wins 8:1 or 9:1 depending on the house rules.

References
  1. "Mini-Baccarat". Hollywood Casino Aurora. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
  2. The Analyst (2016-03-01). "Baccarat or Baccawreck?". gaming Today. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
  3. Henry Tamburin. "The Joys of Mini-Baccarat". Casino Center. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
  4. "Card Values in Mini Baccarat". Baccarat.net.
  5. Mathematically, the value of a hand is the sum of its constituent cards modulo ten (with all numbers greater than ten, subtract 10 and return only the difference).
  6. John May (1998). Baccarat for the Clueless. Carol Publishing Group. pp. 40–. ISBN 978-0-8184-0604-1.
  7. Walter Thomason (January 1997). The Experts' Guide to Casino Games: Expert Gamblers Offer Their Winning Formulas. Carol Publishing Group. pp. 117–. ISBN 978-0-8184-0590-7.
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