Baccarat rules

Saturday, Aug. 23, 1997 | 3:34 a.m.

Baccarat is so simple that a gambler need only bet on one of two hands. It is not even necessary to know the rules because the dealer determines the cards to be drawn and who wins based on set situations. Here are the rules:

* CARDS: The object is to get a score of 9 or closest to 9 with either two or three cards that are drawn from an eight-deck shoe.

* VALUE: Tens and face cards are worth 0. Aces are worth 1. The rest of the cards are face value. A king-9, 5-4 or ace-8 are examples of the best hand, which is called a "natural 9." The count is never greater than 9. For example, a 3-2 with a drawn 9 equals 14, which in baccarat is called a 4.

* HANDS: No matter how many players are sitting at the table, only two hands are dealt. One is called "the player" and the other is called "the banker." Any bettor can wager on either hand.

* SHOE: The shoe travels counter-clockwise around the table with each bettor getting a chance to deal. The bettor continues to deal until the player wins. The bettor dealing the cards also can bet on either hand, even though he loses the privilege of dealing if the banker loses.

* HOUSE: The casino covers all bets. If the banker wins, those who bet on the banker pay a 5 percent commission to the house. Those who bet on the player pay no commission when the player wins. The casino makes its money off the losing bets and the winning banker commissions.

* ODDS: On average, the banker wins 50.7 percent of the time, the player 49.3 percent. A tie occurs in about one out of 10 hands. Betting on a tie pays 8-to-1 and is considered a high-risk bet -- a 14 percent disadvantage for the bettor.

* DEALING: The first and third cards are dealt to the player, the second and fourth cards to the banker. The player acts first. The banker's action depends on what the player does. If the hands are tied, it is a push for the banker-player bets.

* PLAYER: If the player's two-card total is 0-5, the player must draw a card. If the player's two-card total is 6 or 7, the player must stand. If the player's two-card total is 8 or 9, the banker cannot draw.

* BANKER 1: When the player does not take a third card, the banker must draw if his two-card total is 5 or less. He must stand if his two-card total is 6 or more. If a banker's two-card total is 8 or 9, the player cannot draw.

* BANKER 2: Here is what the banker must do when the player takes a third card: Banker's two-card total is 0, 1 or 2, the banker draws a card; banker's two-card total is 3, the banker draws when the player's third card is anything but an 8; banker's two-card total is 4, the banker draws when the player's third card is 2-7; banker's two-card total is 5, the banker draws when the player's third card is 4-7; banker's two-card total is 6, the banker draws when the player's third card is 6 or 7; banker's two-card total is 7, the banker stands.