Baccarat is believed to have been invented in France in the 1400s, and its popularity spread to Italy and other European countries. It became even more popular after the “Royal Baccarat Scandal” of 1891, which involved Prince Edward of Wales and a lawsuit by the high society man William Gordon Cumming. The game has retained its royal status and has had appearances in movies like James Bond, including “Casino Royale” and “Dr. No.” Online baccarat doesn’t have that royal connotation, but Canadian baccarat players don’t really seem to mind; they want to play a winning game.
Online baccarat is a simple game at its core. The player’s hand is compared to the dealer’s, and the one with the highest score wins, or both hands end up tied. The goal is to make a hand that scores as close to nine as possible. Numbered cards are worth their face value, while tens and tricks are all worth zero, and Aces are worth one. Hands are calculated according to the number to the right of the sum of the cards, so if a hand totals 13, the hand is worth only 3. A baccarat hand is a hand valued at zero. The basic rules of the game are the same, and online baccarat casinos make this clear in the basic rules section.
The game becomes more complicated with its variants, such as Punto banco for example, which applies some variations of rules. There are also other variations that experienced players can look for, and there are even high limit tables for those interested in the challenge. Canadian baccarat players seem to prefer the basic game over these other versions, but each player can choose for themselves. On the other hand, if all these rules seem complex to you, it’s a good idea to play free online baccarat to understand everything.
You don’t have to be James Bond to play online baccarat. A suit or fancy dress is not required, and players can play anywhere, anytime, and at their convenience. Learn this historic and entertaining game by playing a few hands and joining the ranks of those who have managed to beat the house.