In Canada, slots dominate gambling sites with everything from 3-reel to 5-reel and progressive jackpot options. However, for players who want a more traditional entertainment experience, Baccarat is certainly the best online casino game option available.
For those who are new to the game, there are actually two different versions played in land-based establishments throughout the world.
The first is Chemin de Fer, made popular in the James Bond films. In this version, every player around the table gets a chance to become the Banker. The more popular version, and the one available at online establishments is called Punto Banco. This is roughly translated to Player/Banker and is where players face off against the house.
Punto Banco is one of the most popular online casino games in Canada as it has a very interesting betting system. Often compared to Blackjack, Punto Banco is actually very different.
While it certainly looks the same and has the same basic setup, the way it is played is completely different. The only skill involved here is knowing how much to bet on each round, and knowing when to curb your spending. Like Roulette, the results are completely random, and there is no way to predict the outcome. There is also no way to influence how a hand will turn out, or be altered in any way.
This online casino game starts with the player pacing his or her bet on the table. There are 3 main betting options available. A bet can be placed on the Player hand, the Banker hand or on a tie. To place a bet, simply click on the virtual chips and place them on the highlighted area. In the live dealer version, all players around the table place their bet against the house, similar to multiplayer Blackjack.
Once all the bets have been placed, the dealer will deal 2 cards to the Player hand and 2 cards to the Banker hand. A third card can be dealt if required to either hand, but you must remember that even though it is called the “Player hand” it is not YOUR hand, it is simply one of the available betting options and a hand in play. In a way, you could think of it as a dice in Craps, or a spot on the Roulette wheel.
In Baccarat, each card is worth a certain number of points. Cards 2-9 are worth their face value while the 10; Jack Queen and King are worth 0. The Ace is worth a single point. If the card total goes into double digits, the first digit is dropped and the second digit becomes the points number. Therefore, 14 becomes 4, 12 becomes 2 and so on.
What makes this one of the best online casino games is the fact that you never know what is going to happen!
If you placed a wager on the Player hand and it has the highest point score, you win even money. If you placed a wager on the Banker hand and it wins, you are paid out slightly less, as the Banker takes a percentage of the winnings.
Betting on a tie pays out 12:1, but is very risky as it is extremely rare. With some versions, the cards are revealed slowly to maximize the excitement and tension. This is usually known as Squeeze.
Like in Roulette, this is the ideal chance to implement betting strategies rather than playing strategies. There are however, other wagering options called side bets. The most popular is the pair’s wager. This is optional and is placed at the start of the round.
As with many online casino games in Canada, the side bet act independently from the main action. With the pairs wager, you are betting that either the player hand or the banker hand will be dealt a matching set of cards. If this is the case, you are paid out regardless of what happens with the initial wager.
Fast, fun and ultra rewarding, it is easy to see why James Bond would love this online casino game, and why so many Canadians do too!
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