Description
Three-card baccarat is a wonderfully popular table game from many operators including Gamesys. It first appeared in bricks and mortar casinos in gambling hub Macau, but is now gaining in popularity online too.
Essentially, three-card baccarat is a simplified variant of Punto Banco and classic baccarat however it has been made easier to play online which has also had the effect of producing bigger payouts for players.
How to play
Three-card baccarat is played with a single 52-card deck, the suits having no meaning at all. Any face cards and 10’s are worth nothing, aces are worth a point while all other cards are given their face value.
When the points for one hand are added up, only the last digit counts. So, three 7’s equate to one point and not 21. As is the case with standard baccarat, the maximum possible hand total is 9 and the minimum, naturally, is 0.
How to Play Three-Card Baccarat
In more detail then; each player in three-card baccarat makes a bet on one or more boxes. The dealer deals three cards on each box bet and three for themselves. Then, all cards are handed out face up.
On each box in this game, a player’s hand will be compared to that of the dealer. The best hand possible is three face cards. Any two hands featuring three face cards are considered to be a tie and, if nobody has a hand like this, the points totals are all compared before the hand with the biggest overall points total wins.
Should the points be even, then the hand featuring the most face cards wins the round. Further, if the number of face cards is also equal then the hands are finally considered to be a tie.
When the player has the higher hand, they win with the bet being paid out at 97:100. This means, the casino simply keeps 3% of the win in normal circumstances although online some sites may run things differently.
If the player has a lower hand then the bet is lost. Should the player and the dealer have even hands, then the game is a tie and the player’s bet is returned in full.
As well as the basic three-card baccarat bet, players can also bet on a tie being the result before the deal is made. If the hands are indeed equal, the tie bet is paid out at 25/1.
Return to Player
In general, the RTP % on baccarat online reaches 98.9% which is very high indeed. This is of course an average, so how much you won and how regularly depends on your stake amount and how lucky you are!
Verdict
Baccarat is one of those canonical casino table games, enjoyed by millions in casinos around the world. The three-card version really took things to a new level in Macau and now online you can join in the fun too.
Many sites are offering entertaining three-card baccarat games and we’d fully recommend you giving it a go!