Baccarat has a special place in the hearts of Koreans, and that is why there are an estimated ten million players every single year. One reason they love the game is the wide range of variations available. We’ll discuss some of the most popular variations in this guide.
The punto banco variation is one of the most popular casino games in Korea. This game is very similar to the original baccarat. You have the player and the banker, basically punto and banco in Spanish. Players in the game need to bet on which person will have the hand closest to nine.
It is played with a shoe that contains six or eight decks of cards and the dealer burns a face-up card and deals two cards to the player and the banker. The hands are dealt according to the tableau or fixed drawing rules. If neither hand totals 8 or 9 (a natural), the game rules determine if a third card is dealt.
The players in Punto Banco can bet on the banker’s hand, the player’s hand, or a tie. The banker bet has a higher chance of winning than the player bet, but it also comes with a commission fee.
Another one of the most popular baccarat variations in Korea is Chemin de Fer. This variation of the classic baccarat game has some unique twists that make it stand out from the original. It requires 12 players on a kidney-shaped table, and the goal of the game is to get a total hand of 9 with two or three cards.
If the hand’s total exceeds 9, the players can drop the first digit. For instance, if a player has a total of 12, it will become 2.
This game is popular because of its sophistication and representation in popular culture. It has been mentioned in literature and also featured in the famous James Bond movie Franchise.
While this variant is popular in Europe, it is also a favorite in South Korea. It uses a special configuration of tables joined together designed for 10 to 16 players, which is why it is sometimes called baccarat on two tables.
The players use three decks of cards, unlike the punto banco variant or others, which use 8 or 6 decks. Any player who lands the biggest bet remains as the banker in the game until the shoe has been completely played or they no longer have an active bankroll to place bets.
It begins by shuffling the cards for the rounds to start. The dealer does this, and then the players shuffle the cards based on where they are positioned near the dealer. The banker is always the last to shuffle the cards. This banker then picks a player to cut the cards. The dealer deals the cards to the players according to their position next to the banker.
Now, players can place bets on either the banker’s or the player’s hands. Unfortunately, this version does not have a tie bet. This is why the banker can only bet on the banker position and vice versa for players.
After the first round, the dealer deals a second card to each hand in the same sequence. The players will compare the hands to see if any is 9 or 8. In this game, a total of 9, known as a ‘natural,’ is the best possible hand, followed by 8. But if no hand meets the criteria, then the banker and player may choose to draw a third card, based on mutual agreement or established house rules.
It uses the same card values as Baccarat cards, which makes number cards more valuable than picture cards. Number cards are valued according to their face value. Face cards (Kings, Queens, and Jacks) are worth zero points. Aces in the game give you a single point.
For this Baccarat variant, it is important to consider the rules of drawing the third card. Players usually draw a third card when their hand totals 0 to 4 and stand on totals of 6 or 7. However, where the hand is 5, the player will decide whether to draw or not.
This game is more popular among high rollers because the player’s bet must be lower than the banker’s bet. However, both parties can negotiate a lower stake if they prefer it. Another thing to note is the role of the banker. Even if the banker loses the round, they do not need to change roles. Other players may challenge for the banker position after a round, depending on the house rules.
Other commonly played variants like Mini Baccarat and Speed Baccarat, both of which are prominent in Korean online casinos.
