Mini-Baccarat
Mini- Baccarat has been introduced to the main casino floor so that this terrific game can be more readily available and accessible to the usual casino patron, without the requirements of high betting limits, or knowledge of the pompous rigmarole associated with the main Baccarat game. Even though it does not have all the class compared with its posh cousin, Mini-Baccarat is perhaps more pleasing to the spontaneous gambler looking for a good game, favorable odds, and friendly environment. It is the same game as that found in main pit Baccarat and offers the same good odds, but without the pomp
Mini-Baccarat is played on a Blackjack-size table with normally seven player spots, and a single dealer doing all the dealing. It has none of the needless ceremonies surrounding who deals the cards, who holds the Bank, and so on. All the rules and betting options are exactly the same as those used in main pit Baccarat. The only differences are in the table layout, how the dealing takes place, where the cards dealt are arranged, and how many players can sit at the table.
At the Mini-Baccarat table, each player spot has two circles, one above the other, in front of his position. The one closest to the player is marked "Player" and the one above it is marked "Banker." Above this is a semicircular strip about two inches wide running the length of the table marked "Tie" at either end, and divided into numbered areas which directly correspond to the players' positions at the table.
Directly in front of the dealer is the chip tray where all house gaming chips are kept, and directly in front of this is the commission box grid. Just like the main pit Baccarat game, eight decks of cards are used in mini-baccarat.
The single dealer dressed in casino uniform, not a tuxedo does all the shuffling, a player selected by the dealer cuts the cards after each shuffle, the shuffled and cut decks are placed in the shoe, one card is dealt face up and others cards subsequently burned, (depending on the value of that first card) again the same as the main pit Baccarat game bets are made by the players, and the hand begins. The dealer deals the first and third card to his or her right, and the second and fourth card to the left. Usually there are no designated areas on the table layout for Mini-Baccarat marked as "Banker" and "Player" into which these cards are dealt, as in the main pit Baccarat game. But this doesn't matter. The hand dealt to the dealer's right is always the Player hand, and the other is always the Banker hand. In all other respects the game plays the same as its rich cousin in the main pit.
The advantages of Mini-Baccarat for the casual player are the generally low betting requirements, usually starting with a $5 minimum bet and a $500 maximum bet per hand and the casual atmosphere, in addition to the good odds the game offers. Another advantage is that Mini-Baccarat tables often have very few players, which gives the dealer time to explain any nuances of the game that you may wish to ask about. It is, therefore, a good introduction to Baccarat.
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