Baccarat en Banque

This variation of Baccarat can be found in some European casinos. The goal of the game is the same - to get as close to 9 as possible, but the difference is that only the house plays the role of banker.

In other versions of the game (Classic or Chemin de Fer) the player with the most money is usually declared the banker or the deal rotates among the players by passing the shoe counter-clockwise around the table, and each "Player" alternate being the "Banker".

Since the Casino is a Banker, the bets can be much larger than when another player is acting as the bank. Also, the game can be played with as few as one player (in Chemin de Fer there must be two players at least to players to start the game).

Other rules:

Three hands are dealt: One bank hand and two player hands.

The players are allowed to bet on one or both of the player hands, but never on the dealer's hand.

There are no particular drawing rules, it's completely optional. Sometimes, the dealer will follow the American baccarat rules, other times he will alter them to enhance his winning chances.

Other differences:

Some casinos may charge a lower commission than 5%.

The payouts on the tie bet may vary from casino to casino - sometimes it's paid 9:1.

Winning strategies

Many say that Baccarat en Banque many be one of the few games left where it is possible to win with a good degree of consistency. The reason for this is that the banker’s strategy is often directed at the side of the table that wagers the most money. Consequently, it may be lucrative to bet on the side of the table that is wagering the least amount of money. The bank will then, theoretically, be playing a less than perfect strategy against your favoured hand.

It is wise to bet on the second player rather than the third because the second player has had the advantage of seeing player one’s third card if he decides to draw. If both players are wagering equal amounts of money, the correct strategy on a five should be similar to that in Chemin de Fer i.e., draw 82% of the time.

Further suggested strategies would be as follows.

1. Bet on the second player when one third or less of the total money wagered is on this side of he able.
2. Only follow the above drawing strategy when you are the active player.

Skill of the banker

While the possibility of card counting to gain advantage may exist in this variation, one should remember that this may work also for the banker. It is therefore inadvisable to play against a banker who seems to study the cards intently and seems to pay close attention to the mannerisms of the players.