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When you think of Baccarat, you probably think of a game that's played by an exclusive club of high rollers only. These players sit behind roped-off tables, called the Baccarat Pit, and wager thousands of dollars at the turn of a card. Baccarat has always had this kind of reputation and as the most formal of casino games, it has done well to live up to it. Until now! 

The richest of gamblers have known for a long time that Baccarat truly is one of the best games available. They have also done well to exclude the average player by scaring them off with large wagers. But that is all changing, and fast! 

Nowadays, we are seeing more and more people playing Baccarat who previously would have stayed away. And we discover that this is really a good game for the small stakes player because of its simplicity to learn and play, and the favorable odds.

GalaxiWorld.com has broken down these roped barriers and now anyone from a big spender to the casual player can indulge in this exciting game of chance. So let's all be bold; forget about the high rollers and learn how to wager with this elite club of Baccarat players. Forget about wearing a tuxedo and join-us in the pit...

To truly understand the game, we'll have to understand a little about its background. The word "baccarat" is derived from the Italian term "baccarat", which means zero. No not zero winnings, but rather a zero value for all face cards and tens. In Europe, where the game started and flourished, Baccarat has a close cousin in the game "Chemin de Fer". The game of Baccarat isn't only found in Europe. In a standard American casino you'll find the game commonly referred to as Mini-Baccarat.

Mini-Baccarat is as simple as ABC and can be learned easily just by playing. Each game begins with two hands of two cards, each being dealt face up. The object of the game is 
basic; you place a bet on one of the two hands you think will total closest to nine. So you only have to make one decision-what wager to place. And to make things even easier, the game only has three possible bets. You can bet on:

1. The player's hand
2. The banker's hand
3. A tie between the two hands

Are you mesmerized by the complexity of this game? Don't nod off just yet because the fun stuff is coming. Now that you know what bets to make, you'll need to know how to read the cards. Card Values are as follows:

1. Ace is counted as one
2. 2-9 are counted at face value
3. Ten and face cards are all counted as zero

Therefore, if the total of the cards is 10 or greater, only the second digit is counted as the value of the hand. From these card values, the player closest to nine wins. If from the outset a hand's first two cards are an 8 or 9, this is called a 'natural', and is an automatic win unless the other hand ties or has a higher value. Each hand is only allowed a maximum of three cards, and the third card is automatically drawn for you under certain conditions.

For the Player's hand, when the first 2 cards total:

0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5- a third card is drawn
6 or 7- the player stands
8 or 9- this is a natural (Note: When this occurs, the banker cannot draw a third card.)

For the banker's hand, it depends on the player's hand:

So try out this fast and exciting game and let us know what you think. If you have any tips or tricks of your own that you'd like to share with your fellow gamblers, we'd love to hear from you. Send your comments to galaxicorner@galaxiworld.com.

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