Baccarat, a game typically associated with high rollers and international men of mystery (it is James Bond's game of choice in many of his films), has gained a reputation as something for the rich and idle. However, thanks the advent of Internet gambling, baccarat online is becoming much more common than it ever was in brick and mortar casinos. And for those who still think it's a difficult game only for those that have money to burn, remember that the baccarat game is simply an older, simpler version of blackjack. Keep that in mind, and you'll do just fine.

Know the Rules

Baccarat is the older brother of 21, and the rules are very simple. You have the Bank and the Player. Each one begins play with two cards. 10s and face cards are worth nothing, Aces are worth 1. If your first two cards are worth more than 10 total, you subtract 10, and that is your new value. So if you had a 5 and a 6, your value would be 1 instead of 11. You can take one additional card, and the goal is to get as close to 9 with three cards as you can without going over. Once you know that, the rest is odds and strategy.

Know the Odds

The next part of the game is strategy. You have to weigh the odds of what the Player may or may not get, and how close to 9 they already are. If the Player start off the hand with an 8 or 9, he's nor allowed a third card, so that solves that. If the starting total is 0 then he can't possibly go over 9 with a single card. These are the only two situations where you are completely safe. The higher the Player's starting value, the bigger the chance of you busting the 9 point limit. You simply have to weigh the Banker's chances against the Player.

Know Who to Bet On

When you're playing this game you have three betting options. You can bet on the Player, on the Banker, or on the Tie. The Tie is obviously the outside chance, but it can and does happen. That leaves you with the Player or the Banker. While both are good, viable choices, the house always has roughly a 1% advantage, and the Banker is going to win more often than the Player. Not every time, but over the long run the Banker is definitely a more solid bet than the Player, barring any truly unusual happenings.

That said, bets on the Banker often come with a small fee deducted from the winnings. This same fee is not typically deducted from Player bet winnings. That, and more betters feel more natural putting their money on the Player, since that feels more like traditional blackjack. Either option can work, and it's all a matter of the odds in the cards, and whether you're playing over the short term or over the long term.