You may be apprehensive about sitting around a baccarat table. Put you at ease! There is absolutely no reason to have the slightest fear. This game is not reserved exclusively for wealthy aristocrats. Anyone can try it. Since the rules of baccarat are predetermined, you will only have to place your bets and contemplate the progress of the game. In addition, you are free to use a betting strategy like the martingale or the Parlay system. That said, it is better to understand the vocabulary words that are used around the table. To make it easier for you, we have developed a lexicon that groups together the main terms used in baccarat. Find out without further ado!
Action – Term to denote all of the hands played and the money that was wagered during a game.
House Advantage – This is the casino’s profit margin on the different bets placed.
Baccarat – In addition to designating the generic name of this casino game, we also use the term ‘ baccarat ‘ to define the worst hand there is (a hand whose value is 0 points).
Banco – This is the Spanish word for the bank. In a live casino, the player who holds the shoe and deals the cards. The name has only a purely symbolic value because it is not the player who will take care of the management of the bets and the distribution of the profits.
Bankroll – This is the capital a player has to play baccarat. It is a generic term that is also used in all other casino games.
Bank – Variant of baccarat popular in some American casinos.
Burning Cards – The process of removing the first 3 or 6 cards from the pile before the game begins.
Log – Means a 10, a valet, a lady, or a king. In baccarat, these are cards that do not have the slightest value.
Closed Card – This is a card with the face hidden.
Open Card – Card whose face is visible to all.
Chemin De Fer – This is a more complicated variant of baccarat, which is played mainly in European casinos. The number of players around the table is significantly different. This version is also called ‘bank baccarat.’
Commission – It is an interest that the casino takes on winning bets. In the case of bank bets, a 5% commission is applied. It was introduced to offset the low value of the house advantage on a particular type of bet. Synonym = Vigorish.
Card Counting – This is the most commonly used strategy in baccarat. Players memorize the cards that have been removed from the shoe to determine which hands are likely to fall in subsequent rounds.
Hit – Refers to a baccarat sleeve.
Croupier – It is the employee of a casino who is responsible for turning over the cards and counting the points of the different hands. It is his responsibility to apply the rules for drawing a third card if necessary. In the larger casinos, you will notice that two other croupiers are positioned on either side of the main croupier. The latter will be in charge of managing the bets and the distribution of winnings according to the bets placed.