How to Play Chemin de Fer Baccarat Variant

Chemin de fer baccarat variant is the game of choice of most French and European casinos as much as it was the game of James Bond. It is easy to understand why. Chemin de fer baccarat variant also requires strategy since punters and banker can actually choose whether they'd draw a third card or not. In American baccarat, punters only choose between Player and Banker hand, and third card rules are rather fixed and permanent.

A punter can also challenge the current banker through an option called "going bank." When a punter "goes bank," it is meant to bust the dealer. To "go bank," the punter wagers an amount of exactly the same value as the banker's.

In essence, chemin de fer baccarat variant is a game between punter (who acts as banker) and other punters. The banker role rotates among players in chemin de fer baccarat variant. A punter, however, may decline the banker role and pass it to the next player. The first punter to act as banker is the player seated at the croupier's right. Not until the Banker hand loses to Player hand that the banker role is passed to the next punter.

The croupier/house has no active role in the game except to provide equipment and place.

To start the game, the croupier shuffles 6 decks of cards together, then gives them to the punters who'd take turns shuffling the cards. The croupier makes the final shuffle, hands the deck to the punter at the left to cut the cards, then hands a heapful to the first banker.

The banker then places a wager. In chemin de fer baccarat variant, the banker caps the maximum amount of punter bet. The total amount of all punter bets must not exceed the banker's bet.

The banker then deals 2 cards for Player hand and 2 cards for Banker hand. All cards are dealt facedown. The punter with the highest staked amount is dealt the Player hand.

If either or both of the hands have a total of 8 or 9, the cards are turned face up and the results are declared. If none, both punter and banker have the option to draw a third card.

However, if the punter does not draw a third card when the Player hand total is less than 5 or draws a third card when player hand is 6 or 7, the punter earns the ire (plus fine when the hand loses in some tables) of one's fellow punters. The punter is considered to have breached observed procedures. If the total is 5, the punter is free to choose between drawing and not drawing a card.

The banker is not compelled to observe any rules. The banker can make one's decision based on the shown Player hand and also the Banker hand.

Chemin de fer baccarat variant, the most preferred game variant in French and other European casinos as well as James Bond, is not all luck as it is in American baccarat. Punters can actually use strategy to increase their winnings which makes playing chemin de fer baccarat variant most thrilling.