Baccarat Banque

Baccarat Banque is another online baccarat variant among the seemingly endless sea of games available to casino enthusiasts. It is one of the three traditional versions of Baccarat that is available to players both online and off, with the other two being Punto Banco (the most popular form) and Chemin de Fer.

There are many more versions of Baccarat which have similar rules. The casinos love to chase new players to this game because of its stigma as a high roller game and its allure for a player because it is a game with the lowest house edge.

Due to Banque’s player adversarial style it is difficult for casinos, both online and bricks and mortar, to make a significant profit from the game aside from the 5% commission collected from Banker bets.

Best Casinos Baccarat Banque

• Royal Vegas Casino:
  One of the oldest and most reputable casinos, Royal Vegas has plenty of options for Baccarat players in both their downloadable and instant-play casinos. Table limits at the tables vary, with plenty of options for high limit players. All new players at Royal Vegas Online Casino get up to $1200 in bonus bets.
• Guts Casino
  If you are looking for an instant play casino with plenty of options, Guts.com is one of the best. It has a completely instant-play interface on both desktop and mobile versions, so no downloads required. It also boasts a selection of Live Dealer and software based baccarat games almost unrivalled on the Web. New players get up to $300 free.
• G’day Casino
  An unlimited deposit bonus upon sign-up is the big drawcard at G’day Casino. This means they will match your initial deposit 100 per cent up to any amount. This is an ideal setup for Baccarat players. The casino is instant play, which means it is an exceptionally easy to begin playing.

How to Play Baccarat Banque

Banque is typically played across France and other European casinos, and holds unique rules to other variations as you are either playing as a player or the banker.

• How many decks are used in banque?

  First and foremost, Baccarat Banque is played with only three decks of cards, not the traditional eight decks of Punto Banco, or the six decks of Chemin de Fer. Again, like Chemin de Fer, Banque is played around a long oval table and can seat 10 people as well as a dealer. That is about the only similarity between the two games, though.

• Banque Gameplay

  After the cards have been shuffled, the Banker position is essentially put up for auction. Whoever sitting at the table is willing to put up the biggest stake is then awarded the Banker position and will take a spot opposite where the dealer is sitting. Unlike Chemin de Fer, where the Banker responsibility is passed around whenever the Banker loses, during Banque the person who puts up the largest bid remains Banker until the shoe has been fully played out or the Banker has exhausted their funds and cannot continue in the role.

  The Banque table is separated into two very distinct halves with five sitting players on either side as well as any standing back bettors. The Banker will deal three hands – a Banker hand for themselves and two Player hands, one for each half of the table. The Banker can only bet on the Banker’s cards and the rest of the Players can only bet on the Player hands. To bet on a specific Player hand, either the left or right side of the table, they must place their bet on the side they wish, however if the punter wants to bet on both Player hands at the same time their bet must be placed in the centre of the table.

  With betting, the total sum of the Players bets cannot exceed the total stake the Banker has put up for that hand. For example, if the Banker were to wager $5,000 on one hand then the combined total of the Player bets for the round, both left and right sides of the table, could not exceed $5k.

  A player may challenge the Banker for their role. To do so the challenger must announce “Go Bank” and put forward a bet matching the Banker’s wager, this can be split across both player hands, but the combined bets must be equal to the Banker’s bet. The challenger may “Go Bank” three times if unsuccessful, but if they are not successful after the third time, they lose the right to “Go Bank”. If the challenger is successful across any of their attempts they can assume the role of the Banker.

  Much like Chemin de Fer, players can elect to stay or pull another card after the initial deal. If a natural – two card eight or nine – is dealt then the cards must be exposed once examined by whoever is holding them. If a third card is taken then it must be exposed immediately after it has been scrutinized by the controlling punter. Once the hand is complete all initial cards will be exposed and all bets will be settled as necessary.