BACCARAT, a game of Italian origin playe.d with ordinary playing cards; very sim ple in details and freer from complications than most games at cards. Any number of players may participate and as many pacics of cards may be used as necessary, the number being increased to correspond with the number of players. The member of the party selected to act as banker deals out the cards from a box, after they have been shuffled. The face cards in all countries except America, where the face cards and tens have no value and the naturals are 8 and 9, count 10 and the others according to the numbers of their spots. After the bets have beet, made, the banker deals two cards to each of the players, including himself, but the other players must receive their cards before the banker is served. The aim of play ers is to make the numbers 9, 19, 29, or as nearly those as possible, as 8, 18 and 28. Any player is at liberty either to (stand)) or to be °content)) with the two cards at first dealt or to call for more, at the risk .of exceeding 29, when his stake is forfeited to the dealer. If,
after the first distribution of two cards to each, any player has a anatura1,2— that is, a sum making, or next in value, 19,—he declares it wins and the banker pays all who hold superior hands to his own and claims from those hold ing inferior hands. The plakrers stake their money separately., there being, in fact, as many separate games tn progress as there are play ers and the spectators may wager their money on any one of thern, all of wluch must be ac cepted by the banker. Prior to the banker malting a start, he names the amount of the bank. Amy one sitting down at the table has the right to call the whole of the bank, select ing the left or the right on which to pick up the cards. Previous to the banker dealing the cards,. it is the duty of two croupiers, one on the right and the other on the left, to count up the stakes deposited on either side and then make up the bank. Thus the banker knows, to the smallest coin, the exact amount of his liabilities.