[41 Pa.B. 3196]
[Saturday, June 25, 2011]
[Continued from previous Web Page]
CHAPTER 631a. BACCARAT Sec.
631a.1. Definitions. 631a.2. Baccarat table physical characteristics. 631a.3. Cards; number of decks. 631a.4. Opening of a table for gaming. 631a.5. Shuffle and cut of the cards. 631a.6. Value of cards; point count of hand. 631a.7. Dealing shoe; selection of the player to deal cards. 631a.8. Wagers. 631a.9. Hands of player and banker; procedure for dealing initial two cards to each hand. 631a.10. Procedure for dealing a third card. 631a.11. Rules for determining whether a third card shall be dealt. 631a.12. Announcement of result of round; payment and collection of wagers. 631a.13. Payout odds; vigorish. 631a.14. Continuation of curator as dealer; selection of a new curator. 631a.15. Irregularities. § 631a.1. Definitions.
The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
Curator—The player who accepts the dealing shoe and who is responsible for dealing the cards in accordance with this chapter and the instructions of the dealer calling the game.
Dragon 7—A Banker's Hand which has a Point Count of 7 with a total of three cards dealt and the Player's Hand which has a Point Count of less than 7.
Natural—A hand which has a Point Count of 8 or 9 on the first two cards dealt.
§ 631a.2. Baccarat table physical characteristics.
(a) Baccarat shall be played on a table having numbered positions for 10 to 14 seated players.
(b) The layout for a Baccarat table shall be approved by the Bureau of Gaming Operations and contain, at a minimum:
(1) The name or logo of the certificate holder.
(2) Separate areas designated for the placement of wagers on the Banker's Hand, Players Hand and Tie Hand.
(3) Inscriptions that advise patrons of the payout odds for all permissible wagers offered by the certificate holder. If the payout odds are not inscribed on the layout, a sign identifying the payout odds shall be posted at each Baccarat table.
(4) An area designated for the placement of cards for the Player's Hand and Banker's Hand.
(5) If a certificate holder offers the Dragon Bonus Wager, separate areas designated for the placement of the Dragon Bonus Wager for each player.
(6) If a certificate holder offers EZ Baccarat:
(i) Separate areas designated for the placement of the Dragon 7 Insurance Wager for each player.
(ii) Inscriptions that advise patrons that a wager on the Banker's Hand that results in a Dragon 7 shall tie and be returned to the player.
(7) Numbered areas that correspond to the seat numbers for the purpose of marking vigorish unless the dealer, in accordance with the option selected in the certificate holder's Rules Submission under § 601a.2 (relating to table games Rules Submissions), collects the vigorish from a player at the time the winning payout is made or the table is designated for play as an EZ Baccarat table in which vigorish is not collected.
(c) If marker buttons are used for the purpose of marking vigorish, the marker buttons shall be placed in the table inventory float container or in a separate rack designed for the purpose of storing marker buttons. If a separate rack is used, the rack shall be placed in front of the table inventory float container during gaming activity.
(d) Each Baccarat table must have a drop box and a tip box attached on the same side of the gaming table as, but on opposite sides of, the dealer, in locations approved by the Bureau of Casino Compliance. The Bureau of Casino Compliance may approve an alternative location for the tip box when a card shuffling device or other table game equipment prevents the placement of the drop box and tip box on the same side of the gaming table as, but on opposite sides of, the dealer.
(e) Each Baccarat table must have a discard bucket on dealer's side of the table in a location approved by the Bureau of Casino Compliance.
§ 631a.3. Cards; number of decks.
(a) Baccarat shall be played with six to eight decks of cards that are identical in appearance and two cover cards.
(b) The decks of cards opened for use at a Baccarat table shall be changed after the play of each shoe.
§ 631a.4. Opening of a table for gaming.
(a) Except as provided in subsection (d), after receiving six or more decks of cards at the table, the dealer calling the game shall inspect the cards for any defects. The floorperson assigned to the table shall verify the inspection.
(b) After the cards are inspected, the cards shall be spread out face up on the table for visual inspection by the first player to arrive at the table. The cards shall be spread out in horizontal fan shaped columns by deck according to suit and in sequence.
(c) After the first player is afforded an opportunity to visually inspect the cards, the cards shall be turned face down on the table, mixed thoroughly by a washing of the cards and stacked.
(d) If the decks of cards received at the table are preinspected and preshuffled in accordance with § 603a.16(u) or (v) (relating to cards; receipt, storage, inspection and removal from use), subsections (a)—(c) do not apply.
§ 631a.5. Shuffle and cut of the cards.
(a) Immediately prior to commencement of play, unless the cards were preshuffled in accordance with § 603a.16(u) or (v) (relating to cards; receipt, storage, inspection and removal from use), one or more of the dealers shall wash and stack the cards, after which each of the dealers shall shuffle the stack of cards independently.
(b) After shuffling the cards and, when applicable, reshuffling them, the dealer calling the game shall offer the stack of cards, with backs facing away from the dealer, to the players to be cut. The dealer shall begin with the player seated in the highest number position at the table or, in the case of a reshuffle, the last curator and working clockwise around the table, offer the stack to each player until a player accepts the cut. If a player does not accept the cut, the dealer shall cut the cards.
(c) The cards shall be cut by placing a cover card in the stack at least ten cards in from the top or the bottom of the stack.
(d) Once the cover card has been inserted into the stack, the dealer shall take all cards above the cover card and the cover card and place them on the bottom of the stack. The dealer shall then insert the second cover card in a position at least 14 cards above the bottom of the stack. The stack of cards shall then be inserted into the dealing shoe for commencement of play.
(e) After the cards have been cut and before the cards have been placed in the dealing shoe, a floorperson or above may require the cards to be recut if the floorperson or above determines that the cut was performed improperly or in any way that might affect the integrity or fairness of the game. If a recut is required, the cards shall be recut by the next person entitled to cut the cards, as determined by subsection (b).
(f) Prior to commencement of play, the dealer shall remove the first card from the dealing shoe and place it, and an additional number of cards equal to the face value of the first card drawn, in the discard bucket after all cards have been shown to the players. When determining the face value of the first card removed from the dealing shoe, a 10, jack, queen or king shall count as ten and an ace shall count as one.
§ 631a.6. Value of cards; point count of hand.
(a) The value of the cards in each deck shall be as follows:
(1) Any card from 2 to 9 shall have its face value.
(2) Any 10, jack, queen or king shall have a value of zero.
(3) Any ace shall have a value of one.
(b) The Point Count of a hand shall be a single digit number from 0 to 9 and be determined by totaling the value of the cards in the hand. If the total value of the cards in a hand is a two-digit number, the left digit of the number shall be discarded and the right digit shall constitute the Point Count of the hand. Examples of this rule are as follows:
(1) A hand composed of an ace, 2 and 4 has a Point Count of 7.
(2) A hand composed of an ace, 2 and 9 has a total value of 12 but a Point Count of only 2 since the left digit in the number 12 is discarded.
§ 631a.7. Dealing shoe; selection of the player to deal cards.
(a) Cards used to play Baccarat shall be dealt from a manual dealing shoe specifically designed for that purpose.
(b) After the cards have been shuffled and placed in the dealing shoe, the dealer calling the game shall offer the dealing shoe to the player in seat number one at the table. If that player rejects the dealing shoe or if there is no one in seat number one, the dealer shall offer the dealing shoe to each of the other players in turn counterclockwise around the table until one of the players accepts the dealing shoe.
(c) The player that accepts the dealing shoe shall be designated as the curator.
(d) Notwithstanding subsections (b) and (c), the dealer may act as the curator if either:
(1) A player who accepts the dealing shoe and any other player to whom the dealing shoe is relinquished under § 631a.14 (relating to continuation of curator as dealer; selection of a new curator) designates the dealer calling the game as the curator.
(2) No player to whom the dealing shoe is offered accepts the dealing shoe.
§ 631a.8. Wagers.
(a) The following are permissible wagers in the game of Baccarat:
(1) A wager on the Banker's Hand which shall:
(i) Win if the Banker's Hand has a Point Count higher than that of the Player's Hand unless EZ Baccarat is being played and the Point Counts of the Banker's Hand and the Player's Hand result in a Dragon 7.
(ii) Lose if the Banker's Hand has a Point Count lower than that of the Player's Hand.
(iii) Tie if the Banker's Hand and the Player's Hand have the same Point Count and either:
(A) Be returned to the player.
(B) If the licensee charges vigorish in accordance with § 631a.13(h) (relating to payout odds; vigorish), be charged a vigorish up to 25% of the wager.
(iv) Be returned to the player if EZ Baccarat is being played and the Point Counts of the Banker's Hand and the Player's Hand result in a Dragon 7.
(2) A wager on the Player's Hand which shall:
(i) Win if the Player's Hand has a Point Count higher than that of the Banker's Hand.
(ii) Lose if the Player's Hand has a Point Count lower than that of the Banker's Hand or if EZ Baccarat is being played and the Point Counts of the Banker's Hand and the Player's Hand result in a Dragon 7.
(iii) Tie and be returned to the player if the Point Counts of the Banker's Hand and the Player's Hand are equal.
(3) A Tie Wager which shall:
(i) Win if the Point Counts of the Banker's Hand and the Player's Hand are equal.
(ii) Lose if the Point Counts of the Banker's Hand and the Player's Hand are not equal.
(4) If offered by a certificate holder, a Dragon Bonus Wager on the Player's Hand or Banker's Hand, or both, which shall:
(i) Win if the selected hand is:
(A) A Natural and the other hand is not a Natural.
(B) A Natural 9 and the other hand is a Natural 8.
(C) Not a Natural and has a Point Count that exceeds the Point Count of the other hand by four or more points.
(ii) Lose if the selected hand is:
(A) A Natural 8 and the other hand is a Natural 9.
(B) Not a Natural and has a Point Count less than or equal to the Point Count of the other hand.
(C) Not a Natural and has a Point Count that exceeds the Point Count of the other hand by less than four points.
(iii) Tie if the selected hand is a Natural and the other hand is a Natural of equal Point Count and either:
(A) Be returned to the player.
(B) If the licensee charges a vigorish in accordance with § 631a.13(h), be charged a vigorish up to 25% of the wager.
(5) A Dragon 7 Insurance Wager, if the table is designated for play as an EZ Baccarat table, which shall:
(i) Win if the Point Counts of the Banker's Hand and the Player's Hand result in a Dragon 7.
(ii) Lose if the Point Counts of the Banker's Hand and the Player's Hand do not result in a Dragon 7.
(b) Wagers at Baccarat shall be made by placing value chips or plaques on the appropriate areas of the Baccarat layout. A verbal wager, accompanied by cash, may be accepted provided the verbal wager is confirmed by the dealer calling the game and the cash is expeditiously converted into value chips or plaques.
(c) A wager may not be made, increased or withdrawn after the dealer calling the game has announced ''no more bets.''
§ 631a.9. Hands of player and banker; procedure for dealing initial two cards to each hand.
(a) There shall be two hands dealt in the game of Baccarat, one of which shall be designated the Player's Hand and the other designated the Banker's Hand.
(b) After the dealer calling the game announces ''no more bets,'' the dealer calling the game shall instruct the curator to commence dealing the cards by announcing ''cards.''
(c) The curator shall deal an initial four cards from the dealing shoe face down to the areas designated for the placement of the Player's Hand and the Dealer's Hand. The first and third card dealt shall constitute the first and second cards of the Player's Hand. The second and fourth card dealt shall constitute the first and second cards of the Banker's Hand. Except as provided in subsection (d), after the cards are dealt to each hand, the dealer calling the game shall place the cards face up in front of himself. Any third cards that are required to be dealt shall first be dealt face up to the Player's Hand and then to the Banker's Hand by the curator.
(d) A certificate holder may, in the certificate holder's Rules Submission under § 601a.2 (relating to table games Rules Submissions), elect to use the following procedures in lieu of the procedures in subsection (c) and § 631a.10(a) (relating to procedure for dealing a third card), after all four cards have been dealt:
(1) The curator shall place the Banker's Hand underneath the right corner of the dealing shoe.
(2) The dealer calling the game shall then hand the two cards of the Player's Hand, face down, to the player with the highest wager on the Player's Hand. After viewing the Player's Hand, the player shall return the two cards, face up, to the dealer calling the game who shall place the cards face up on the area of the layout designated for the Player's Hand and announce the Point Count of the Player's Hand.
(3) The dealer calling the game shall then hand the two cards of the Banker's Hand, face down, to the player with the highest wager on the Banker's Hand. After viewing the Banker's Hand, the player shall return the two cards, face up, to the dealer calling the game who shall place the cards face up on the area of the layout designated for the Banker's Hand and announce the point count of the Banker's Hand.
(4) Any third card required to be dealt to the Player's Hand shall be placed face down on the area of the layout designated for the Player's Hand. The dealer calling the game shall then hand the card, face down, to the player who was handed and returned the Player's Hand. After viewing the card, the player shall return the card, face up, to the dealer calling the game who shall place the card face up on the area on the layout designated for the Player's Hand.
(5) Any third card required to be dealt to the Banker's Hand shall be placed face down on the area of the layout designated for the Banker's Hand. The dealer calling the game shall then hand the card, face down, to the player who was handed and returned the Banker's Hand. After viewing the card, the player shall return the card, face up, to the dealer calling the game who shall place the card face up on the area of the layout designated for the Banker's Hand.
(6) If two or more players wager an equally high amount on the Player's Hand, the player making the wager who is closest to the dealer calling the game moving counterclockwise around the table shall be handed the Player's Hand and any third card required to be dealt. If two or more players wager an equally high amount on the Banker's Hand, the player making the wager who is closest to the dealer calling the game moving counterclockwise around the table shall be handed the Banker's Hand and any third card required to be dealt.
(7) In the event there are no wagers on the Player's Hand, the dealer calling the game shall turn the Player's Hand face up and any additional card required to be dealt. In the event there are no wagers on the Banker's Hand, the dealer calling the game shall turn the Banker's Hand face up and any additional card required to be dealt.
(e) The dealer or floorperson assigned to the table may require any player to relinquish the right to turn over the cards in accordance with subsection (d) if the player unreasonably delays the game or violates either the act or this part. If the voluntary or compulsory relinquishment of that right occurs, the dealer shall offer it to the player immediately to the right of the previous player and, if he does not accept it or there is no player in that position, the dealer shall offer it to each of the other players in turn counterclockwise around the table for the remainder of that round of play. If no player accepts the cards, the dealer shall turn the cards over and place them on the designated areas of the layout.
§ 631a.10. Procedure for dealing a third card.
(a) Except as provided in § 631a.9(d) (relating to hands of player and banker; procedure for dealing initial two cards to each hand), after the initial four cards have been dealt and the dealer calling the game places the cards face up in front of himself, the dealer calling the game shall announce the Point Count of the Player's Hand and the Banker's Hand.
(b) Following the announcement of the Point Counts of each hand, the dealer calling the game shall instruct the curator whether to deal a third card to either or both hands in conformity with § 631a.11 (relating to rules for determining whether a third card shall be dealt). Any third cards required to be dealt shall be dealt as provided in § 631a.9(c) or (d).
(c) In no event may more than one additional card be dealt to either hand.
(d) When the cover card appears as the first card in the dealing shoe at the beginning of a round of play or appears during play, the cover card shall be removed and placed to the side and the hand will be completed. Upon completion of that hand, the dealer calling the game shall announce ''last hand.'' At the completion of one more hand, the cards shall be replaced with new decks of cards.
§ 631a.11. Rules for determining whether a third card shall be dealt.
(a) If the Player's Hand or the Banker's Hand is a Natural, no more cards may be dealt to either hand.
(b) If the Point Count of the Player's Hand and the Banker's Hand is 0 to 7 on the first two cards, the Player's Hand shall:
(1) Draw (take a third card) if the Player's Hand has a Point Count of less than 6.
(2) Stay (not take a third card) if the Player's Hand has a Point Count of 6 or more.
(c) If the Point Count of the Player's Hand and the Banker's Hand is 0 to 7 on the first two cards, the Banker's Hand shall draw or stay in accordance with the following requirements:
(1) If the Player's Hand does not receive a third card, the Banker's Hand shall be dealt a third card if the Point Count of the Banker's Hand is 5 or less.
(2) If the Player's Hand is dealt a third card and:
(i) The Banker's Hand has a Point Count of less than 3, the Banker's Hand shall be dealt a third card.
(ii) The Banker's Hand has a Point Count of 7, the Banker's Hand may not be dealt a third card.
(iii) The Banker's Hand has a Point Count of 3, 4, 5 or 6, the Banker's Hand shall be dealt or not dealt a third card in accordance with Table 1 as follows:
Table 1
Value of the Third Card Drawn by Player's Hand
Point Count of
Banker's Hand
After Two Cards0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 3 D D D D D D D D S D 4 S S D D D D D D S S 5 S S S S D D D D S S 6 S S S S S S D D S S
(d) In Table 1, the first vertical column labeled ''Point Count of Banker's Hand'' refers to the Point Count of the Banker's Hand after the first two cards have been dealt to the Banker's Hand.
(e) In Table 1, the first horizontal row at the top labeled ''Value of the Third Card Drawn by Player's Hand'' refers to the value of the third card drawn by the Player's Hand, not the Point Count of the Player's Hand.
(f) In Table 1, the letter ''D'' means that the Banker's Hand must draw a third card and the letter ''S'' means that the Banker's Hand must stay.
(g) To use Table 1, first find the Point Count of the Banker's Hand in the first vertical column and trace that horizontally across the table until it intersects the vertical column that corresponds to the value of the third card drawn by the Player's Hand. The symbol located where the intersection occurs determines whether the Banker's Hand must draw a third card or stay. For example, if the Point Count of the Banker's Hand after two cards is 5 and the value of the third card drawn by the Player's Hand is 4, the table shows that the Banker's Hand must draw a third card.
§ 631a.12. Announcement of result of round; payment and collection of wagers.
(a) After each hand has received all the cards to which it is entitled under §§ 631a.9, 631a.10 and 631a.11 (relating to hands of player and banker; procedure for dealing initial two cards to each hand; procedure for dealing a third card; and rules for determining whether a third card shall be dealt), the dealer calling the game shall announce the final Point Count of each hand indicating which hand has won the round. If the two hands have equal Point Counts, the dealer shall announce ''tie hand.'' If the table is designated for play as an EZ Baccarat table and the Point Counts of the Banker's Hand and the Player's Hand result in a Dragon 7, the dealer shall announce ''Dragon 7.''
(b) After the result of the round is announced, the dealer or dealers responsible for the wagers on the table shall first collect each losing wager. After the losing wagers are collected, the dealer or dealers responsible for the wagers on the table shall, starting at the highest numbered player position at which a winning wager is located, pay that player's winning wager and immediately thereafter mark or collect the vigorish owed by that player unless the table is designated for play as an EZ Baccarat table in which vigorish is not collected. The dealer shall then proceed in descending order to the next highest numbered player position at which a winning wager is located and repeat this procedure until each winning wager is paid and the vigorish owed by each player, if any, is either marked or collected.
(c) At the conclusion of a round of play, all cards on the layout shall be picked up by the dealer and placed in the discard bucket.
§ 631a.13. Payout odds; vigorish.
(a) A winning wager made on the Player's Hand shall be paid at odds of 1 to 1.
(b) A winning Tie Wager shall be paid at odds of at least 8 to 1.
(c) Except as provided in subsection (h), a winning wager made on the Banker's Hand shall be paid at odds of 1 to 1, except that the certificate holder shall extract a vigorish from the winning players in an amount equal to either 4% or 5% of the amount won, as specified in the certificate holder's Rules Submission under § 601a.2 (relating to table games Rules Submissions), unless the certificate holder is offering EZ Baccarat in which vigorish is not collected.
(d) If a certificate holder offers the Dragon Bonus Wager, a vigorish may not be extracted on a winning Dragon Bonus Wager. Winning Dragon Bonus Wagers shall be paid out at the odds in one of the following paytables selected by the certificate holder in its Rules Submission filed in accordance with § 601a.2:
Hand Paytable A Paytable B Paytable C Win by 9 Points 30 to 1 20 to 1 30 to 1 Win by 8 Points 10 to 1 8 to 1 10 to 1 Win by 7 Points 6 to 1 7 to 1 4 to 1 Win by 6 Points 4 to 1 4 to 1 4 to 1 Win by 5 Points 2 to 1 3 to 1 2 to 1 Win by 4 Points 1 to 1 1 to 1 2 to 1 Natural winner 1 to 1 1 to 1 1 to 1 Natural Tie Push Push Push (e) A winning Dragon 7 Insurance Wager shall be paid out at odds of 40 to 1.
(f) When collecting the vigorish, the certificate holder may round off the vigorish to 25 cents or the next highest multiple of 25 cents.
(g) A dealer, in accordance with the option selected in the certificate holder's Rules Submission under § 601a.2, may collect the vigorish from a player at the time the winning payout is made or may defer the collection of the vigorish to a later time provided, however, that outstanding vigorish shall be collected prior to beginning play with a new dealing shoe of cards or when the player leaves the gaming table, whichever occurs first. The amount of any vigorish not collected at the time of the winning payout shall be tracked by placing a coin or marker button containing the amount of the vigorish owed in a rectangular space in front of the dealer on the layout imprinted with the number of the player owing the vigorish. The coin or marker button may not be removed from the layout until the vigorish owed is collected.
(h) A certificate holder may, if specified in its Rules Submission under § 601a.2, elect to charge every player at a Baccarat table a vigorish up to 25% of the player's wager on the Banker's Hand if the Point Counts of the Banker's Hand and the Player's Hand are equal, unless the certificate holder is offering EZ Baccarat in which vigorish is not collected. The vigorish authorized by this subsection shall be collected at the end of the round of play and prior to any cards being dealt for the next round of play. If a certificate holder elects to charge the vigorish authorized by this subsection, the vigorish otherwise required by subsection (c) may not be collected.
(i) The type and percentage of vigorish charged at a Baccarat table shall apply to all players at that table. The same type and percentage of vigorish shall be used for all Baccarat tables located within a licensed facility.
§ 631a.14. Continuation of curator as dealer; selection of a new curator.
(a) The curator, after any round of play, may either pass the dealing shoe or remain as curator except that:
(1) The curator shall pass the dealing shoe whenever the Banker's Hand loses.
(2) The dealer calling the game or a floorperson or above may order the curator to pass the dealing shoe if the curator unreasonably delays the game, repeatedly makes invalid deals or violates either the act or this part.
(b) When a voluntary or compulsory relinquishment of the dealing shoe occurs, the dealer shall offer the dealing shoe to the player immediately to the right of the previous curator and, if that player does not accept the dealing shoe or there is no player in that position, the dealer shall offer the dealing shoe to each of the other players in turn counterclockwise around the table. The first player to accept the dealing shoe when offered shall become the new curator.
§ 631a.15. Irregularities.
(a) A card drawn in error from the dealing shoe that is not disclosed shall be used as the first card of the next hand of play.
(b) A third card dealt to the Player's Hand that is not disclosed when no third card is authorized under § 631a.11 (relating to rules for determining whether a third card shall be dealt) shall become the third card of the Banker's Hand if the Banker's Hand is required to draw under § 631a.11(c). If the Banker's Hand is required to stay, the card dealt in error shall become the first card of the next hand.
(c) If a card dealt in error under the circumstances in subsection (a) or (b) is disclosed at the time it is dealt or a card is found face up in the dealing shoe, the dealer calling the game shall, in accordance with one of the following procedures designated in the certificate holder's Rules Submission under § 601a.2 (relating to table games Rules Submissions):
(1) Place the disclosed card and an additional number of cards equal to the face value of the disclosed card from the dealing shoe in the discard bucket without disclosing the additional cards.
(2) Use the disclosed card as the first card of a simulated round of play in which wagers may not be accepted. The cards shall be dealt in accordance with the rules of this chapter and be placed in the discard bucket upon completion of the dealing procedures.
(d) If there are insufficient cards remaining in the dealing shoe to complete a round of play, that round shall be void and all wagers shall be returned. A new round shall commence after the entire set of cards has been replaced and the new set of cards have been placed in the dealing shoe.
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 11-1044. Filed for public inspection June 24, 2011, 9:00 a.m.]
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