Summary
Chemin De Fer (French for "railroad" - probably depicting the shoe as a train traveling around the table) is the version of baccarat that is mainly played in France.
In this game you cannot bet on Player or Bank (Punto or Banco), you must BE one or the other. The House (or the Casino) has no direct involvement in the betting. The players wager among themselves.
The House provides a "Croupier" or dealer to make sure the rules are adhered to and that everything runs smoothly. Also, the House provides all the necessary gaming equipment; table, chairs, the shoe called "sabot" and the cards. For that, the House takes a percentage commission, or rake, (usually 5%) on all winning Bank hands.
Each player can be a Banker in turn. The player who is acting as the Banker is responsible for all losing bets with his/her own money, as well as collecting all winning Bank bets.
Unlike Baccarat, Chemin De Fer has flexible third-card-rules; that is, there is some optional play whereby the Player and Banker can decide whether to call a third card or not. Also, the game is played entirely in French.
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