Baccarat is one of the oldest and most elegant casino card games. It is a game of chance where players bet on whether the Player hand, Banker hand or Tie will win. The objective is to predict the total value of the hand, which is closest to 9.
The game began in 1500s Italy and spread throughout Europe. The baccarat that is played in casinos today has changed a great deal from its original form. Its popularity has generated variations on the game and additional ways to bet and play.
Although Baccarat has many rules, the basics of the game are relatively simple to learn. The game can be played with six decks of cards, shuffled together. Players are seated in random order around an oval table. The dealer is seated at the head of the table. Play begins to the right of the croupier and proceeds counterclockwise. Unlike blackjack and poker, where players make decisions about hitting or standing, the croupier makes all the calls in a baccarat game.
After the initial bets are placed, two cards are dealt to each hand. The values of these cards are added to determine the hand’s total value. The winning hand is the one that has a total closer to nine than any other. A nine is a perfect score, so no other hand can match it. If a hand’s total exceeds nine, only the second digit is counted. Tens, picture cards and jacks are worth zero points, while numbered cards from 1 to 9 have their face value. Aces are worth one point.
When a round of Baccarat ends, the winning Banker or Player hand is determined by comparing their totals to nine. The Banker’s total must be higher than the Player’s to win, but it can also be lower. In the event of a tie, no bets are paid out. If a player wins, the amount won is equal to the initial bet plus the amount of the winning Banker bet. If the player loses, they forfeit their bet and no further cards are drawn.
Aside from the bets on Player and Banker, baccarat has a few side bets available. A player can place a bet on a banker pair or a special bet called the Super Six Bet. The Super Six Bet pays out if the Banker hand wins with 6 or more points.
The game has a house edge of just over 1.2% on both the player and banker bets. The tie bet, however, has a much higher house edge at over 14 percent. For this reason, most serious gamblers stick to the player or banker bets.
Aside from the house edge, baccarat is an easy game to understand and master. In addition, the game is very fast and does not require any complicated strategy. Baccarat is a great choice for newcomers to the world of gambling and high rollers alike. However, it is important to keep in mind that this is a gambling game and you should not lose more money than you can afford to. For this reason, it is important to decide how much you want to spend in advance and treat this as money that you would use on a night out.
