Baccarat (pronounced bah-kah-rah) is one of the most popular casino games in the world. It has a long history starting in Europe that spread through Asia and most recently into the US. Although the game looks serious and elegant and might seem intimidating to a new player, it’s actually very simple. Baccarat is a game of chance, but with the right strategy, it’s also a great way to increase your winning chances.
Baccarat is a card game played with six or eight standard decks of cards. The goal is to correctly guess which hand will win a round. The highest hand is nine, and face cards count as zero. Aces count as 1. The remaining numbers are calculated by dropping the first digit and subtracting 10. For example, a 7 and 6 total 14 points, but in baccarat, the value of that hand is only four points because they drop the first digit when adding them together.
Players sit around a table and each place their bets in counterclockwise order. The first player to announce “I go bank” sets the initial betting amount for the game. Other players can add bets to this amount but they cannot exceed it.
The dealer deals two cards to each of the two hands and the winner is determined by which hand has a total closest to 9. If neither of the hands have a total of 9 or higher, a third card is drawn. If the third card results in a Banker or Player win, the bets are paid. If the result is a Tie, the stakes are returned to the players.
If the score of either the Player or Banker hand is 8 or 9, this is called a natural win and the game is over. If the score is 9, the Banker’s bet pays out while the Player’s bet pays out at odds of 1:1. A tie bet wins at odds of 9:1 but is a very low-probability bet.
After the bets have been placed, the dealer calls “no more bets” and then reveals a card to the Player box and then another card to the Banker box. The dealer tally up the scores to determine which hand won. If a bet on the Player or Banker hand wins, your stake is paid out, and if it’s a tie, you receive the same payout (9:1).
The best strategy in baccarat is to always bet on the Banker. The Banker bet has the best odds and a lower house edge than the Player’s bet. The Banker bet can be won by placing a bet on either the Player or Banker, and you can make additional bets such as Super Six Bets and Pair Bets. Remember, though, that you should only bet on the Banker if you can afford to lose it. Otherwise, you’re better off playing a simpler casino game like roulette with the Martingale system.
