Baccarat is one of the most beloved casino games across Europe and Latin America. Despite its elegant appearance, baccarat is actually one of the easiest casino games to play and boasts one of the lowest house edges overall. Most Americans may recognize it from James Bond movies.
Baccarat’s goal is to determine which hand will come closer to nine. Unlike in poker, suit of cards doesn’t matter; what matters is whether the total comes closer than its opponent. If the cards add up more than nine, one digit should be dropped; for instance a pair of sevens would result in 13 which must be reduced by dropping one number; otherwise if both hands tie there may be an extra card drawn for an overall winner.
Baccarat tables typically feature seven to 14 seating places for players, as well as a dealer area. Two sets of cards are dealt, one for the player and another for the banker, using predetermined rules of baccarat. After placing initial bets are placed, second and third cards may be distributed accordingly before being compared directly against one another to determine which has the higher value – in case eight or nine total value hands exist, winning hands are immediately determined, otherwise further cards may be dealt as necessary in order to identify which hand has the higher value hands based on which rules.
Bets can be placed on both player and banker, or tied. A winning banker bet pays out 8 to 1, while winning on tie pays 9 to 1. Live baccarat tables often provide score sheets to track results of each round.
Another betting option in baccarat is the Super Six bet, an optional bet which can be placed alongside your original Banker or Player hand bet and which pays out when either hand reaches six points total. Each casino varies its payout for winning this bet; please consult its rules section to understand this fully. Alternatively, try placing a Pair bet which pays out when either banker or player hand has two matching cards in its initial hand.