Baccarat is the world’s most popular casino card game. With a history that dates back to the gambling salons of Italy and France, the game’s popularity has surged in recent years as it spreads from Asia to casinos across the United States.
Although there are different variants of the game, the fundamentals remain the same. You place your bet on either the Player or Banker hand and aim to win by betting on the hand that has a total value closest to nine. All cards are dealt face up and the values of each hand are determined by adding up the digits of their respective cards. Aces are worth one, while number cards (2-9), and picture cards (Jacks, Queens, Kings) count as zero. A score of nine is a natural win and the hand is over. If either the Player or Banker hands have a total of 8 or 9, an additional third card may be drawn.
The rules of baccarat can seem complex at first, but it’s easy to learn and understand the basics. The game is played on a large table with from 7 to 14 seats for players and a dealer’s area. When the game begins, the dealer deals two cards to both the Player and Banker hand. These are face up and visible to all the players at the table. If your bet is placed on the Player hand, you’re wagering that the Player’s hand will have a higher total than the Banker’s. If the Player wins, your bet pays out 1:1. If the Banker wins, your bet pays out 9:1 minus a five percent commission.
You can also make a bet on a tie, which pays out a much larger sum, but is a bit more complicated. If you bet on a tie, the Banker and Player hands must both have equal totals for you to win. If the Player’s hand is a total of 8, but the Banker’s hand is a total of 7, then the tie is a draw. The tie bet must be placed before the second card is dealt.
In addition to the main bets on Player, Banker, and Tie, there are several optional bets that you can make. Super Six and Pair Bets are both popular options. The Super Six bet pays out if the Banker Hand has a total of 6 and the Player Hand does not have a total of 6. The Pair Bet pays out if the first two cards dealt to the Player and Banker are a pair, which is defined as having the same suit.
Whether you prefer the fast-paced action of Punto Banco or the slower, more elaborate Chemin de Fer, there is no doubt that baccarat is a classic casino card game that has stood the test of time. You’ve probably seen it in many incarnations, from sticky-floor California card rooms to the tuxedo-laden casinos of Monaco. You may even have seen it in a few of the James Bond movies, including Dr. No, where Bond tries to bankrupt Le Chiffre while playing the game; Thunderball; On Her Majesty’s Secret Service; For Your Eyes Only; and GoldenEye.