Baccarat is a game of cards played by one or more players against the banker. The object of the game is to get a total closest to nine without going over. Depending on which hand wins, wagers are paid out accordingly. There are three types of bets available: Player hand bets, Banker hand bets and Tie bets. Each of these has different payouts.
Before the cards are dealt each player must decide which of the three bets they would like to place. This will depend on the gamer’s preference and their budget. Players can bet as little or as much as they want on any of the three options. However, the bets must fall within the minimum and maximum table stakes.
Once the bets are placed, the dealer will deal two cards to both the player and banker hands. These will be tallied up to give each hand a value. Picture cards and tens count as zero, while Aces are worth one. In addition, if a player or banker has a total of 8 or 9 in the first two cards, this is called a “natural” and the hand ends.
If the banker total is two or less, they will draw a third card. However, if the banker has a total of 6 or higher, they will stand. The banker’s position as the banker of the shoe is permanent, unlike in Chemin de Fer, where the banker can choose to retire after a certain number of hands.
Baccarat is also a great option for high rollers, as the game has one of the lowest hold percentages in the casino. The house edge on a bet on the banker or player is only about 1.2 percent, which is low in comparison to other casino games. While there is a third bet, Tie, which pays out eight to one, most serious players stick with the player or banker bets and avoid the tie option.
The game is very simple to play, with only a few basic rules that players must understand. The game can be played with anywhere from seven to 14 seats, including two betting areas for the player and banker. Players do not get their own cards and only two hands are dealt — the Player’s and Banker’s.
The game is governed by a set of rules, and the decisions are made by the dealers. The dealer will determine if the Player or Banker hand has a higher total, and will then decide on whether or not to draw a third card. The rules are slightly different depending on whether the game is being played as Punto Banco or Chemin de Fer, but the general rule is that a third card will be drawn if either the Player or Banker has a total of eight or nine in the first two cards. The third card is only drawn if the first two cards are equal in value or higher.