Baccarat is one of those games that exudes sophistication, conjuring images of men in tuxedos and women in elegant evening gowns laying down chips as the dealer distributes cards. But despite the game’s mystique, it’s actually a simple and fun casino card game that anyone can learn.
In Baccarat, players wager on which hand will come closest to nine. Two cards are dealt to the player hand and two to the banker’s hand. If either hand totals eight or nine, the bets are paid and no more cards are drawn. If neither hand totals 8 or 9, a third card is drawn.
A croupier serves as the dealer for Baccarat. The game can be played with anywhere from seven to 14 players, although the dealer deals all the cards and isn’t a participant in the actual game. The dealer has a designated area where all bets are placed, called the Player’s area and the Banker’s area. Depending on the version of Baccarat being played, players bet on which hand will win or if there will be a tie.
Unlike most casino table games, Baccarat has fixed rules for when a third card is drawn and which hand wins a game. This eliminates the uncertainty that is common in other casino table games, which often depend on a hunch, an intuition or the luck of the draw to determine whether you’ll walk away with a big win. Moreover, Baccarat rounds only last a few minutes, which means you can get the most out of your time and money.
As a result, the house edge of Baccarat is lower than that of most other casino games. In fact, it’s even lower than that of Roulette, which has the highest house edge. This low house edge makes Baccarat one of the best casino games for high rollers.
In addition to bets on a Player Win, Banker Win or Tie, Baccarat also offers a number of side bets. These vary by establishment and platform, but they generally pay out at higher odds than a Player or Banker bet. They include a Super Six Bet (pays out 12:1 if the Banker hand has a 6-point total) and a Pair Bet.
The game of Baccarat was invented in 1500s Rome, Italy by Felix Falguiere. Its name is derived from its Italian translation of “zero”: tens and picture cards have zero value, while the remaining numbers have their face value. The ace is worth one point. When the points total of either hand reaches a double digit, the second digit becomes the value of the hand. The game was later brought to France, where it became known as Chemin de Fer. It was popular among the aristocracy for many centuries. Baccarat was then adopted by the United States and other countries, but is still most widely played in Asia. The game’s popularity in the United States has been on the rise in recent years. This may have something to do with its mystical allure and its status as the quintessential casino game of choice for royalty.