Baccarat has become one of the most popular casino games in the world, but it remains a mystery to many American casino-goers. The game’s roots trace back to the salons of Italy and France, but in recent years it has exploded in popularity in Asia and now is making waves in the United States as well. The game’s rapid rise in popularity is due to its relative simplicity and low house edge compared to other table games. It also lends itself to a variety of betting systems.
In a nutshell, the goal is to bet on which hand (Player or Banker) will total closest to nine. Cards are dealt in two hands to each player, and the winning hand is the one that has a final number (when all the pips—clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades—are added up) that’s closest to nine. Picture cards and Tens have zero value, while aces count as one. The game was first played in Italy before catching on in neighboring France, where King Charles VIII helped spread the craze among French royalty and aristocracy.
From there, it went on to become a favorite of James Bond in his 007 films—first in the 1954 TV adaptation of Casino Royale, then in the 1967 original film, and in the later filmed versions of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Thunderball, and GoldenEye. Baccarat was never a big hit among the mainstream gambling public, so casinos marketed it to high rollers by setting pricey minimum bets and hiding the tables in special rooms.
Today, baccarat is offered on most casino floors and offers more options than ever for bettors to place their chips. It can be played with anywhere from seven to 14 seats for players, and the game is supervised by a table manager who is responsible for maintaining fairness and security. There are two sets of cards dealt and two bet areas—Player’s and Banker’s—and each hand is scored separately. The Banker bet is the most favorable option for players, with a lower house edge than the Player bet.
If a Player or Banker hand scores eight or nine on the first two cards, the game is over and all bets are paid out. If neither hand scores, a third card is drawn, and the result is determined by the outcome of that hand.
The Tie bet, on the other hand, is a much riskier proposition. It pays out 8:1 but is less likely to be won than the other two bets.
A banker may retire after playing a single hand and must declare the amount of money they are retiring with to be eligible to have another player take their spot in the rotation. In addition, the banker may choose to draw a third card in the case of an eight or nine for either the Banker or the Player. Otherwise, the banker must stand on a total of six or less.