Baccarat is a game often associated with luxury and high stakes gambling. However, the James Bond-like game has become more accessible than ever and is now available in the average casino, with a much lower minimum bet. The game is a variation of the French card game chemin de fer and uses six decks to create a group of players at a table. Players place their bets on either the Player Hand, Banker Hand, or a Tie. The game is simple to learn and requires little strategy, but the rules can be confusing. Here are some things to keep in mind when playing baccarat.
The game is played on a large circular or oval table with from seven to 14 seats. There is one dealer who acts as the banker and sets an initial betting amount. Players then take turns announcing “go bank” and betting against the banker’s amount. When the total for a player’s bet side matches or exceeds the banker’s initial stake, they can add additional bets. Then the banker deals two hands of cards to himself and the bettors. The highest value hand wins. If either of the hands are worth 8 or 9, no more cards are dealt. Otherwise, the hands are compared and the winning hand is paid.
Depending on the establishment or platform, there are several interesting side bets available in Baccarat beyond a player win, banker win, or a tie. The most common is the Super Six Bet, which pays 12x the bet amount. Another is the Pair Bet, in which a player wagers that the banker or player will receive a pair of identical cards on the deal. This bet pays out at 11:1 odds.
While baccarat has been a staple in European casinos and is a popular casino game in Asia, it’s still relatively new to American gaming floors. But that hasn’t stopped it from becoming a favorite among deep-pocketed players. Zender points to the game’s low house edge of 1.2 percent on banker and player bets as one reason why it attracts big gamblers. Baccarat also has a reputation for sophistication, with tuxedo-clad dealers and double tables.
Despite its James Bond image, the game is actually very simple to play and can be enjoyed by any type of player. It’s recommended to stick to the Banker bet because of its higher payout (approximately 51% of the stake), as opposed to the Player bet, which has a lower but more risky return percentage (15%). Moreover, the tie bet is so unlikely to pay out that it should only be placed as a fun bet and not as part of a Baccarat strategy.