Baccarat is a game that has exploded in popularity over the last few years. It is now the world’s most popular card game and it has even found a home outside of casino floors. Whether you are playing in a sticky floor California card room or in the tuxedo-laden casinos of Monaco, the rules are the same: the hand that comes closest to nine wins. Baccarat is also a game that does not require any complex strategy or gamesmanship and, because of this, has one of the lowest house edges in casino gambling.
The game is played on a table with between seven and 14 seats for players and a dealer’s area. Regardless of how many players are seated at the table, two hands of cards are dealt. Each player and the banker are assigned a box to place their bets in. Picture cards and Tens are worth zero points; Cards numbered from 2 to 9 are worth their face value; the Ace is worth one point. The total value of each hand is calculated by adding the values of the cards in play. If the sum reaches a double digit, only the second digit is counted.
A bet on the Player’s hand is placed by wagering that the Player’s hand will have a higher total than the Banker’s. A winning bet pays out 1:1 minus a 5% commission to the casino. The Banker’s bet is a little more complicated and has a lower house edge than the Player’s, but it is a safer bet.
The Banker’s hand is dealt from an eight-deck shoe and the rules for when a third card is drawn are slightly different from those of the Player’s. The Banker must stand on a total of 8 or 9, and may draw a third card when either the Player or Banker has a total of 5 or less. The third card is only drawn if the first two cards are equal to 7 or 9.
There is a bet on a tie that pays eight to one, but it is not recommended. The game is so popular, in fact, that casinos in Macau (which dethroned Las Vegas in 2010) make more money from the game than from any other source, including slot machines. The same is true in Singapore. While Baccarat is not the only game that attracts high rollers, its reputation as a glamorous and elegant game appeals to those looking for a change of pace from the more hectic game of poker or blackjack. Baccarat’s simplicity and lack of skill requirements has given it a reputation as a game for the elite. It is easy to see why it has become so popular.
