In the world of casino gambling, baccarat is a game that has become synonymous with sophistication and luxury. In fact, the 2013 movie “The Great Gatsby” depicted a baccarat game being played at one of the extravagant parties that character Jay Gatsby hosted. Baccarat is also a popular choice for high rollers at online casinos, with games offering up to $20,000 minimum bets. However, despite its reputation for elegance, the game can be played with small stakes as well. The goal of baccarat is to bet on the hand that will total closest to nine. Each hand is dealt two cards, and the value of those cards is determined by adding their values and subtracting the tens digit. The first hand to reach a total of nine wins; in the case of a tie, the bettors share the winnings.
The history of baccarat dates back centuries to the 1500s in Rome, Italy, where it is believed that Felix Falguiere invented the game. The name he chose for the game, “baccara,” means zero in Italian, an allusion to the values of the cards (tens, jacks, queens, and kings count as zero, while ace counts as one). Some historians believe that the first version of baccarat was actually played with tarot cards rather than modern-day playing cards because of Falguiere’s love of tarot.
While the rules of baccarat vary slightly between different casinos, there are some basic rules that all players should know before they play. In addition to knowing how to place bets, players should understand how a round works and the rules regarding when a third card is drawn.
In a game of baccarat, from seven to 14 players are seated around an oval table, and the cards are shuffled together. Then, the croupier deals out two hands of cards, called the Player’s and Banker’s. Players don’t get their own cards, but they have a betting area where they can place bets. The Player’s and Banker’s hands are scored by the croupier, and winning bets pay out according to the following rules:
Baccarat is popular among high rollers in part because of its prestige, but it also draws players due to its low house edge. While other casino games may offer higher payouts, baccarat’s banker and player bets have an average house edge of about 1.2 percent. There is a third bet, the Tie, which pays out eight to one if either of the two hands equals a nine, but it has a much higher house edge of over 14 percent, so most serious players stick to player or banker. In addition, many baccarat games use six decks of cards, and a card counting strategy can lower the house edge by about 0.05 percent. This method is known as “edge sorting.” If used properly, it can help you beat the casino.