Whether you’ve visited a sticky-floor California card room or the tuxedo-laden casinos of Monaco, you’ve probably seen baccarat played in some form. Though baccarat’s history dates back centuries, it hasn’t become a household name in the United States until recently. This is largely due to the game’s recent surge in popularity in Asia and its appearance in a handful of American casinos.
Baccarat is a table game where players wager on either the Player or Banker hand. The goal is to have the hand you’re betting on win by having a total closer to nine than the opposite hand. When all of a hand’s pips (the dots on cards that are clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades) are added up, nine is the highest score. Tens, jacks, and queens count as zero points, while aces count as one point.
The game starts when the dealer deals two cards face up to the Player and Banker hands, making them visible to all players at the table. The winning hand is the one that is closest to 9. If the total goes above 9, only the first digit can be considered. For example, a 7 and an 8 would have a value of 15, but in baccarat this total is dropped to three. If neither the player nor the banker has a nine, the hand is a tie and neither wins or loses.
Players place their bets on the Player or Banker hand by placing chips in the appropriate boxes on the baccarat table. When all bets are placed, the dealer calls ’No more bets,’ then places one card in the Player box and another in the Banker box. The Player and Banker hands are then compared and the winner is determined. The player’s bet pays out 1:1, while the banker’s bet pays out 9:1, minus a 5% commission that varies by casino.
A game of baccarat can be played with just one or several decks of cards, depending on the casino. There are many variations on the game, with different rules for dealing and scoring. The most popular version is Punto Banco, which originated in the 19th century. Other variations include chemmy and banque, both of which are quicker than Punto Banco.
Baccarat’s origin is not entirely clear, although it was a favorite among the French nobility before it became more widely known in America. The game is simple to play and is easy for a beginner to learn. The game is also quick and can be finished in seconds, especially if a non-commission version is being played. As a result, it is an attractive choice for casual gamblers who don’t want to wait for a table at a traditional casino.