Baccarat is a high-stakes, glamorous casino game that was James Bond’s game of choice. Often tucked away in high-limit areas, the game requires some serious nerve to place blind bets on either the Banker or Player hand. Baccarat is a drama-filled game, but it’s also easy to play and offers great odds. Learn the rules and you can be ruling the table in no time.
The objective is to get a hand closer to nine than the other, with 9 being best. The Player and Banker hands both need to be higher than 7 to win, but a higher score doesn’t guarantee winning. The first digit is dropped, so a seven and a six would result in 13 points, but the number is dropped to three because the seventh is more likely to be a one than a six. A ten counts as zero, a jack or queen counts as 1, and an ace counts as 1. The first two cards are dealt, then the third is drawn. The third card can only be a 10, 9, or a 6. The hand closest to 9 wins.
A small 5% commission is charged for winning Banker bets, which is how casinos make money on the game. The commission is tracked in the “commission box” by the dealer. A small number of side bets are available at a baccarat table, but they tend to be costly and have a low payout, so we recommend skipping them.
Some players have used a technique called edge sorting to predict which cards will be high or low, but this is considered cheating and isn’t legal. The game’s popularity has led to some variations on the rules and extra ways to bet, including mini-baccarat with lower stakes.
Many baccarat games have different minimum bets, so check out the house rules before you sit down at a table. Typically, the minimum bet is $20-$25 in the United States. It’s important to know your limits and to always quit while you’re ahead. A seasoned gambler knows how much they’re willing to lose and will adjust their betting accordingly.
Although baccarat is still considered a high-end game, it’s gaining in popularity. The rise of online casinos has made it easier than ever to find a baccarat game and you can now play the same casino games in Michigan and New Jersey as well as Vegas. You can even try out the game for free with WynnBET’s online baccarat. The experience is almost identical to the real thing.