Baccarat is a game of strategy and luck, but you can also improve your chances of winning by following certain rules. Baccarat has a long history, beginning in Italy and France before spreading to Asia and then the United States. It’s the most popular casino game in Macau and accounts for 88 percent of casinos’ revenue. It’s also the second most popular game on the Las Vegas Strip, generating 18 percent of total casino win.
A game of Baccarat begins when the croupier distributes six decks of cards and shuffles them together. Players then sit at a table and are assigned a Player or Banker position, based on the amount they’ve placed on their bets. The dealer then deals one card to the Player box and reveals another to the Banker box. If the Player or Banker hand has a points total of eight or nine on the first two cards, that hand wins. If neither hand has a natural, a third card is drawn.
Unlike blackjack, in which the value of each card is determined by adding the individual cards’ values and subtracting 10, a hand’s point value is determined by adding the numbers on each card. This is done by counting the cards, starting with the ace and moving on to the other numbers. Once the value reaches a double digit, that number becomes the hand’s value. For example, if a hand has a five and a seven, the total is 12, and the value of the fifth digit is 2.
The Banker’s hand also has a similar calculation, but in this case it takes the third digit into account. If the value of the third digit is zero, the Banker’s hand wins. However, if the third digit is one, two or three, the Banker’s hand loses.
A player can bet on either the Player or Banker hand to win, or they can place a bet on a tie. Every baccarat table is equipped with plenty of score cards and pencils to allow players to keep track of the results of each hand. Some players will religiously write down the outcome of each hand and carefully analyze the score cards for trends.
Though baccarat’s elegance has earned it a reputation for high-rollers and luxury, the game can be played by any budget. While it’s still popular in tuxedo-laden high limit areas, baccarat is now found on the regular casino floor with a single table and lower minimums. The 2013 film “The Great Gatsby” even featured a baccarat game at one of Jay Gatsby’s lavish parties.