Baccarat is played with six or seven standard decks of 52 cards, shuffled together. The game begins with the banker setting an initial betting amount. Players then go in order, counterclockwise around the table, and announce if they want to “go bank.”
The dealer then deals two cards to each of the player’s and the banker’s hands. The hand with the highest value wins. The values of the hand are determined by adding the sum of the cards, with only the rightmost digit counting. Tens and picture cards are worth zero points, while all other numbers count as their face value. Aces are worth one point.
Once all the cards are dealt, the player and banker reveal their hands. If either hand is a nine, the game is over; no more cards will be drawn. The winning hand is the one that ends up closest to nine, with the runner-up being the second-closest. The game may also be tied.
A game of baccarat can seem intimidating to the uninitiated, but the rules are fairly simple. The game is based on simple math, which is why it is the preferred choice of many high rollers in Asia. Bill Zender, a former Nevada Gaming Control Agent, casino dealer, and executive who literally wrote the book on managing casino games, explains that Asian high rollers made baccarat their game of choice because it suits their cultural preferences.
While the game is not as popular as blackjack or craps, baccarat can still offer an exhilarating experience for those willing to take a chance. It is one of the few casino games in which a knowledgeable player can actually shift the odds in their favor, even with basic strategy.
Although baccarat has become an extremely popular game in the United States, not everyone knows the rules of the game. Many people don’t realize that the banker must always stand on a total of 8. While some players place bets on the player and the banker, there are several other types of bets that can be placed at the table.
For example, a player can make a Super Six bet, which pays 8-to-1 on the banker’s win. While a knowledgeable gambler will tell you that this is one of the worst bets in the game, it does not stop countless gamblers from laying down large bets on hunches and irrational trends.