Baccarat is one of the oldest and most popular casino card games, both in land-based casinos and online. Its popularity has increased dramatically over the last few decades, particularly in Asia. The game has a long and rich history, dating back to Italy and France. The basic rules are straightforward: Players place bets on whether the Player hand will win, the Banker hand will win, or the game will end in a tie. The game’s popularity is due to a combination of factors, including the fact that it’s an easy and fun game for beginners to learn and play.

One of the main reasons that high rollers flock to baccarat is because it has one of the lowest house edges in the casino. According to Bill Zender, a former Nevada Gaming Control Agent and casino dealer who literally wrote the book on managing casino games, the house edge for both the Player and Banker bets is just 1.2 percent, which is far lower than the average of over 14 percent for table games such as blackjack or roulette. Baccarat rounds also last a matter of seconds, which means that players can make their decisions quickly and get on with the next round of betting.

There are a number of different variations of the game, but most Baccarat games have from seven to 14 seats for players and a dealer’s area. Each hand is dealt two cards, and the winning hand is the one that comes closest to nine. The value of the cards is determined by adding the values of each individual digit in the hand. Picture cards and Tens are worth zero points, cards numbered from 2-9 have their face value, and the ace is worth one point. Once the total points are added, the second digit becomes the hand’s value.

After players have placed their bets, the dealer will reveal the first card in the Player box, then another card in the Banker box. Then the third card will be dealt and played. The Player and Banker hands are then scored, and the winner is determined. The bets on the Player and Banker are paid out based on their outcomes. The Banker bet pays out 1:1 minus a five percent commission, and the Player bet is paid out at even money.

In addition to the bets on Player and Banker, Baccarat has a third bet called Tie. This is a bet on either the player or the banker having a hand that is closest to nine, and it pays off eight to one. The Tie bet has the highest house edge of any bet in baccarat, so most serious players stick to the Player and Banker bets. Some players use the Martingale strategy, which involves doubling your bet after every loss, with the goal that a single win will recoup all previous losses and provide a profit equal to the original bet amount. This is an effective strategy, but it requires a large enough bankroll and the discipline to keep it up.