Baccarat is a casino game that’s growing in popularity, both in the United States and abroad. Its rise comes in part from Asian high rollers, who love the game because of its rules & culture. But does this card game have staying power as casino patrons’ tastes change?
A typical baccarat table will have from seven to 14 seats for players, plus a banker and player areas. The dealer will deal two cards to each area, with the player’s hand facing off against the banker’s. The aim is to guess which hand will win—Banker, Player, or Tie. If you correctly bet on the winning player or banker hand, your bet will pay out one for one. A tie, however, pays out 8 to 1. Score sheets are available at live baccarat tables for keeping track of your winnings.
When betting on a baccarat hand, the objective is to hit (or get as close as possible to) nine with your two cards. The numbers are based on a base-9 system, whereby picture cards count as zero points and the numbers from 2 to 9 are worth their numerical value. The ace counts as one point, but the value of the other two digits will depend on the total.
When a hand ends in a winning result, the player or banker will take a cut of the winnings. There’s also a tie bet, which pays out eight to one, but has the lowest chance of winning.
