Whether you’re an expert in the game or just starting out, Baccarat can be a fun and rewarding casino card game to play. In the US, it has been gaining popularity and is often offered at casinos and online. With its low house edge on both the player and banker side, it is a good choice for players looking to minimize their risk and maximize their winning potential.
The basic game involves two cards being dealt to a ‘player’ and a ‘banker’ hand, each having their own betting area. The goal of the game is to correctly predict which hand will total closest to nine (without going over). This is done by adding up the values of the cards, with Picture or Face Cards worth zero points, numbers from 2-9 are worth their face value, and aces count as one point. When a total gets into double digits, the second digit becomes the score for that hand.
In addition to the Player Win, Banker Win, and Tie bets, there are a number of interesting side bets that can be placed on the table, though these vary by casino and platform. These bets can include a Super Six Bet, which pays out when the Banker Hand wins with 6 points, and a Pair Bet that pays out if the Player’s first two cards are identical to the banker’s first two cards, paying 11:1 odds. These bets can help make a winning game of Baccarat even more profitable.
