Baccarat is one of the most popular casino games, often favored by high rollers. It is also featured in many movies, including the recent remake of “The Great Gatsby,” where it is played at an extravagant party thrown by Jay Gatsby (portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio). While baccarat has earned a reputation for sophistication and high stakes, it’s actually one of the simplest casino games to learn and can be enjoyed with a modest bankroll.
Players bet on which hand will have the total closest to nine. Two cards are dealt to the player and the banker hands, and the winning hand is the one that comes closest to 9. The value of each card is determined by adding the values of the individual cards and dropping the tens digit (for example, a seven and a six would equal 13, which gets dropped down to three). Aces count as one.
The game is usually run by a croupier who oversees the betting process and deals the cards. Some casinos use a different card dealing method. In this article, we cover the rules and payouts of baccarat as well as a glossary of specialized baccarat terms.
Smart Players avoid the Tie bet, which has a 14.1 percent edge for the casino, and focus on the Banker and Player bets. Some Players utilize betting strategies, such as the d’Alembert and the Paroli systems, to balance their losses and wins over time. The d’Alembert system involves increasing your bet by one unit after each win or loss. For example, an initial bet of $10 will increase to $20 after a win and drop to $10 after a loss.
