Baccarat is the biggest card game in the world. The game originated in Europe and spread to Asia, and it’s now found in casinos around the world. In baccarat you bet on either the player or banker hand. The winner is the one whose hand totals closest to nine. You can also place a bet on the tie, but it’s usually best to avoid this bet because it has a much higher house edge.
Aside from the Bond-dipped mystique and opulent rituals that set baccarat apart from the rest of the casino floor, it’s actually a fairly simple game to learn. Baccarat has a beautiful Zen-like minimalism: you bet on either player or banker, and whichever hand is closest to nine (picture cards count as zero, aces count as one) wins.
Lou is at the Hard Rock, and he’s just entered the casino’s high-roller enclave. He’s sitting down with a fortress of yellow $1,000 chips, and he watches as the dealers prepare a fresh shoe of cards. The process takes longer than in most other casino games, because every deck of cards has to be inspected by both the dealer and the floor supervisor. The cards are then washed, scrambled and grouped together before they’re loaded into the shoe.
In baccarat, there are five types of bets: the Player Bet, Banker Bet, Super Six Bet, and Pair Bet. The Player Bet is the easiest to understand: you bet that the player’s hand will win and the game will be over. The payout for this bet is 1:1.
The Banker Bet is a bit more complicated: you’re wagering that the banker’s hand will have a higher total than the player’s. The payout for this bet is 9:1; the house edge is slightly less than the Player Bet, but it’s still a popular choice.
A Super Six Bet is an optional bet that pays out if the banker’s first two cards are a 6, 7, or 8. This bet has a high house edge and is not recommended for casual players.
A Pair Bet is another optional bet that pays out if the player’s first two cards are a pair of matching numbers. This bet has a low house edge and is a great option for people who don’t want to take on too much risk. The rules of baccarat vary from country to country, but generally the dealer deals out two hands with the player facing the table and the banker behind the table. A player can choose which hand they want to bet on; if the banker’s hand is winning, a commission is paid to the casino. If the player’s hand is winning, the casino will pay out a 5%-10% commission. If the player’s hand is losing, the casino will not pay out a commission. In some countries, the player and banker bets are both subject to a 1%-50% commission. In most cases, the player is required to make a minimum bet of $20 or $25.