Baccarat is the world’s largest card game. It is a popular game that originated in Europe, took off in Asia and has now arrived on US casino floors. But, like other table games with high house edges, it is one of the few where a large bet can put the casino in a serious financial jam. That’s why casinos have to be extra careful with the cards they deal.
In the past, baccarat players handled their own cards, often with a little help from a dealer. It wasn’t uncommon to see a player blame their losing outcome on a misdeal, and then crumple or bend the cards in disgust. Such behavior was met with a firm reprimand from the stick baccarat dealer and a new pair of cards.
Today, baccarat is dealt from an eight-deck shoe, and the only two hands are the player’s hand and the banker’s. There are from seven to 14 seats for players, and the player’s and banker’s areas have separate betting areas. Only two cards are dealt per hand, and only the hands with a total closer to nine win. Picture cards and tens count as zero points, while ace cards always count as 1. If the values of the cards exceed nine, only the second digit counts (a 7 and a 6 would be a 15, for example).
The dealer has to take great care with the cards because they are not reused once a hand is dealt. The dealer must keep them clean, free of any marks or creases. He or she must also watch for any signs of tampering. A tampered card may be confiscated and the hand void. In addition, the dealer has to make sure each card is shuffled correctly before he or she deals it.
Using pre-shuffled playing cards has helped speed up the introduction of new decks into the game. Standard procedure requires that each deck be inspected, backs and faces, by both the floor supervisor and the dealer before it can be introduced into the game. Using pre-shuffled cards eliminates this time-consuming inspection process, while providing added security for the cards.
Baccarat is a popular game that has made a lot of money for many casinos. While the game has a reputation for being complicated, it is really quite simple. The key is to focus on minimizing the house edge by consistently wagering on the Banker or Player hand and managing your bankroll conservatively. The best long-term strategy is to avoid progressive betting systems that can lead to huge losses in a short period of time.