Baccarat is a game that often conjures up images of luxury and high stakes gambling. It was even featured in the 2013 movie “The Great Gatsby.” However, despite its sophisticated reputation and association with wealth, the game of Baccarat is actually quite simple to understand. The objective is to bet on which hand will total closer to nine. All cards have a value, with 9 being the highest number. Counting cards, such as tens, jacks, queens, and kings have zero points, while aces have one point value. Once the cards are dealt, whichever hand is closest to nine wins. In the unlikely event of a tie, neither side wins or loses and your wager is returned.
While baccarat is traditionally played in the high-limit pits, it can be found at casinos of all sizes and limits. It’s also a popular choice among many online casino players. It’s no wonder, as the game is very easy to play and has a number of interesting side bets. In addition to the Player’s bet, Banker’s bet, and Tie bet, there is also the Super Six Bet, which pays out at 11:1 odds.
A game of baccarat begins with the dealer setting the initial betting amount. Players then go in counterclockwise order and announce if they want to “go bank.” Once a player goes bank, the dealer will deal two cards to each side-one ace and one king for the banker’s hand, and one seven and one six for the player’s. The cards are totalled, with the first digit being dropped for numbers above 9. The winning banker bet pays out at 95% of the stake, while a winning tie bet will pay out at 8:1 (subject to a 5 percent commission on winning banker bets). Score sheets are usually available for players to keep track of their wagers and scores.
In addition to placing bets on the Player’s hand, Banker’s hand, or a tie, players can also place a bet on whether the dealer will deal a pair. Depending on the platform or establishment, there are different rules for this bet, but the general rule is that the dealer will deal two matching cards to either the banker’s hand or the player’s hand. Then the player and banker will compare their hands. The winner is the hand that totals closest to nine.
In addition to these main bets, there are a few other interesting side bets you can make in baccarat. The first is the Super Six bet, which offers the highest payouts of all the side bets at 11:1. It’s a bet that predicts which of the banker and player’s pairs will receive identical cards on the deal. Another popular side bet is the Banker Pair, which offers similar odds of 8:1 and is a safer bet. Finally, you can also bet on the Player Pair, which is a safer bet at 7:1. All these side bets can be placed before the dealer flips over the cards on each round of baccarat.