A Beginner’s Guide to Baccarat

Baccarat is one of the world’s biggest card games. It has a long history and spread from Europe throughout Asia, and recently made its way into the US. It has a high house edge, but there are strategies that can be employed to help reduce the casino’s advantage. Using a betting system called edge sorting, for example, can significantly cut the banker’s edge by about 0.05%.

There are several versions of baccarat, with the rules differing slightly depending on where you play. Most casinos in the United States and Canada use the Punto Banco or Chemin de Fer form of the game. These are based on the original Italian version created by Felix Falguiere, which was itself based on an old Etruscan legend about a virgin who had to throw a nine-sided die and then decide her fate. If she threw lower than a 6, for instance, she was banished to the sea to drown. This gave rise to the initial rules of baccarat.

Regardless of the exact rules, the basic strategy is the same: bet on a hand (Player or Banker) that you think will have the highest value after all cards are dealt. The player’s and banker’s hands are compared to see who has the highest total, with a tie being the exception. A third card is drawn only if the second hand totals 8 or 9. Unlike blackjack, where players can make side-bets, in baccarat you have little control over what cards are dealt and therefore need to bet on the hand that you believe will win.

When you’re playing baccarat, it’s important to set your bankroll and spending limits before you go to the casino. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the game and lose track of how much you’re spending. Having a limit helps you stay in control of your money and makes it easier to walk away when the time is right.

High rollers love baccarat for the same reasons that Zender describes, but it also has one of the lowest hold percentages in the casino – only 1.2 percent on banker and player bets. In addition, the game has a unique cultural appeal for Asian high rollers, who are largely responsible for its growth in popularity over the past twenty years.

A baccarat table can be found in the high roller section of the casino floor, usually separated by velvet ropes. You can place a bet by announcing “go bank” and stating your desired amount. Other players can then join in counterclockwise order to add bets against the banker’s total. It is not uncommon for high rollers to place multiple bets on baccarat, and these can exceed the banker’s initial bet amount.