Baccarat is a type of casino game that is played between two players and the dealer. It is played with eight 52 card packs that are shuffled by the croupier. Each player has a betting area for their own bets. The object of the game is to be closest to 9 without going over. If a player gets a total of nine or fewer points, he wins the round. If a player gets a total that is higher than nine, he must reduce his digits by one.
The game is played in a specialized alcove and there are a minimum of seven or fourteen seats available. Baccarat has two primary bets: Player and Banker. The banker has a slight advantage over the player in most cases. However, the banker has the option to stand or to take a bet. This allows the banker to make his decision based on the information available to him.
During a round, a pair of cards are dealt to each player. The croupier explains the rules of the game. After each player makes a bet, the dealer deals another pair of cards. Then a third card is drawn to decide the winner. Players’ hands are ranked by how many points they are worth. For example, a seven would be worth three points and an eight and queen would be worth five.
A player’s total must be between 0 and 9. To win, the hand must be close to 9 and the bet must be for the same number of points. When a player is unable to make a bet, he can call ‘non’ or ‘carte.’ An active player can call ‘non’ when the banker’s total is 0 or when no other players are betting against the banker.
The Banker’s first two cards are worth zero and face cards are worth one. A player can bet that his or her hand will be closer to nine than the banker’s. In order to win the bet, the player’s hand must be a “natural”: two or more cards that add up to eight or nine.
Players can bet on the Banker, the Player or the tie. Bets are paid out depending on the results of the round. Bets on the banker pay a 5% commission, which reduces the payout odds.
Most casinos have a “Tie” bet, which is a bet that the Banker and Player hands will be matched in value. This type of bet pays 8 to 1 on a tie. However, the house edge on the Tie bet is about 14.1%. Some casinos, such as Macau, have more slot machines than baccarat tables. Consequently, the casino’s overall revenue is much higher from slots than baccarat.
Unlike the more popular American versions of the game, the European version of Baccarat is played with chips instead of real money. Rather than the six deck shoe used in North America, the European version uses an oblong chip. Chips are stored in green felt.