Baccarat is a casino game that’s often associated with luxury and sophistication. However, it’s also one of the easiest games to learn on a casino floor and can be played by players with any bankroll. The game was popular in Europe and Latin America before becoming the favored card game of the wealthy in 19th century France. Today, the game is a favorite in casinos around the world, including those in Las Vegas.

The main goal of the game is to correctly predict which hand – Player, Banker, or Tie – will have the highest value after the cards are dealt. The higher the hand’s total, the more money you win. The values of the individual cards are determined by their rank and their number. The ace has a value of one point, the 10 is worth zero, and the other cards are assigned a number according to their rank on the right-hand side of the table.

Eight standard 52-card packs are shuffled together before the game begins. The croupier (dealer) then deals the cards from a box called a shoe, one card at a time. The croupier places the cards face down on the table, which is marked with numbered areas for each type of bet. Players may bet on either the Player or Banker, and the layout of the cards clearly indicates where each type of bet can be placed.

Once all bets are placed, the dealer will reveal the Player and Banker hands. The hand that is closest to nine wins the round. A tie occurs in 9.6% of the rounds and pays only 1:1. The Banker hand will win the most rounds overall, but you can still profit from betting on the player side if you don’t want to place a bet on a tie.

Baccarat is one of the easiest casino games to play, and it has a low house edge. Aside from the player and banker bets, there are several side bets that can make the game more exciting. The simplest side bet is the Super Six, which pays 6:1 if the total of the two cards falls in the exact range of 6, 7, 8, or 9. The other popular side bet is the Pair, which pays 8:1 if the two cards are a pair.

In addition to these bets, Baccarat offers a variety of other side-bet options like the Martingale system, which works on the same principles as roulette strategies for outside bets and can be very profitable. The payouts for these side-bets can be substantial, so players should study their paytables carefully before making any decisions. The best strategy is to stick with the main bets and avoid the side-bets unless they’re particularly intriguing.