Baccarat is one of the most popular casino card games. It’s easy to learn, maintains a low house edge, and is featured in James Bond movies. This complete guide to baccarat will teach you everything from the game’s basic rules to effective strategies that can increase your winnings.

This is a simple card game that is played with a group of players at a table. A banker is chosen, and the players place their bets in counterclockwise order. Each player can also choose to “go bank” and play against the banker’s amount. Once all the players have decided who will be the banker, the cards are dealt. The object of the game is to bet on the hand that will come closest to nine. Aces count as one point, and ten value cards have zero points. All other cards are worth their face value, with nine being the best score.

There are three main betting options in baccarat: bet on the Player hand, the Banker hand, or on a tie. The Player and Banker hands are dealt two cards each, and the winner is whoever has the hand with the highest total value closest to 9. If the hand has a value over 9, only the rightmost digit counts.

If the Player and Banker hands have the same total, a third card is drawn. There are a number of different rules for when the third card is drawn, and they vary depending on the initial hand. Typically, the third card is drawn when either the Banker or the Player has a seven-card.

After the first round, the winning bet is determined. The Banker hand wins 45.8% of the time, and the Player hand wins 44.6%. A tie happens 9.6% of the time, and payouts for winning Tie bets are less than a win on either of the other bets.

Some casinos offer side bets that allow players to make wagers beyond which hand will win. These are often called ‘extra bets’ and include all-red/all-black (betting that a hand will draw black or red cards) and Double 8 (wagering that the Banker and Player hands will equal eight). These bets tend to have higher payouts, but they also carry a larger house edge than the Player and Banker bets.

Baccarat is a fun and exciting casino game, but it’s important to stay in control of your spending habits. Set a budget before you start playing, and stick to it. Don’t spend more than you can afford to lose, and don’t be afraid to walk away if you’re losing. If you do happen to win, remember that this is a night out and treat it as such. Only bet with money you’d normally spend on a night out, and never use your credit card at the casino. This will help you keep your gambling under control and avoid any problems in the future.