Baccarat is one of the world’s most popular casino games. While it may not be as flashy as other casino table games such as blackjack and craps, it is a game that can still offer players an exhilarating experience. The game is played with six decks of cards in a circular or oval table. Players sit around the table in counterclockwise order. They can place bets on either the Player hand, Banker’s hand or a Tie. Whichever hand totals closest to nine wins. The Player and Banker hands are dealt two cards each, face up for all to see. If the Player’s or Banker’s first two cards total 8 or 9, this is called a “natural win” and winning bets are paid out immediately.
If the first two cards do not total 8 or 9, the dealer will draw a third card. The dealer will first draw a card to the Player box, and then the Banker box. This will continue until each box has two cards. The player and Banker hands will then be compared. If the Banker’s hand beats the Player’s, the player will be paid out. If the Banker’s hand is a tie with the Player’s, the bet on the Player’s will be lost.
The game’s rules are simple. The player or the banker must have a total point value of 9 or closer to 9. The total points are calculated by adding up all the values of the cards in each hand. The ace is worth one point, the picture or face cards are worth their face value, and all other cards are worth their numerical value. The points are rounded down to the nearest tenth. When the points cross 9 or enter double digits, no further cards are drawn.
As a result of the simple rules, the game is relatively quick to play. Each round lasts approximately three to five minutes. The croupier takes the bets from the players, who place chips on either the Player, Banker or Tie bets. When a bet is placed, it must remain in place until the end of the game.
There are a variety of betting strategies for the game, and some players use card counting techniques to help increase their chances of winning. While this does not work on all baccarat games, it can help reduce the house edge to as low as 0.05%.
Baccarat has become a very popular game in Macau. It was introduced by the Tai Heng company, which won the monopoly Macau casino concession in 1937. The company is now known as STDM, and they operate 17 casinos in the region.
The game is also a staple in the Bond films. It features in the 1954 television adaptation of Casino Royal, where Bond is portrayed as playing the game against Le Chiffre. It is also featured in the 1967 film version of the same name, and the most recent film in the series, GoldenEye.