Baccarat is one of the oldest and most revered casino games in the world. It is the game of choice for many high rollers and it can be played at casinos around the globe as well as online in those US states that allow for it. It is a simple house backed game that can be divided into the Player and the Banker. The aim is to get closer to nine than the other hand, but the rules differ slightly depending on which bet you place. The game is played on a large table that is usually about the size of a craps table, and can have up to 12 players at a time.

A large number of standard 52-card packs are shuffled together and then dealt by the dealer at the baccarat table. The dealer, or croupier, deals the cards from a dealing box, called a shoe. The game is typically played with eight decks, but sometimes six. Cards are dealt face down, with the exception of aces and 10-pip cards. The cards are assigned a numerical value according to their rank and suit, with the value of tens, jacks, and queens being zero. The value of aces is one, while the total of the hand is determined by adding up the values of the two hands.

The game of baccarat is easy to learn, and players have three betting options: to win the Player hand, to win the Banker hand, or to win the tie. A winning Player or Banker bet pays out 9 to 1. Baccarat is usually played in a special alcove, away from the crowds and other table games. In American casinos, the game is often played with $100 bills, whereas European casinos use oblong chips that look more like blackjack chips.

During the course of a hand, the croupier will announce whether the Player or Banker has won. Then, the winner’s name will be announced and the winning bet amount will be collected. If the Banker wins, the croupier will also announce that the tie bet has won.

If you want to play baccarat, make sure that the casino you choose has the proper licensing. Also, check the minimum bets, as these will vary from casino to casino. Usually, the minimum bet for baccarat is $20 or $25.

Baccarat has been played for centuries in Italy and France, and it has been a staple of luxury casinos ever since. It has even made it to the James Bond movies, where it is portrayed as a sophisticated and elegant game of chance. Today, it is a highly popular game in Asian casinos, and it’s slowly becoming a regular feature of Vegas casino floors. Despite its glamorous trappings and exotic history, the game is relatively easy to understand. It’s a simple game of chances and doesn’t require much skill to play, which makes it popular with high rollers. In addition, it is one of the few table games that doesn’t have a house edge.