Baccarat is one of the most popular casino games around. It was once a very exclusive game that could only be played in the high roller VIP areas of land-based casinos, but now online gambling has made it much more accessible. You can even try it out for free in many places, with a practice account. This way, you can get a feel for the game and learn its rules more thoroughly, before making your first real bet.
A game of Baccarat starts when the croupier distributes eight cards to the players at a round table covered with green felt. Each player then sets his or her bet, placing them in numbered areas on the table. The first player to do this takes on the role of banker, setting the initial betting amount and allowing other players to add bets as long as they don’t exceed that total.
The game’s objective is to bet on a hand, either the Player or Banker, which will have the highest value after the cards are dealt. The highest hand wins, but ties also occur in 9.6% of the time. If you bet on the Player or Banker and win, you will receive a payout of 1:1, but the house has a 1.24% edge over you.
In addition to the basic bets, you can also make a Super Six Bet or a Pair Bet. A Super Six Bet pays out 12x the bet amount if the Banker Hand wins with 6 points, while a Pair Bet will pay out 11x your bet if you bet on the Banker or Player hand to form a pair of cards.