Baccarat is often a game associated with luxury and high rollers, but it can be played by any casino player. It is a simple game to learn and can keep you entertained for hours without requiring much effort.

This game has long been a favourite in Europe and Latin America, but it is relatively new to American casinos. It is usually tucked away in the high limit area and features a unique table that allows players to hold and flip the cards. The game is also known for being extremely glamorous and involves a lot of money, so it’s no surprise that it is often played with $100 bills or oblong “plaques” instead of the standard casino chips.

The goal of baccarat is to bet on the hand that will come closest to nine. The higher the hand, the more you win. The card ranking is as follows: 9 is the highest, 10s and picture or face cards count as zero, and aces count as one. If a total goes over nine, the first digit is dropped. The resulting number is then re-written as a single digit.

Before the cards are dealt, each player makes a wager on either the Player’s hand, the Banker’s hand or a Tie bet. Once all the bets are placed, the dealer will deal two cards to the Player and the Banker. If the Player or Banker have a total of 8 or 9, they are awarded a winning bet and pay out all other bets. If the total is 7 or lower, a third card may be drawn.

If the Player or Banker have a score of 6 or 7, the game is over and no more third cards will be drawn. However, if the player or banker have a total of 5 or 6, then they must draw a third card regardless of the Player’s third card.

In baccarat, the third-card rule is important because it can help to determine whether the Banker’s hand will win. If the Player’s third card is a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7, then the Banker must draw a third card. If the Player’s third card is an 8, then they must draw a third card.

The game of baccarat is popular in many countries around the world and it is a common fixture at luxury casinos. It has even found its way into movies and television shows, including the 1956 French heist film Bob le Flambeur in which Sean Connery plays the main character. It is a popular casino game for high rollers because it is low-cost to play and has a house edge of less than 1 percent on both the Banker’s and Player’s bets. However, it is not as popular as blackjack or roulette, which offer higher house edges. Baccarat has an additional bet on a tie, but it offers much lower odds and payouts than the player or banker bets. Therefore, most serious players stick to player or banker bets.