Baccarat is one of the most popular casino games in the world. It’s often associated with elegance and luxury, as it was featured in 2013’s “Casino Royale” where James Bond plays against the villain Le Chiffre. Baccarat is also popular in Asia where it generates over 80% of casino profits. But what is it exactly and how does it work?

In baccarat, players place their chips on either the Player or Banker hand section of the table. The aim is to bet on the hand that will come closest to a total of nine. The game is very easy to play, and the rules are similar across casinos. Picture cards and Tens are worth zero points, and all other numbers and aces count as one point each. Once the total reaches a double digit, the second digit becomes the value of the hand.

The first thing that players must do is decide how much they want to bet on the player or banker hand. Depending on the rules of the particular game, this may vary from $1 to $100. Once all bets are placed, the dealer deals two cards to each hand. The Player and Banker hands are then compared to determine the winner of each round. If the player or banker hand has a total of 8 or 9 (known as a “natural”), the round ends and all bets are paid out. If not, a third card will be drawn.

Once the player and banker hands have been compared, they are revealed to players and the winning hand is announced. If the banker’s hand is the winner, the casino takes a 5% commission on the winning bet. If the player wins, they take the remaining 90% of the money won.

Baccarat is a great game to enjoy with friends and family, but it’s important to know how much you’re willing to spend before you start playing. You don’t want to go broke just because you love the game, so decide how much you want to spend in advance and treat it as money you’d spend on a night out. If you do this, you’ll have fun and be able to enjoy the game for as long as possible.