Baccarat may not feel as swanky or as high-profile as blackjack or craps, but the classic casino game does have its charms. Tucked away in high-limit gaming areas and played with real cash (in American casinos, $100 bills are used), baccarat is the game of choice for many big bettors who’ll play for hours at a time, often letting a lot of money change hands. It’s also a game that, when played correctly, can produce impressive results.

The object of the game is to bet on a hand that totals closer to nine than the opposite hand. The hand scores are based on the values of each card: tens, jacks, queens, and kings count as zero points; the value of a seven is two; and an ace counts as one point. If a hand score exceeds 10 the first digit is dropped (so, a six and a three would result in a five-point score). The highest possible hand score is nine.

After players make their wagers, cards are dealt to the Player and Banker. A winning Player or Banker hand wins the round. The only exception to this rule is when the hand’s total falls short of nine, in which case no winner is declared. If a tie is declared, the bets on both the Player and Banker are returned (players can’t win if the banker beats them).

Unlike some other table games, there are no hidden rules in baccarat. The simplest way to play the game is to simply place a bet on the outcome of each hand. The bets are made before the cards are dealt, and you can choose between betting on the Player, Banker, or a Tie. You can adjust your bets as each round progresses.

You can learn more about how to play baccarat by visiting our Baccarat Guide article. In this article you’ll find everything you need to know about the game, including the rules, strategy tips, and other information you need to understand how the game works.

The rules of baccarat are simple and straightforward, making the game easy for even beginners to play. Once you’ve made your bet, cards are dealt face up to the Player and Banker. The goal is to get a hand with a total that’s closest to 9. The Player must stand on a score of 6 or 7, while the Banker must draw a third card on a 0-4 score and stay on a 0-5.

Baccarat is a popular casino game that can be found in many different settings, from sticky-floor California card rooms to tuxedo-laden casinos in Monaco. Despite its relatively low profile, the game is a major source of income for casinos around the world. The casinos in Macau, for instance, earned over 88 percent of their profits last year from the game. Even on the Las Vegas Strip, where many players don’t even know the rules, it accounts for 18 percent of the casino’s total annual revenue.