Baccarat is one of the world’s most popular casino games, with its roots in the gambling salons of Italy and France. It became a popular pastime in Asia and is now growing in popularity in the United States. But while baccarat is a game of chance, the odds can be influenced by strategy. In fact, according to Bill Zender, a former Nevada Gaming Control Agent and a retired casino dealer who literally wrote the book on managing casino games, baccarat can improve your long-term results by employing a simple card counting strategy.
The game is played with six decks of cards and a group of players at a round or oval table. A player or banker sets the initial betting amount. After that, the other players go in counterclockwise order and announce whether they want to “go bank,” or play against the banker’s amount. If a player goes bank, the rest of the players can add bets as well as the initial banker bet. Adding additional bets must be within the initial banker bet amount or the total of all bets will exceed the maximum limit.
After the players and the croupier have placed their bets, two hands of cards are dealt. Each hand must have a value closer to nine than the other. Picture cards and Tens are worth zero points, while cards numbered from 2-9 have their face value, and the Ace is worth one point. Once the total of a hand hits a double digit, that number becomes the value of the second digit.
When a player or banker has a total of 8 or 9 in the first two cards, the game is over and there is no need for a third card to be drawn. If either the player or banker does not have a total of 8 or 9, however, the tableau is consulted. If the banker has a total of 6 or 7, they must draw a third card, but if the player has a total of 5 or less, they stand.
The player side has a better probability of winning when the banker’s hand wins, but the banker must pay a 5% commission on wins to the casino. The best way to minimize losses is to set a loss limit before you start playing and stick with it. Also, don’t be afraid to walk away if you are losing more than you can afford to lose. You can always come back another day and try again.