If you’re looking to play a casino game in Las Vegas with a lot of James Bond-style gambling fun and few complexities, Baccarat is the table for you. It’s a simple, straightforward game with just three possible outcomes – a player win, a banker win or a tie – and the dealer pretty much does all the work.

The game has a long history in high-roller pits, where it was the pastime of millionaires and other high rollers who could afford to place $200,000 maximum bets in a special roped-off area of the casino floor. A full-scale baccarat game requires 14 players and has an entire table dedicated to the game, with a special shoe holding eight decks of cards. Players can place bets on a player, a banker or a tie, and the game can be quite lucrative when you correctly predict a winning hand.

However, like many other casino games, Baccarat can be quite time-consuming and it’s important to plan your betting strategy in advance before you start playing. The first step is to decide how much you’re willing to wager. This will help you keep your winnings in check and prevent you from becoming too greedy. You’ll also want to decide how much money you can afford to lose in a single session.

You’ll then need to familiarize yourself with the rules of the game before you sit down at the table. The object of Baccarat is to make a hand that totals closest to nine. Tens and face cards have values of zero points, while Aces are worth one point. If the combined value of your two cards is more than nine, you must drop the first digit to determine their true value. For example, a hand of 8 and 6 is worth 15 points, but you’ll only be paid out if your hand comes closest to 9.

Once you have a clear understanding of the rules of the game, you can start placing bets. A teller will take your bets, which are placed before the dealer deals out the cards. It’s important to note that the minimum bet varies by casino, but $20-$25 seems to be a common minimum in the United States.

Those who correctly bet on a winning player hand will receive a 1 to 1 payout, while those who correctly predict a winning banker hand will qualify for a 95% payout. In addition, a winning tie bet pays out at 8-to-1, but it’s vital to remember that you must pay a 5% commission on this bet.

Another betting strategy that you can use in Baccarat is the Paroli system, which focuses on positive progression and involves doubling your wager after each win. This is a more conservative approach to the game and may give you better odds of winning. However, you should be aware that this method of betting is not guaranteed to yield a profit.