Baccarat is one of the most glamorous casino games. It is played for high stakes and often in an exclusive area of the casino floor, with its own specialized table and croupier. Players use real money to place bets on either the Player or Banker hands, and the winnings are paid out according to a set of rules.

The game is simple to play, with the only skill involved being in deciding how much to bet. Each hand is dealt from a multi-deck shoe. Cards are dealt in a similar fashion to blackjack, with the dealer dealing two at a time from the shoe until they have all been dealt. The dealer and the players then compare their hands, with those who bet on the Player or Banker hand winning. The croupier then pays the winning bettors and the next round begins.

While baccarat is often associated with wealth and status, it has a relatively low house edge of around 1.2 percent for both the banker and player bets. There is a third bet, the tie, which pays off eight to one for those who bet on it, but it has a higher house edge of over 14 percent. Most serious gamblers stick to the Player or Banker hands, which are governed by fixed sets of rules that determine whether or not a third card will be drawn.

There are a number of factors that draw high rollers to the game, from its glamorous trappings to the fact that it is considered one of the safest and most predictable casino games. It is also a popular game among Asians, and its popularity has grown worldwide in recent years.

Although the game has its share of scandals and controversy, the basic rules are fairly straightforward. The objective is to correctly predict which hand will win the round. A hand is scored by adding up the values of its cards, with nine being the best score. The values of the cards are determined by their suit and their rank. Tens and face cards have a value of zero, while Aces count as one. Hands that total over ten are dropped and the first digit is not taken into account.

Once the cards have been dealt, each hand is compared to the other by the dealer or software. If the player’s hand is closer to nine than the banker’s, that hand will be declared the winner and all bettors who placed wagers on it will receive their winnings. The other hand will then be dealt a third card, if necessary.

Baccarat is not only played in brick-and-mortar casinos, but can also be found at many online gambling sites. There are live baccarat games that can be played with a real dealer in a studio setting, and there are also streamlined online baccarat games that allow players to compete against an unlimited number of other players. The online versions of the game are a good choice for newcomers to the game, as they can practice betting patterns and strategy in a stress-free environment without worrying about losing any real money.