Baccarat is one of the world’s most famous casino games. It was immortalized in James Bond’s Casino Royale, and it continues to enjoy immense popularity in Asia, where it accounts for a significant portion of casino profits. However, the game requires no skill, and it is entirely a matter of luck. This makes the game attractive to high rollers, who can bet enormous sums of money and watch their bankroll grow in minutes.

For most players, baccarat is a fun and entertaining game, but it can be dangerous if you aren’t careful. To reduce your risk, play short sessions and always monitor your outlay. A good strategy is to wager 10 units per hand and set a limit of 200 units in a single session, followed by a break.

You should also practice good stake management. While the house edge is lower in baccarat than in most other table games, it will catch up to you sooner or later if you’re not careful. To mitigate this, it is recommended to use a bankroll system that allows you to increase your bet size after every loss and decrease it after a win. This will help you keep your winning streaks longer and minimize your losses.

Another strategy you should consider is to play baccarat in casinos that use fewer decks of cards. This will give you a lower house edge on the banker bet and make the game more consistent. This is especially important when you’re playing online baccarat because the odds on a given hand will fluctuate throughout the round.

In addition to these basic strategies, there are other ways that you can improve your chances of winning at baccarat. For example, you can bet on the player side when the total is 8 or 9. This is known as a “natural,” and it results in an eight-to-one payout. The only way to lose a natural is for the banker to draw a third card.

Baccarat can be a high-volume game for larger operators, but it’s not necessarily profitable for smaller operators who don’t have the capacity to handle such volatility. As a result, many small operators choose to focus on low-limit baccarat. This is an opportunity for other casinos to capitalize on this niche, while allowing large players to find the comfort level they require at higher bet limits.