Baccarat is a card game that is played by several players on an oval-shaped table. It is similar to other casino games such as blackjack, but the rules of baccarat are different. The game is easy to learn, but winning requires a bit of strategy and luck. Baccarat is a popular choice for high rollers.

There are several variants of the game, but most involve six decks of cards and a group of players at a table. The game is played in a casino and begins when the dealer announces that players can place bets. Each player can choose to bet on either the Banker’s hand or the Player’s hand. Players can also make side bets such as the Tie Bet, but it is recommended to avoid this type of betting because it has a very high house edge.

After each round, the dealer will pay out any winning bets and collect any losing bets. The banker and player hands are then compared, and the hand closest to 9 wins. A tie occurs when the two hands have equal points. A third card may be drawn in certain situations, but the first digit of the total point score is dropped. For example, a 7 and 6 would have a score of 18, but the first digit is dropped and it becomes a 3.

Bill Zender, a former Nevada Gaming Control agent and casino executive who literally wrote the book on managing casinos, says that baccarat is a favorite for high rollers because it offers one of the lowest hold percentages of all games. He adds that the game is also a good fit for Asian high rollers because of their cultural preferences.

The game is simple to play, but it is important to understand the rules and the scoring system. Players place their bets on the Player or Banker hand and wait for the results of the deal. The rules of baccarat state that the initial total of the two hands is calculated by adding up all the pips on each card (the dots that are clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades). Numbered cards count as their value, face cards count as zero, and aces are worth one point.

Once the two hands have been dealt, a third card is often drawn on the Banker’s or Player’s hand. If the final total is 8 or 9, no additional cards will be drawn. If the final total is above nine, a fourth card may be drawn on one or both hands depending on the initial scores.

The Super Six Bet is an optional bet placed alongside the Player or Banker bets that pays out 12x the initial bet amount if the Banker or Player win with a total of 6. A Pair Bet is another option, placing a bet on either the Banker pair or the Player pair of cards. The payout on winning a pair bet is 11x the initial bet amount.