Baccarat is one of the most popular casino card games in the world, with a reputation for elegance and sophistication. It is also easy to learn and play, making it an attractive game for beginners. However, it’s important to understand the rules of Baccarat before you start playing, so that you can make smart decisions about when and how much to bet.

The goal of Baccarat is to bet on which hand will have a total value closest to nine. Each hand is dealt two cards and the total value of the hand is determined by adding up the values of each card. Ten value cards (jacks, queens, and kings) count as zero points, while aces count as one. The winning hand is the one that comes closest to a total of 9.

A bet on the Player Hand is a wager that the hand will have a higher total than the Banker’s hand. The payout on a Player bet is 1:1, and the house edge on this bet is slightly lower than the Banker’s. A bet on the Banker Hand is a wager that the hand will win, and the payout on a Banker bet is 1:1, minus a 5% commission.

In Baccarat, the banker and player hands are both dealt a set number of cards and are compared to see which hand is closest to 9 points. If the hand is a “natural,” it wins and the bets are paid out. If the hand is a “tie,” the bets are placed on the next possible outcome and the dealer will draw a third card on the winner’s or loser’s hand according to predetermined rules.

The game is so popular that it has given rise to variations and additional ways to bet and play, including side bets like Super Six and the Pair Bet. The game has also been featured in several James Bond films, most notably in Dr. No, where Bond is first introduced to the game; Thunderball; On Her Majesty’s Secret Service; and GoldenEye. Baccarat is played primarily in high-limit areas of casinos, where it is the game of choice for many rich players. This is because it’s an extremely simple game to learn and plays out quickly. Unlike blackjack and poker, the decisions that players must make are limited to player/banker bets and tie bets, and both are nearly coinflips (1-1.5% house edge). In addition, a third bet on the tie is less risky but has a much higher house edge of over 14 percent. For these reasons, most serious players stick to player/banker bets only.