While portrayed as an exclusive and luxury game, baccarat can actually be one of the easiest casino games to learn and enjoy. At its heart lies an easy guessing game; bettors place bets on which hand (Banker or Player) will get closer to nine than its opponent. Rules differ slightly depending on which version of baccarat you play – Punto Banco, Chemin de Fer or Banque – yet all boil down to one thing.

Baccarat used to be reserved for high-limit rooms and big players only, but has since gained increasingly more widespread play. Now available on regular casino floors with lower minimum bets, its rising popularity can be attributed to both cultural appeal as well as low house edge; furthermore it largely involves pure luck without any skill elements whatsoever.

Starting the game involves six decks of cards being shuffled together and placed face down on a table, with 7-14 players sitting around it and a dealer area to distribute cards to. Both Player’s and Banker’s hands receive one face up card each; picture cards count as zero while number cards (2-9 including Ace) earn their value and count against players if their total exceeds nine; otherwise only the second digit counts as part of their hand total.

Once the initial card has been distributed, players and the croupier place bets on either the Player’s or Banker’s hand to win. A third card may be drawn if neither hand totals 8 or 9, after which all bets will be paid out and paid at eight to one if both hands equal a similar total; this option has an enormous house edge of 14 percent! A tie bet may also be available but has significantly higher house edge figures.

History of Baccarat can be somewhat murky, yet its existence dates back centuries. Some researchers suggest its roots lie within Etruscan legend of a virgin throwing a nine-sided die to determine her destiny and was elevated or banished according to what number appeared – eight or nine meant priestess status, six or below meant being banished to die at sea.

Modern baccarat is similar to its historical counterpart in many ways, except it moves faster. There are some slight variations in rules; most commonly “punto banco,” also known as North American baccarat is more accessible and straightforward than its French cousins baccarat banque and chemin de fer. Though the game of chance, there are rules you can master that increase your odds of victory; for instance, always choose an active table rather than bet on dead ones!