Baccarat is one of the most popular casino table games around. It has a James Bond-esque aura about it, and many people associate the game with glamour, luxury, and high stakes gambling. However, Baccarat is a simple game that can be played by anyone with a little experience. It is played on a large table with numbered boxes for players to place their chips. Eight 52-card packs are shuffled together and dealt by the croupier (dealer) from a shoe, which releases a card at a time. The player and banker hands are dealt two cards each, and the aim of the game is to bet on which hand will have a total closest to nine.

The game was invented in the 1400s and is known by different names in different parts of the world. It was first introduced in France, where it became incredibly popular during the reign of Louis XIV and became known as ‘Chemin de Fer’ or ‘baccarat en banque’. This version of the game was so popular that it even survived the ban on public gambling in France when it became illegal in 1837.

When playing baccarat, you can bet on the Player, the Banker, or a tie. You will have to place your wager before the cards are dealt, and you can adjust your bet for each round of play. Once the bets are placed, the dealer will deal two cards to the Player and Banker. The winning hand is the one that has a total closest to 9 without going over. If you have a total of 10 or more, you must drop the first digit to determine the true value of the hand. For example, if you have a 9 and 8, your total is 11, not 16.

Once the player and banker hands are dealt, the croupier will announce a winner. The Player hand will win if the first two cards total 8 or 9. This is known as a “natural” and no further cards are drawn. If the second hand is a 9, it is also considered a natural and the player will not lose. If the first hand is a 5, it will win if the second hand is a 4, 7, or 8. The third-card rule applies to all other situations in which the third-card rule is in effect.

In addition to the basic rules of baccarat, you can bet additional money on the game by placing Super Six Bets and Pair Bets. The Super Six Bet pays out 12x the amount of your initial bet if the Player or Banker wins with a total of 6. Pair bets pay out 11x the original bet amount if either the Player or the Banker has a pair of cards. This is a very easy way to add an extra level of excitement to the game and increase your winnings. You can find these bets at the top online casinos for baccarat.