Baccarat has always been a game of high drama and low odds, but it’s also one of the most popular games in casinos worldwide. It’s no wonder. With a house edge of just over 1 percent on banker and player bets, it’s one of the best-betted casino games available. It also offers the highest payoffs of any casino game, with payouts up to nine-to-one. As a result, the game attracts many big rollers. But for all the drama and theories that surround it, baccarat still has some major mysteries to solve.
Baccarat is played with anywhere from seven to 14 players seated in random order around an oval table, with the dealer at the center of the action. Several decks of cards are shuffled and then dealt in groups to each player. Once everyone has placed their bets, the dealer will reveal a card to the Player box, then another to the Banker box. If either hand totals 8 or 9, no third card is drawn; these hands are described as “naturals” and bets on them are paid. If either hand totals 5 or less, a third card may be drawn based on a set of rules that are determined by the dealer.
A second round of bets is then placed, with the same rules applying. A player can also bet on a tie, but this is a riskier option that pays out at 8-to-1 (but not 9-to-1) if the hand wins. Players also keep track of their winning and losing bets on score sheets that look like studies for two-tone abstract paintings.
In addition to tracking their own wins and losses, baccarat players also watch for patterns that can help them predict the next game’s outcome. This is not easy to do, however, because the game’s rule of no third cards makes it very difficult to predict what the next outcome will be.
Although baccarat is often played for entertainment, some players actually use it as an alternative to gambling. According to Lou, a baccarat veteran who is a regular at the Hard Rock, some high rollers come to the table to gamble but want something more genteel than slots or blackjack. Unlike other casino games, baccarat doesn’t require a large bet and can be played for as little as $20.
A hive of activity surrounds the baccarat table as the dealer prepares a fresh shoe. Six decks of cards are cracked open, washed in swirls of water and grouped together. They are then flipped over and reshuffled, and the cards are loaded into the shoe. Depending on the game, there are usually between seven and 14 seats for players, each with a betting area separate from the banker’s. Picture cards and tens are worth zero points; all other numbers count as their face value. The ace, however, is worth one point. Once a hand reaches a double-digit number, the second digit becomes its value. A spokesman for the Hard Rock says that the average table has a minimum bet of about $200.