Baccarat is considered as a game for high-rollers because the game usually has a high table limit. Baccarat is commonly played in a separate room of the casino where there is an elegant ambience that is remindful of the European casinos. Even if the minimum bets in baccarat are usually high, the game itself is pretty easy to play and involves minimal decision-making.
Baccarat players will have to place their bets on the appropriate spot on the table layout that are usually numbered from 1-15. Players have three betting options in baccarat and these are the player's hand, the banker's hand, or the tie. Placing your bet at the tie is a poor decision to make in baccarat because it has the highest house edge. Smart baccarat players usually avoid making the tie bet.
Baccarat uses the six or eight-deck shoe and every player have the chance to become the dealer of the game. Once the players becomes the dealer in baccarat, he is required to place bets on the banker's hand and not elsewhere. But if the player doesn't want to become the dealer of the game, the player has the choice to pass the shoe to the next player in line to be the dealer.
Both banker and player in baccarat will each receive two cards and maybe a third card depending on the situation. The total hand value of those two or three cards in baccarat is always between zero and nine and the hand that has the total of nine or closer to it wins the round.
Ace cards in baccarat are considered as one, numeric cards from two to nine are counted as their numerical face value, and the ten and face cards are considered as zero. When the total of two cards are more than ten, the sum is usually subtracted by ten and the difference is the value of the hand. For example, if the two cards are six and seven, the total would be 13. The real value of the hand would be three, hence 13 - 10 = 3.
In instances that both the banker and player's hand have similar hand value in baccarat, it is considered as a tie or push wherein no one wins in that round. The best bet in baccarat is the banker bet and the casino normally withholds a 5% commission on all winning banker bets. Winning bets on the player's hand are usually paid at even money or 1:1.