Baccarat is probably one of the most mysterious games found in today's casinos. It defies much of what we know about casino games. It is a fairly easy game to play as there isn't much strategy involved, yet unlike most low strategy Vegas games, it holds one of the lowest house advantage in the casino. Though it is an arguably boring game due to the limited amount of decisions available, it draws some of the wealthiest players in the world. Ask someone on the street about Baccarat and chances are they can't pronounce it or spell it, let alone know how to play it, yet the game has earned a home casinos around the world.

The game is Baccarat, a table game played with six decks of cards. The player places a bet in one of three betting areas, the Banker, the Player, or the Tie. The dealer draws two cards each for the banker and the player. The dealer may draw additional cards depending on the value of each hand, based on a set of predefined rules. At first glance, the game seems somewhat similar to Blackjack, however unlike Blackjack, the player makes no decisions after a bet has been placed. The dealer goes on "automatic pilot" and draws cards according to a strict set of Baccarat rules. Because of this, the player does not need to know the rules in order to play.

The point of the game is to predict whether the banker hand or the player hand will draw closer to a total of 9. Aces are worth 1, tens and face cards are worth 0, and any other card is worth its face value. A hand's value is the total value of all the cards added together. If the total value is over 9, you subtract ten from it to get its adjusted value. For example, a hand consisting of the 4 of hearts and 8 of spades with a total of 12 would become only 2.

A hand that totals 9 with only two cards is also known as a natural. The hand that shows a natural 9 automatically wins unless the other hand also shows 9, in which case the hands are tied. If neither hand totals 9, the dealer may draw another card for the player and banker according the Baccarat drawing rules. If cards are drawn, they are added to the total of the hand and a winner is determined.

Betting

Betting on the player pays even money. Betting on the banker pays even money initially, however you are charged a vig of usually 5%. The dealer keeps track of how much you owe and you must settle the debt at the end of the shoe or when you leave. Players also have the option to bet the tie. Tie bets usually pay 8 to 1.

Mini Baccarat

Some casinos offer a less intimidating form of Baccarat, called Mini Baccarat. Mini Baccarat is essentially the same game as regular Baccarat, but the minimum bet requirement is much lower.