Baccarat is one of the most popular casino games in the world. It is also a game that many high rollers prefer as it maintains a lower house edge than other casino games. Despite being portrayed as a formal, elegant card game in the movies – especially as James Bond’s favourite – it is actually quite simple to learn and can be played at almost any online casino with a live dealer.

Whether you are new to the game or an experienced player, there are some things that everyone should know about baccarat before playing it. The following article outlines the basic rules, payouts, house edge, and best strategy for this captivating card game.

Before the game begins, players must decide if they want to bet on the player or banker hand. If they choose to bet on the player hand, they must then place a bet amount in the appropriate box. Once all the bets have been placed, a dealer will deal two cards to the banker’s hand and the player’s hands. A third card may be drawn depending on the rules of a particular casino.

The objective of baccarat is to bet on which hand will have the total closest to nine. Those who correctly bet on the winning player or banker hand will receive a 1:1 payout. However, those who bet on a win for the banker must pay a 5% commission, which reduces the odds to 9:1. If you wager on the tie and it wins, you will receive a higher payout of 8:1. This is why it is important to understand how this game works before betting your money.

Founded in Darwin in 1993, sportsbet was Australia’s first licensed bookmaker. The company’s founder Matthew Tripp had incredible foresight and was responsible for shaping the whole industry of online, phone and app betting. He knew a betting boom was coming, and developed technology to streamline the process, clever marketing techniques such as money back specials and “justice payouts and refunds” in the event of unlucky outcomes, and a name that’s easy to remember (especially when typing into Google)!

In the past few years, sportsbet has expanded their range of betting markets and features to keep up with the competition. This includes their Same Game Multi feature which is a first for Australia, live streaming of racing, betting insights and tips, a blackbook, flexi bets and a Bet with Mates function. But many of these extras are low-value and don’t make up for poor odds compared to other big corporate bookmakers.

It’s important to shop around and find the best odds for your bets by visiting multiple sportsbooks and comparing their offers. Look for in-depth reviews of sportsbooks and their deposit and withdrawal options, size up bonuses and promotions, and read a range of user accounts regarding customer service. It’s also a good idea to check out the opening lines for an event and compare those with the current odds. You can do this by looking for the ’Open’ column towards the left of a betting market. Alternatively, you can view line movement on all sports markets at Covers.