Baccarat is a casino game that’s often depicted in the movies as being very glamorous and reserved for high rollers or sophisticated patrons like James Bond. In truth, however, the game is easy to understand and offers some of the best odds in a casino.

In its most basic form, the game involves betting on which hand out of the two that are dealt – the Player’s and the Banker’s – will come closest to nine. Unlike most table games, in which players bet against the house, baccarat is a game of pure chance that requires no strategy or skill.

Players must make their bets before the cards are dealt. They can choose to bet on the Player, the Banker or a Tie. Once the bets are made, a round of play is played out and the winner is determined by which hand comes closest to 9. The first step in understanding baccarat is to know how the game works.

The game of baccarat is played with a dealing shoe that contains eight 52-card decks. Each card has a different value. Numbers 2-9 have a numerical value equal to their face, while picture cards such as Queens (Q), Jacks (J) and Kings (K) are worth zero points. Tens are worth a single point.

If you correctly bet on the winning Player Hand, you will qualify for a payout of 1 to 1. A winning Banker hand also qualifies for a payout of 9 to 1, but the bank must pay a 5% commission, which lowers the odds. In addition, a winning Tie bet pays out at 8 to 1 – although this isn’t as common as the other two wagers.