Baccarat is the world’s biggest casino game. Its popularity in Asia is so great that Macau casinos, which dethroned Las Vegas last year, generate 88 percent of their revenue from the game. It is also popular in Singapore and on the Strip in Las Vegas, where it accounts for 18 percent of total casino wins. However, many players are unfamiliar with the rules and strategy of baccarat. They may not understand how to place bets correctly and can end up losing a lot of money in the long run.

The simplest way to play baccarat is to place a bet on either the player or banker to win. The winner is the hand that is closest to nine points. If the player and banker both score a ninth, it is a tie, and the bets are returned to the players. There are several different side bets in baccarat, including the Super Six and Pair Bets. The Super Six bet pays out 12x the initial bet amount. The Pair Bets pay out 11x the initial bet on either the player or the banker’s first two cards.

Baccarat first appeared in France in the early 19th century. It was written about in the book Album des jeux de hasard et de combinaisons by Charles Van-Tenac in 1847. It was later shortened to Baccarat Chemin de Fer and in America became known as railroad baccarat. In the 1950s, a simplified version of baccarat was introduced called Punto Banco, which is now the most common form played.

In the game of baccarat, the dealer takes a 5% commission on winning bets placed on the Banker’s hand. The banker must reveal his or her hand after each round. The higher valued hand wins. The player can choose to call ‘carte’ with a total of 4 or less, and ‘non’ with a total of 6 or 7. The banker can then draw one or more cards based on the available information.

The history of baccarat has had some ups and downs, but it remains one of the most popular card games in the world. Its popularity has grown considerably in recent years, especially among Asian high rollers. The game is a favorite for many players, but it can be very addictive and should be enjoyed responsibly.

Baccarat has been featured in many films and books, including the James Bond film Casino Royal. Evelyn Tremble is an expert on the game and is recruited to help beat Smersh agent Le Chiffre at the game. She is assisted by Vesper Lynd, who steals infrared sunglasses that enable her to observe the cheating.

The baccarat game is simple to learn, but it can be difficult to master. There are a few baccarat strategies that can increase your chances of success, but there is no strategy that can change the house edge of the game. The best baccarat strategies are based on betting systems for even money payouts, such as the Martingale system.