Baccarat is one of the world’s most beloved card games. From California card rooms to Monaco casinos and even being featured in James Bond movies, baccarat can be found everywhere from sticky floors of card rooms in California to luxurious casinos wearing tuxedos adorned with jewels. While involving some level of luck when playing it can be overcome with preparation and understanding its rules.

Felix Falguiere invented baccarat in Rome in 15th Century Italy, and since its introduction has become a mainstay of gambling salons worldwide. Today’s most widely played version, punto banco, has evolved over time from various versions. Players make bets on whether a banker hand or player hand will emerge victorious during each round.

Players sit in groups of seven to 14, and a croupier distributes two cards for each person – banker hand and player hand – as per usual. The aim is to form the hand that totals closest to nine; picture cards, tens, jacks and aces count as no points while double digit hands (where possible) drop one digit and use only their second value instead.

Bettors place bets on either the player, banker, or tie hand. If a player wins, he or she receives eight to one; if bankers win they pay out a commission to the casino which usually amounts to five percent of winnings; in either case the banker or player may opt to draw an additional card if their initial two cards share equal values.

Baccarat is a table game, and its layout varies depending on which version is being played. Most common baccarat tables usually feature three betting areas for player, banker, and tie wagering – typically six decks are shuffled together and dealt face up visible to all players at the table.

Baccarat differs from both poker and blackjack in that it is played on a large, specially designed table with two banks of seats with a centrally placed croupier sitting within it – who deals the cards out while each player has their own dedicated area for placing bets.

As opposed to poker, in baccarat past results have no bearing on a player’s chances of winning their next hand. Therefore, it’s crucial that both player and banker keep an eye on wins and losses from previous hands and adjust bets accordingly. With its low stress levels yet high rewards game play experience baccarat makes for an ideal relaxing way to relax with some fun gaming at home or a casino!