What is Baccarat?
Baccarat is one of the most popular table games in casinos across Europe and Nevada. It is also played for high stakes in many private clubs. Baccarat is a game of chance that requires little technical skill to play. Players bet on which hand they think will win – the Player’s, the Banker’s or a tie.
The first thing to do before you can start playing baccarat is to decide which bet you’d like to place. You can bet on either the Player’s, the Banker’s, or a tie. You can change your bet for each round of play as you wish. Once you’ve placed your bet, the cards will be dealt and the winner determined. The Player’s and Banker’s hands are dealt two cards each, and the hand with a total closest to 9 wins. A ten or nine is worth zero points, while picture cards (Jacks, Queens and Kings) are worth their face value. The ace is worth one point.
As soon as a winning bet has been made, the dealer will collect and pay out the winnings. The banker’s bet pays out 1:1, but the casino takes a 5% commission on all winning Banker bets. This is how the house makes money from the game and it’s why baccarat can be so lucrative for those that are lucky enough to win.
Unlike some other card games, there are no wild cards in baccarat. This means that when you’re adding up the points, it is only the number that counts. The ace is worth 1 point, the number 2 is worth two points and so on. It is possible to score nine, but it is unlikely.
Aside from the main game, baccarat also has side bets and mini-baccarat which are variations on the game. These games can be fun for people of all ages and experience levels, as they don’t require much knowledge of the rules or strategy. They can be a good way to pass the time while waiting for the main game to finish.
The game of baccarat has had a lot of success in the media and films, too. For example, the James Bond film ’Casino Royale’ featured baccarat as the main game played by Bond and his entourage. Moreover, the 1956 French heist film Bob le Flambeur contains a climactic scene in which the protagonist gambles at Watier’s in Paris – Baccarat being the main game.
Baccarat’s strong showings at the Great Exhibitions of the 19th Century, such as the 1867 fair in Paris where it won a prize for a 24-foot glass fountain and the 1878 fair in New York, caught the attention of wealthy patrons from around the world, including Ottoman Turkey, Portugal, Japan and India. Today, original 19th Century pieces are highly prized collectors’ items. Some are displayed at the Baccarat Museum, and others can be seen in museums around the world. Baccarat is also credited with designing one of the most iconic wine glasses of the 19th Century, its Harcourt glass, which features a distinctive prismatic lustre that reflects a wide range of colours depending on the angle of light.