Baccarat is one of the most popular casino games in the world. It can be played in casinos, at home and even on mobile devices. It is a simple game that can be learned quickly and is easy to understand. It is one of the few table games that maintain a low house edge while providing players with a chance to win big. The game is also featured in several James Bond movies and has an elegance that makes it stand out on the casino floor.

There are a few variations of the game but they all follow the same basic rules. A group of players sit around a table and each player puts down an initial bet. Each subsequent player then announces if they wish to “go bank” and play against the current banker’s bet amount. After all players have placed their bets, the cards are dealt and the winning hand is determined.

The player and banker each receive two cards. The winning hand is the one that totals closest to 9. This value is based on the number of pips (the dots on the card that represent clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades) added together. Aces count as one while face cards are worth zero points. In the event of a tie, the stakes are returned to the players.

In the case of a Banker win, a commission is paid out to those who bet on the Banker. This can vary from casino to casino and even by country. The minimum bet is usually $20 – $25 but can be higher depending on the number of decks used in the game.

After the Banker and Player hands are compared, the remaining bets are paid out. If the Player hand has a total of 8 or 9 with the first two cards, it wins and no further cards are drawn. If the Banker hand has a total of 7 with the first two cards, it stands and no further cards are drawn. If the Player hand has a total less than 6, the player must draw a third card.

A third bet option is the Super Six Bet. This is an optional bet that pays out if the Banker’s hand has a total of 6. The payout on this bet can reach 12x your original bet. Pair Bets are another optional bet that can be made and pay out if the Player and Banker have matching cards in their hands. The payout for this bet is generally 8x your bet amount. This bet is not available at all online casinos. However, some offer it as an extra bet on top of the Player or Banker bet.