Baccarat (pronounced bah-kr-t, also known as ba:kra:) is a card game played between the player and banker. Its rules differ slightly depending on whether you’re playing the ‘punto banco’ or ’chemin de fer’ versions, but the overall principle is the same. Bets are placed on either the player hand, banker hand or a tie and the winning hand is that which totals closest to nine. Those who correctly predict a winner in a player or banker bet qualify for a 1:1 payout, but those who wager on a winning tie must pay a 5% commission that reduces the odds of the hand to 19 to 20.

Before you start betting, calculate how much money you’re willing to spend and stick to it. It can be easy to get carried away in this exciting game, but it’s important to remember that a big win can turn into a loss just as quickly as a small one.

A baccarat cheat sheet can help you understand payouts and odds, thereby improving your decision-making process on how to play the game. While it’s impossible to guarantee consistent wins, there are techniques that can improve your chances of winning, such as the Martingale system, which involves increasing your bet size after every loss.

Generally speaking, the banker’s hand has the higher chance of winning. However, if you’re unsure which hand to bet on, you can always place a tie bet, which pays 8-to-1, but only wins about 9.52% of the time.