Baccarat is a casino table game that is a mixture of chance and logic. Unlike other casino games like real money roulette, players can’t control the outcome of each round but they can learn how to play baccarat by tracking patterns and making logical bets.

In baccarat, eight 52-card packs are shuffled together and dealt by the dealer from a dealing box called a shoe. Each hand is played out with the Banker, the Player and the Tie betting areas on a green felt table.

During a baccarat round, the winner is determined by which hand comes closest to 9 points. The dealer then collects any winnings and pays the losing bets. The 5% commission owed to the banker is collected in the commission box by the dealer at the end of each baccarat coup.

Although baccarat is one of the most popular casino games, some players can find it boring to watch. This is because there are only three possible outcomes in a baccarat round, whereas blackjack and roulette have numerous betting options.

In addition to the banker, player and tie bets, baccarat offers an array of side bets that can add excitement and additional ways to win. Players can also increase the probability of a winning hand by following the simple strategy of betting two units on every round, regardless of their previous results. This is known as the 1-3-2-6 system and has been proven to reduce a player’s bankroll losses.