Baccarat is one of the most popular casino games worldwide and it attracts a wide range of players in online and land-based casinos. It has a very simple structure and maintains a low house edge, making it attractive to many gamblers. The game’s history dates back to the gambling salons of Italy and France, while its popularity has grown over the past few decades in Asia and the US.

In a baccarat game, the dealer deals two cards to both the Player box and the Banker box. Then, the hand total that is closest to 9 wins. The player can choose to bet on the Player hand, the Banker hand, or a tie bet. When the Player or Banker wins, a commission is paid to the casino, which usually ranges from 5-10% of the winning amount.

There are several variants of baccarat, but the most common is punto banco or chemmy, as it was known in France. It gained immense popularity among the nobility and the upper class in Europe, and subsequently spread to the rest of the world. The game is even featured in some of the James Bond films, such as Dr. No, Thunderball, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and GoldenEye. Baccarat is also a popular choice in online casinos, and it’s easy to find live and RNG versions of the game on most sites. Playing baccarat for free in a virtual environment is a great way to learn the game and test your strategies before investing real money.