Baccarat (pronounced bak-car) is a game of chance and a very popular table game. It is a casino card game similar to and simpler than blackjack and it has become particularly popular among Asian gamblers and high rollers. Unlike blackjack and roulette, baccarat is not a game that can be won using any strategy and it is a pure game of chance. However, it is still one of the most entertaining games at the casinos and it is also the favourite game of James Bond, the fictional British secret agent created by Ian Fleming.

The basic game of baccarat is played on a small table and participants bet on either the Player hand, Banker hand or Tie. The game uses eight decks of cards. The goal of the game is to have a hand that totals as close to nine as possible. Aces count as one, while 10s and face cards have zero value. The Player and Banker hands are dealt by the dealer.

After the players place their bets, the dealer deals two cards to the Banker and the Player. If the total of a player’s hand is more than nine, the first number must be dropped. The game then ends when the Banker or the Player wins. Winning Banker bets pay a 5% commission to the house while winning Player bets pay even money. The game also offers no commission baccarat where the Banker bet pays 1:1 but this comes at a price.