Baccarat is a casino game where players bet on the outcome of two hands. The banker or player who has the closest total to nine wins. Unlike other games where the odds are fixed and are favoured to the house, baccarat is a chance game where you must rely on your skill and luck.

Two hands are dealt: one to the player and one to the banker. A third card is then drawn. All face cards and 10-pip cards are worth zero while tens and Aces carry a value of 1.

If the player has a hand that is closer to nine than the banker’s, they win. Otherwise, if the player has a hand with less than the banker’s, the banker wins. However, if the player’s hand is equal to the banker’s, the tie bet pays at a rate of 8 to 1 and has a 14.4% house edge.

As a player, you should try to keep track of previous hands. This will help you make a better decision when the third card is drawn. You should also play higher bets to level up.

Before you start playing baccarat, make sure you know the rules. In addition to learning the rules, you should use patterns to predict the banker’s moves. There are many strategies available.

Generally, the banker knows all the stakes on every hand. When you bet, you should remember that the banker is trying to beat the hand with the larger bet.