Baccarat is one of the oldest casino games. It is also one of the most popular. It is a simple game to play and doesn’t require any special skills. The object is to bet on the hand that you think will be closest to nine points. There are two possible outcomes: a Player win or a Banker win. The game began with medieval tarot cards and later was replaced by regular playing cards. It became very popular in the 19th century and was first played in casinos in France. Today baccarat is played worldwide.

After players place their bets, the dealer deals two cards to the player and a banker. The player and banker hands are compared and the hand with the value closest to 9 wins. If neither hand is a winner, the result is a tie. There are two other bets in baccarat: Super Six Bet and Pair Bet. The player can choose to make either of these bets, which have different pros and cons.

In addition to the standard rules of baccarat, some casinos offer additional variations of the game. These include EZ Baccarat, which pays even money on both the player and banker bets without any commission, and Dragon 7, a game that changes the payout on winning banker bets if the banker has a seven. It is important to understand the rules of each variation before betting real money. In some cases, the house edge will be slightly higher in these games.