Baccarat is a popular card game that is played in casinos around the world. The game is played between two hands: the player and the banker. The objective of the game is to correctly predict which hand will have a higher total value or if the two hands will tie.

The game is played with a standard deck of 52 cards, and the cards are assigned point values. Ace is worth one point, cards 2-9 are worth their face value, and tens and face cards are worth zero points. The objective is to get a hand with a total point value as close to nine as possible.

At the beginning of each round, players place their bets on either the player, banker, or tie. The dealer then deals two cards each to the player and banker hands. If either hand has a total point value of eight or nine, this is called a “natural” and the hand is declared the winner. If both hands have a total point value of eight or nine, the game is a tie.

If neither hand has a natural, the game continues. The player hand is always played first, and if the player’s total point value is five or less, they are dealt a third card. The banker hand is then played according to a set of rules that depend on the value of the player’s third card (if one was dealt). If the banker’s total point value is five or less, they are dealt a third card as well.

Once both hands have been played, the hand with the highest total point value wins. If the player hand wins, all bets on the player win. If the banker hand wins, all bets on the banker win (minus a 5% commission fee). If the two hands tie, bets on the tie win.

Baccarat is a game of chance, and there is no surefire way to predict the outcome of any given round. However, players can use strategies and betting systems to increase their chances of winning or to manage their bankroll more effectively.