Baccarat is one of the most popular casino games. It has been around for decades, but is still growing, says Bill Zender, a retired gaming control agent and consultant. His years of experience in the gaming industry have shown that baccarat is especially popular with Asian high rollers. This is because the game is uniquely suited to Asian cultural preferences. Game Baccarat is a card game played with eight decks of cards. The face cards and 10s have no value, while the cards 2 to nine are counted as their actual value. The ace is worth one. Players place bets by placing their chips in the appropriate areas on the table. When a player wins, the dealer pays out the winning bets. Rules Baccarat is a game that involves two hands: the banker’s hand and the player’s hand. The banker hand is worth one less than the player’s hand. The player always plays first and stands before the dealer. The game is played with eight decks of cards. The cards are dealt counterclockwise. Payouts Baccarat payouts are determined by the number of points a player’s hand has when compared to the value of the banker’s hand. For example, if the banker’s hand has a value of seven and the player’s hand has a value of nine, the player must hold his hand. However, if the banker’s hand has a value of eight or nine, the player is not allowed to draw. Tie bets Tie bets in Baccarat are one of the easiest bets to place and have a good chance of winning. They can be made on either the player or the banker. If the player bet is higher than the banker’s bet, the player wins the game and the bet of the banker is returned. Origins The origins of Baccarat are somewhat hazy. The game was first played in France around the 15th century. It is thought to have been introduced after the Franco-Italian War and was soon popularized by the French nobility. They played the game regularly in private gaming rooms. Variations Baccarat is one of the most popular casino games and there are a number of variations. However, the basic rules are the same for all games. If you want to play a specific variant, you can click on its game description to find out the exact rules. However, you should note that not all online casinos offer every variation. For this reason, you may need to search through a few online casinos to find the best version for you.