Baccarat is a casino game that conjures up images of men in tuxedos and women in posh evening gowns laying down their chips as the dealer deals cards. But despite the glamorous trappings of this exciting card game, it is one of the most simple and easy games to play. And it also happens to be quite fun!

The objective of baccarat is to get your hand as close to 9 points as possible. The player and banker sides compete against each other, and the hand that gets closest to 9 wins. Unlike blackjack and roulette, where players place many different bets, baccarat has only three basic wager options.

After all the bets are placed, the dealer will deal two cards for the banker and the player. Once the cards are dealt, the players and banker reveal their hands. The hand with the highest value wins, and the other hand loses. The point count is determined by dropping the first digit of the total value. For example, an ace and a 7 has a value of nine, while a seven and a 6 counts as five.

Some players like to add some variety to their baccarat betting strategy by placing a side bet. Depending on the platform or establishment, these bets pay different odds. For instance, some offer 11:1 odds for a player pair, while others may pay 8:1. In addition to these side bets, EZ Baccarat is a variation of the classic game that offers a lower house edge and pays all banker bets on wins (with a 5% commission on wins). This version is popular among players who prefer a lower edge and higher payouts.