From sticky-floor California card rooms to the tuxedo-laden tables of Monaco, baccarat has captured the imagination of players everywhere. But it’s not all glamour and prestige: a solid strategy can make baccarat one of the more player-friendly casino games.

A game of baccarat is played with a group of players on an oval table. One of the players is designated as the “banker,” and sets the initial bet amount. The other players then announce if they want to bet on the player hand, the banker’s hand, or a tie. If they correctly predict a winning player or banker hand, they will receive a payout of 9 to 1. The odds on a winning tie bet are 8 to 1, but the game rules may have a 5% commission that reduces this payout to 7 to 1.

After all bets have been placed, the dealer deals two cards to each box (player and banker) and then compares them to determine which hand has the highest value. Only the rightmost digit of the total is used to determine the hand’s value. If the hand is worth 8, it will win. If the hand is a 9, it will lose. And if the hand is a tie, your stake will be returned to you.

Several baccarat betting strategies exist, including the Martingale System and the Labouchere system. The Martingale system involves doubling your bet after each loss, while the Labouchere strategy uses a series of numbers to determine your bet size.