Baccarat is an exciting casino game that can keep you entertained for hours without requiring a lot of brainpower. However, it’s important to understand the rules and strategy of the game before you start betting any real money. It’s also a good idea to set a bankroll before you start gambling. This way, you can avoid overspending and walk away from the table while still having a great time.

There are many different variations of baccarat, but most of them involve the same basic process. Players place a bet on either the Player hand, the Banker hand or a tie before the cards are dealt. Then, the dealer deals each of these hands two cards and plays out the round. The winning hand is the one with a total closest to nine.

The player and banker hands are each worth a different number of points depending on the value of their individual cards. The number of pips on each card determines its value, with face cards worth zero and aces counting as one point. A 9 is the highest possible score, while a 7 is the lowest. The aim is to bet on a hand that has the highest possible value after all the cards are dealt.

Before you play baccarat, decide how much you’re willing to spend and stick to it. The game is very fast paced, and you’ll find yourself losing your money quickly if you don’t set a budget. Also, remember that a win is only as good as the amount of money you walk away with. So don’t go too crazy if you hit a winning streak.

Once you’ve decided how much you want to spend, it’s a good idea to calculate the house edge of each bet. This will help you determine which bets to make and which ones to avoid. Generally speaking, the Banker bet is the best bet because it offers the highest return percentage paired with the lowest house edge. However, you should know that the house does impose a 5% commission on winning Banker bets.

Another great way to learn baccarat is to watch the pros. You can do this online or in person, at any number of casinos that offer the game. You’ll find many games played with eight or more players, and you can even bet on La Petite, a smaller version of the game that can seat more people at a single table.

You can even watch the classic scene from the 1995 film GoldenEye between Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond and Famke Janssen’s Xenia Onatopp. This is a fantastic example of an expert baccarat hand, and it will give you a sense of how the game works.