Baccarat is one of the world’s oldest casino games, dating back to Italy and France but only becoming widely popular over the past thirty years. Now popular across Asia as well as America due to its low house edges and ease of play compared to other casino games like Poker or Blackjack; for new or casual gamblers baccarat can be the least intimidating gaming option at casinos as players simply place bets on either Player or Banker hands and then wait to see who comes closest to nine when making their decision.
At a round of baccarat, a croupier deals two cards to both Player and Banker hands; if the first two do not produce natural results, a third card may be drawn if necessary. Once drawn, winning hands are paid out according to odds while losing bets are collected; any tie results in odds of 1:1, while winning Banker hands receive an extra commission payment from this arrangement (5% commission on Banker wins being the usual case). Taking this approach allows casinos to generate profit through this game of baccarat!
Initial baccarat gameplay varied slightly. Players vied to be banker, and there were multiple dealers. Today, however, a single croupier is responsible for dealing out eight hands (called a coup) in rounds of eight hands ( called a “coup”). All six decks of cards are mixed up before sitting randomly around the table while their right is then dealt out starting from there on out by starting from right of players seated first on left side.
Baccarat may seem like a game of chance, but you can increase your odds of victory through various strategies. Card counting has proven particularly successful at decreasing the house edge by 0.5% when betting on banker.
History of baccarat can be complex, but its advent in France can be traced to King Charles VIII who introduced it. After becoming popular in England and eventually making its way across to America with Tommy Renzoni’s introduction in 1950. While not catching on among American casino-goers like roulette or slot machines had, baccarat became popular among high rollers who could afford the higher minimum bets and played in special rooms fitted out with luxurious leather chairs – it has quickly become popular with Asian high rollers over recent years – for good reason!