If you’ve ever stepped foot in a casino, whether it’s in a sticky-floor California card room or a tuxedo-laden gambling hall of Monaco, then you’ve likely seen the elegant game of Baccarat. It’s a popular choice of high rollers, and it is the game that Sean Connery plays in the first scene of “Casino Royale.” But while Baccarat might seem intimidating to the average casino-goer, it is actually incredibly easy to play. In fact, there is one version of the game that’s the most common in casinos and online gaming sites. This is the simplest form of the game, known as Punto Banco.

In this version of the game, there are seven to 14 seats for players and a dealer area. A hand of three cards is dealt to the player and banker. The goal is to get a hand that totals closest to nine. Picture cards (jacks, queens, and kings) count as zero points, while number cards and aces count as one point each. If the value of a hand goes above nine, then the first digit is dropped. For example, a seven and a six would make a 13, so the first digit is dropped to a three.

Baccarat also features a much lower house edge than other casino games, such as blackjack and roulette. This means that you can keep playing rounds for longer periods of time before your bankroll is depleted. Baccarat is also much quicker to play than other casino games, with each round taking only a few minutes.

While there are many strategies that you can use to try and win at Baccarat, it’s important to remember that the game is more of an instinct than a science. For instance, traditional wisdom suggests that you should never break a run of betting on either the player or banker hands. So if you’re betting on the player and it continues winning, don’t switch to betting on the banker.

If the player or banker has a total of 8 or 9 on the first two cards, this is considered a natural and all placed bets are paid out. However, if neither the player or banker has a natural, then a third card is drawn based on certain rules. In addition, the dealer may also decide to touch one or both of the hands based on their values. Learn how this works and the other rules of the game to maximize your chances of success. You can even play a free version of the game online to get a feel for the rules of the game before you head into the casino to play. Then, you can decide if this is the game for you. Good luck!