Bacarrat Basics

Bacarrat is a card game played in casinos worldwide. It is a simple game that is easy to learn and play. The goal is to form a hand whose point value is closer to nine than that of the banker’s hand.

There are three main versions of baccarat: punto banco, chemin de fer and baccarat banque (or a deux tableaux). Each version of the game is different but all use eight 52-card packs that are shuffled before each deal.

The players sit around a large Baccarat table which has from seven to fourteen seats depending on the version of the game and a dealer’s area. The green felt covers the table and there are numbered spots from 1 to 12 on the floor where each player can place their bets.

A dealer or croupier deals the cards from a shoe that travels round the table in a circular fashion, releasing one card at a time face down. Each card is dealt in turn and the dealer will then make a call, which consists of either a Banker or Player bet.

In each hand, there are two numbered areas where bets can be placed: the Player’s betting area and the Banker’s betting area. The banker has the first two cards and the player has a third, which they can choose to keep or to draw.

The Player’s and the Banker’s hands are concealed from the rest of the table, but if they decide to draw, their original hands will be shown. This was done in order to avoid a possible curse by an unlucky player or banker.