Baccarat is one of those games that exudes sophistication, evoking images of high rollers in opulent casinos. Despite this mystique, the game is actually fairly simple to play and can be a great deal of fun. It’s also easy to find online, thanks to modern casino software developers.

In its simplest form, the game has just three betting options: player hand win, banker hand win, or tie. Players place their chips on the appropriate space on the table before a round begins, based on who they think will win. Once the winning hand is determined, payouts are made. It’s important to remember that the player hand can only score a total of nine points. If the total is less than 9, a third card may be dealt to the player hand, but only if its first two cards are equal. Unlike other casino table games, the sum of the cards in a baccarat hand can never exceed 9.

To make a player hand wager, simply choose the number you think is closest to nine. If you want to bet on the banker hand, however, you’ll need to know how many points it has and subtract 10 from the total value. For example, a banker hand with a 7 and 6 is worth 14 points. If you bet on the banker hand, you’ll receive a 1:1 payout, but you must pay the house a 5% commission on your winnings.

You can also bet on the tie, but the house edge is much higher for this bet than either a player or banker bet. The best way to reduce this house edge is to bet on the banker hand, as it has a lower house advantage of 1.06% than a player bet or a tie bet.

A banker bet also pays out a greater percentage on a win than a player or tie bet. Depending on the establishment and platform, some online Baccarat games offer a variety of side bets that can boost your bankroll. These are typically available before a round begins and vary by establishment, but you can expect them to cost significantly more than the main bets.

There is some speculation that a skilled player can gain an edge in baccarat by counting cards. While this strategy can work in some situations, it is not practical for the average player. A player who tries to count cards in baccarat is likely to be accused of cheating, and casinos will typically void any winnings won by this method.

There is also a technique called edge sorting, which involves examining the edges of the cards to determine whether they are low or high. While this is not a foolproof system, it can help you to identify which cards are more likely to be high than others. However, this technique has been deemed illegal by several countries and can result in the casino voiding your winnings. For this reason, it is not recommended to attempt to count cards in baccarat.