Baccarat is the glamorous card game that evokes images of men in tuxedos and women in elegant evening dresses, laying down chips as they watch the dealer distribute cards. While this game might seem intimidating, it’s actually simple to learn and fun to play. Baccarat is an exciting game that can offer big payouts, but it’s important to know how to play the game correctly and avoid common mistakes.

The goal of baccarat is to get the hand you bet on, either Player or Banker, as close as possible to nine points. You can place your bet before the cards are dealt, and you can change it for each round. Once the cards are dealt, you must decide whether to bet on your hand winning, the banker’s hand winning or a tie. The Player and Banker hands each receive two cards, and the winner is whoever has a score closer to nine. The value of the hand is determined by adding up all of the pips (the dots on each playing card that represent clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades). Picture cards and tens are worth zero points, while aces count as one point.

In the United States, baccarat generates less revenue than most other table games, but it’s still a major draw in Asian markets and at high-limit tables in casinos in Las Vegas and Macau. The game is a staple of the casino industry, and players can expect to see high-limit players betting $100,000 per hand or more.

While Baccarat is a simple game to learn, it can be difficult for new players to understand how to bet and the odds of the game. Before playing, you should familiarize yourself with the rules of baccarat and how the game is played in different countries. You should also be aware of the side bets available and their payouts and house edge.

You can find a variety of baccarat games online. Some websites offer specialty games like Lunar New Year baccarat that change the feel of the game and give it a new twist. It’s also a good idea to set a budget before you start playing. Decide how much you are willing to spend, and stick to it. It’s best to play with cash rather than credit, and be sure to leave the table when you reach your loss limit.

While baccarat is a simple game to play, it’s easy to lose track of how much you’re spending. To prevent this, it’s important to keep a record of your wins and losses so that you can determine when to stop playing. A good way to do this is by using a spreadsheet program. It will help you keep track of your results and make better decisions in the future. It will also help you plan your strategy for future games.