Baccarat is the most popular table game in casinos. It has a history that dates back to Italy more than 500 years ago, with roots in both Asia and Europe (some say it spun off from pai gow). Whether you play punto banco, chemmy or baccarat banque, the goal is simple: place a bet on the hand that totals closest to nine.

Unlike blackjack, which is traditionally played with full decks, baccarat is often dealt from pre-shuffled cards. Using this method speeds up the game by eliminating time-consuming card inspection and shuffling processes. The cards can also be re-used in subsequent rounds without being burned, thus maintaining the order of the shoe.

As an added bonus, the use of pre-shuffled cards is also a cost saver. The normal process of introducing new decks into the game involves a lengthy procedure, where every single card is inspected for fronts and backs by the floor supervisor and dealer, then scrambled or washed together before being inserted into a shuffling machine or manually reshuffled. With pre-shuffled cards, this entire process can be completed in under 15 seconds.

The main reason why players love baccarat is that the game is fast and relatively simple. The dealer deals two cards for the player hand and two for the banker, and whoever has a value closer to nine wins. The winning hand can be either the player or banker, but if it’s a tie, it pays out 1:1 minus a 5% commission.

It’s important for players to understand how a round of baccarat works before they sit down at the table. First, they need to know that only the Player and Banker hands are dealt in a round. The Banker’s and the Player’s hands are dealt face up so that everyone can see them. The value of the hand is determined by adding the value of each individual card and dropping the tens digit. For example, a seven and six would be worth 13 but would drop to three. Aces always count as one.

Once the cards have been dealt, players can bet on the Player or Banker hand. Bets on the Player hand pay out 1:1, while bets on the Banker pay out 9:1 minus a five percent commission. Alternatively, players can bet on the tie and receive a payout equal to their original bet. Players can also watch the scoreboards posted on the tables to see if patterns are developing, such as whether the winning results tend to “streak” and repeat or if they “chop” between Player and Banker. In this way, a player can gain an edge by learning the patterns of previous results. This is called “following the trend.” This type of strategy requires considerable skill and knowledge of baccarat. But it’s a good way to maximize your chances of getting lucky.