Baccarat is renowned for its elegance, rituals, and Bond-esque mystique; yet new players may be intimidated or even inaccessible to it. But on a quiet evening in the Hard Rock Cafe’s Peacock Lounge, Lou, an employee at Hard Rock Cafe finds himself at an inviting yet glamorous table to play some blackjack grooving to the sounds that characterize its high roller enclave; instead he meets someone wanting him to try baccarat instead!

Bet on either Player or Banker hand and the one closest to nine will win. Cards are distributed from a multi-deck shoe, with individual hand values determined by adding up all pips (the dots that represent clubs, hearts, diamonds and spades on playing cards) together and counting an ace as one; any total over 10 has the first digit dropped; pairs bets pay 8-to-1 while ties will return 95% of stake. Score sheets can help track your scores.

Lou decides to bet on the Player side this evening. He watches as the dealer deals two cards to each of the Player and Banker hands, then awaits their outcome: If their combined total equals or surpasses 9, that constitutes a “natural,” and no further cards will be drawn; otherwise if it falls below nine then an additional card may be added for consideration.

Once a sufficient number of rounds have been played, the winner is determined by which hand comes closest to nine; otherwise it will be decided based on who has the higher point total; in case of a tie bettors can also place side bets on which player has higher hand totals.

Additional to traditional Player and Banker bets, there are also other wagers worth considering when betting. A Super Six Bet pays out when a Banker Hand wins with six or more points; another option is Pair Bet which pays out when either Banker or Player pairs of cards win outright.

Baccarat has long been an iconic casino game, and continues to draw millions of players all over the globe today. First created in Europe and later spread through Asia and then America. Since the release of 2019 movie The Big Short featuring a jewellery store owner’s efforts to sell off gemstones to settle gambling debts. Its popularity has only increased further.

Punto Banco or Chemin de Fer (sometimes referred to as “baccarat noir”) differ slightly in their rules; both involve betting on hands that come closer than nine and both the banker and player have a low house edge.