Baccarat is an exciting card game that evokes images of men in tuxedos and women in posh evening dresses laying down chips as the dealer distributes cards. Although the game has a certain mystique it is actually quite simple to play and can be fun even for the least experienced player.

Baccarat has a long and distinguished history. The company has been making glassware and other objects for more than 250 years and, in that time, has produced many remarkable pieces of art. The production of Baccarat glass has always been centered in the town of Baccarat, in eastern France. The workshop was originally founded in the 17th Century and initially focused on producing windows and mirrors.

In the 19th Century, Baccarat would be one of the most successful workshops in the world, showcasing its work at the Great Exhibitions of the period. The displays at the fairs would dazzle visitors and earn the firm important patrons from around the world. Baccarat’s strong showings at the 1855 Paris Exposition Universelle, the 1867 Paris fair and the 1878 Paris fair brought the firm attention and patronage from countries as far afield as Ottoman Turkey, Portugal, Japan, and India.

The modern version of Baccarat is played in most casinos and in the five US states where it is legal to wager on the game. Baccarat is also available online and in other countries that have legalized the game. The game is a table based card game played between the Banker and the Player. The players place their chips based on who they believe will win the hand. The winner of the hand is the hand that totals closest to nine. If the hand is a tie the player’s stakes are returned.

In addition to betting on whether the Banker or Player will win a baccarat hand, most casinos offer a third bet which is on the outcome of a tie. This bet is usually offered at odds of 8 to 1 but can vary from place to place.

While a tie bet is risky, it can produce large wins for players. In addition, a game of baccarat is easy to learn and plays fairly quickly. A key to success is understanding the rules of baccarat and learning how to keep track of each hand. Ideally, a player should plan their wagers in advance and stick to the minimum amount they are willing to spend on a hand.

The game’s rules are simple: Players place their chips on the Banker or Player side of the table. Each participant is dealt two cards and the hand with the highest total wins. If a player has a seven and a six, for example, they will be asked to stand on the sixth if it is the winning hand. This is because tens and eights count as zero, while kings and queens count as one. This is the best way to maximize your chances of winning a hand.