Baccarat is a casino card game that looks like blackjack, but simpler. The objective is to correctly predict which hand will be closest to nine points. Baccarat is played using six, seven or eight standard decks of cards. A game can have several bettors, but it all comes down to the player and banker sides working together to get a winner.

Before the deal begins, players must place their bets. They can choose to back the Player hand, the Banker hand, or the Tie bet. The dealer then flips four cards – two for the Player, and two for the Banker – and the side bets are paid out according to their odds.

Unlike some games, Baccarat participants don’t touch the cards and instead watch them on the table. However, in peel baccarat (which is common at online casinos), you can touch the cards and turn them over if you want to.

The Banker and Player hands compete against each other for the winning hand, with the aim to be closest to nine points. The game’s rules are simple, and you can bet on either a Player or Banker win or a tie.

If the Player or Banker hands both receive a total of 8 or 9 on their first two cards, a third card is not drawn. This is known as a “natural” and all placed bets are paid out. There are a number of other side bets you can place on the baccarat table, though their odds vary by establishment and platform.