The game is played with eight decks shuffled together and each player at the table gets a turn to deal. Four cards are dealt, two each for the bank and the player. If the point total of either or both sides is an eight or nine, it is called “a natural” and no more cards are dealt. If the point total of both sides is the same, it is a tie. After the initial two cards are dealt, if the bank or player’s points don’t add up to a natural or there is no tie, another card is dealt.

“In addition to being one of the simplest games to play, Baccarat has a very low house edge, making it one of the best choices for gambling,” says Faccinto, Jr. If you bet on the player and they win, you win even money. If you bet on the bank and the bank wins, you win even money minus a five% commission to the house. The house edge comes from the chance of a tie. If you bet on a tie, the payoff is eight to one, but the casino takes approximately 14% of your earnings.

“Baccarat is very popular with our international guests,” says Faccinto, Jr. “Europeans have played the game for hundreds of years. Our Asian guests are very familiar with Baccarat, as it occupies over 60% of the table games in Macau.” Many of the MGM MIRAGE properties including Bellagio, The Mirage and The Mansion at MGM Grand have luxurious, high-limit Baccarat lounges offering private gaming areas. “Visitors from all over the world enjoy the sophisticated atmosphere of our properties, the impeccable personalized customer service and our innovative and inviting gaming options,” says Faccinto, Jr.

Baccarat has come a long way in the 500 or so years since its invention. Whether you choose to play in a private, exclusive lounge or at a table in the main casino, Baccarat is one of the easiest table games to play. Now that you know the basics of the game, determining where to bet and how much to wager, the only decision left to make is whether to order your martini shaken or stirred.