Baccarat is a casino card game that is played by millions of people worldwide. Its history is rich and its symbols are often associated with the aristocracy and nobility of Europe. Today, the game has become mainstream in America and Asia. Its simplicity makes it easy to learn.

In Baccarat, the hand of the banker and the hand of the active player are compared to determine the winner of the game. If the active player’s hand is either zero or six or seven, they must call ‘carte’. Otherwise, they can choose to call ‘non’. If the player’s hand total is one or two, they may choose to call ‘carte’ or ‘non’, but they cannot increase their winnings by placing a higher bet.

The game’s origins are obscure, but legends abound. In some circles, it’s believed that the game originated in Italy during Charles VIII’s Italian war in 1494. However, this has not been verified. The most popular theory is that the word ‘baccara’ refers to zero in Italian dialect. This is, however, not supported by any evidence. Some historians claim that the name may originate from a Provencal expression.

Baccarat uses standard 52-card decks that are shuffled together. Every card rank is assigned a numerical value. For example, two through nine-pip cards are worth one pip, and an Ace is worth zero.