World-renowned casinos may see a greater influx of high rollers betting more on blackjack and poker, but baccarat has recently experienced an explosion of popularity among high rollers clad in tuxedos. Originating in Italy and France salons over 300 years ago, baccarat has now become an integral component of Asian high roller gambling; something Bill Zender, a former Nevada Gaming Control Agent and executive who wrote an entire book on managing casino games can vouch for.

Players bet on either the banker hand or player hand to win in this straightforward card-handdealing affair, where players bet either way on whether theirs comes closer to nine than that of their opponent – with eights or nines being best, while sevens and sixes come second best; face cards count for zero while the ace counts as one.

Before playing baccarat, it’s wise to familiarize yourself with its house edge, and there are various approaches available for managing it. One such strategy is known as the 1-3-2-6 system which divides betting units into three sets and adjusts them after wins or losses so as never to exceed two units from your bankroll and limit any potential losses during losing streaks.

The Paroli System employs positive progression to boost winnings while decreasing losses, similar to Martingale but without the double bet after each loss and return to your initial bet size after winnings. It can provide safer options to help reverse losing streaks.

Be mindful that eventually, even with the best baccarat strategy in place, the house edge will catch up to you and cause huge losses. To mitigate this effect, play short sessions while setting a budget of at least 2% of your bankroll prior to starting to play baccarat.

Before investing your real money into playing baccarat for real money, it is recommended that you practice in free games first. Many online casinos provide this feature which allows you to test various strategies without risking anything financially. Select a baccarat game with fewer decks of cards, as this will lower the house edge on banker bets – especially useful when playing on mobile devices. Keep a copy of its rule sheet handy just in case it becomes necessary during gameplay. As this way you’ll always have an easy reminder of payouts for various bets and when to hit or stand. Furthermore, many online casinos provide their customers with a downloadable version of the rules, making it even simpler to stay on top of your strategy.