Here is a brief explanation of how to play and the rules of Baccarat.  To start the game Two hands are dealt, one for the "player" and one for the "banker". You can bet on one or the other. If the hand you bet on wins, you receive a 1 to 1 (even money) payoff. You can also bet that the hands will tie, but as mentioned late on, it is not a great idea. You receive an 8 to1 payoff, but ties occur less than once out of every ten hands, making the tie bet a pretty bad idea (but you are probably going to try it anyway aren’t you?).

At the start, each hand receives two cards. When necessary, additional cards are drawn according to the rules. The hand closest to 9 wins. Tens, Jacks, Queens and Kings count 0. The Ace counts 1 and cards 2 through 9 are at face value. The hand that comes closest to a count of 9 wins. Hands don't bust like in Blackjack, because the first digit of a two-digit number is always dropped. For example, if 5 and 7 are drawn for a total of 12, the count is 2. When there is a tie, nobody loses (and if you didn’t take my advice you have probably won some cash).

If the first two cards total 8 or 9, the hand is called a "natural" and it wins automatically, unless both hands have equal value "naturals", in which case it's a tie. If neither hand has a natural additional cards are drawn to determine a winner and this is where the game gets more interesting.

Banker and player bets pay even money when you win. However, winning banker bets are subject to a 5% house commission. Even after paying a 5% commission on winning banker bets, betting on "banker" is still a slightly (0.19% to be exact) better proposition than betting on "player". Banker hands win more often, but if the player is on a roll then you have to back the hot hand.

All bets are made before the cards are dealt. In live games every player at the table gets a chance to deal the cards, but you don't have to deal, just pass the shoe to the next player.

That's all there is to Baccarat, but just because it is simple, don't think it is easy to win. As in all casino games, the house, or casino, has the advantage, so you start off with an uphill battle if you want to come out ahead, but that just makes it all the more enjoyable when you win.

The secret to successful gambling is to bet with your head, not over it, as the signs say at the casinos, and you might say it’s the secret to staying married as well. To keep gambling fun, never take more money with you than you can comfortably lose or steal it form someone when they are not looking. Of course, we all hope that we win, but it doesn't always turn out that way. Read and learn all you can about gambling and your odds will improve significantly, and make sure that when you stop having fun you walk away from the table.  Always better to cut your loses than to keep building them.

Sometimes it’s just not your day.