Ever walked into a casino such as The Wynn in Las Vegas, passed the blinking slots, the smokey poker tables, the, uh, passable waitresses…and glanced at that roped off section off in the corner? You know, the area you never have enough money to enter? That’s where they’re playing Baccarat. A game of more chance but better player odds than most games, Baccarat is all about show, and millions and millions of dollars. Suits and massive table minimums are often the norm. Even mini-baccarat has a nice little hint of arrogance to it. I’d call it the acquired taste of the gambling world. If you’re new, here’s how it’s played.

Here’s how it works. No matter how many “players” are at the table, there are only two hands dealt. One to the “banker” and one to the “player.” In regular Baccarat, the “deal” rotates around to whomever is designated the banker, but a real dealer still does all the turning. It’s all for show, and a bit ridiculous. Luckily for all the impatient addicts out there, mini-baccarat cuts out the show and lets the real casino dealers handle all the heavy lifting.

So if you don’t have a hand, how do you play? Well, what you’re going to do is either bet on the banker hand or the player hand to win. If you bet on the player hand, the house edge is 1.24%. If you bet on the banker (comes with a 5% commission if you win at most casinos), the house edge is 1.06%. You can also bet on a tie, but that’s a sucker’s bet with a house edge of 14%. Never bet it.

And if that’s how you bet, how do you win? Here’s the objective. The winning hand will draw a two- or three-card hand of which the value is closest to 9. Values of cards, also, are not what you might think at first glance. 10 and face cards are worth 0. Aces are always worth 1. 2-9 are worth face value. You’ll add up the value of the two cards dealt, and see how close it is to 9. If it rolls over, the 10 amount is dropped and you’re left with the remainder. A hand of 6 and 8 (14) is actually worth 4. It’s not blackjack, you can’t bust.

The banker and player are each given two cards to start off the hand. If either one’s hand totals 8 or 9, the hand is finished. If the player’s hand is worth 6 or 7, the player must stand, no exceptions. And if that’s the case, the banker will takea hit on a hand of 5 of under. Now, if the player’s hand is worth 5 or under, the player must automatically hit. There are a whole host of scenarios to decide whether the banker receives a third card to match the player’s – based on the value of the banker’s current hand. A few are as follows. If the banker’s hand is worth 0-2, banker always hits. If the banker has a 7, he always stands. Other combinations are based off the banker’s value and the player’s third card value, and can be found elsewhere online.

If I do play mini-baccarat, it’s rare, and it’s with a $25 minimum. Really, in a game where the odds (when in favor of the player) are so close, it’s tomato tomoto as to who you bet. Many players make their decision based on what restrictions on each player they feel put them at the greatest advantage (or disadvantage). My advice, though, is to find some free games online and give it a try. If you get the hang of it and think there’s money to be won, find that low minimum – and don’t dress in jeans.