Card Games
How to Play Baccarat
A card game with three main bets, where the decision to draw is fixed by the rules of the table rather than the player.
Baccarat is a card game in which two hands, Player and Banker, are compared. The participant holds no cards and makes no decisions once the deal begins; the entire task is completed the moment a bet is placed on one of the two hands or on a tie. For that reason baccarat is among the fastest casino games to learn.
The version dealt in almost every casino in Asia and Europe is Punto Banco. In this version the rule governing the third card is fixed and carried out by the dealer, so the outcome of a round is not affected by skill. This guide covers card values, the order of play, the third card rule, the payout tables, and the house edge of every bet.
Object of the Game and Card Values
The object of a round of baccarat is to back the hand that finishes closer to nine. A hand is valued by adding its cards together and keeping only the units digit. A hand of 7 and 8 totals 15 and is therefore worth 5.
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 |
| 2 through 9 | Face value |
| 10, Jack, Queen, King | 0 |
A hand worth 8 or 9 on the first two cards is called a natural. When either hand holds a natural the round stops immediately and no further cards are dealt.
The Table and the Equipment
Baccarat is dealt on three sizes of table. The big table seats fourteen players and is run by three staff, the midi table seats nine, and the mini table seats seven with a single dealer. The rules are identical; what differs is the speed of play and the betting limits.
- The shoe. A box holding six to eight shuffled and cut decks, from which cards are drawn one at a time.
- Betting boxes. Three boxes in front of each seat marked Player, Banker and Tie, plus side bet boxes on many tables.
- The results board. A screen recording previous outcomes as columns of coloured marks. It is a record, not a forecast.
- The commission box. A numbered box in which staff track unpaid five percent commission at the big table.
The Three Main Bets
Baccarat offers three principal bets and no more. The payouts below apply at a table charging the standard five percent commission on winning Banker bets.
| Bet | Payout | Chance of winning | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banker | 1:1 less 5% commission | 45.86% | 1.06% |
| Player | 1:1 | 44.62% | 1.24% |
| Tie | 8:1 | 9.52% | 14.36% |
| Tie | 9:1 | 9.52% | 4.84% |
The Banker hand wins more often because it acts after the Player hand and its drawing decision takes the Player's third card into account. The five percent commission exists precisely to offset that advantage. Even after commission, the Banker bet carries the smallest house edge of the three.
The Tie bet offers a large payout, but ties occur in only about one round in ten. At a table paying 8:1 the house edge reaches 14.36%, more than ten times that of the Banker bet. A full comparison across games is on the house edge and odds page.
How a Round of Baccarat Is Played
A single round of Baccarat follows the sequence below. The same sequence applies at a physical table and at a live dealer table streamed to a screen.
- Buy chipsPlace cash on the table rather than in the dealer's hand. The dealer counts it on camera and passes back chips of equal value.
- Check the betting limitsA small sign at the side of the table shows the minimum and maximum bet. Make sure they fit the budget decided in advance.
- Place a betPut chips in the Player, Banker or Tie box before the dealer announces that betting is closed. Side bets go in their own boxes.
- Two cards are dealt to each handThe dealer draws two cards for Player and two for Banker, then turns all four face up.
- Check for a naturalIf either hand totals 8 or 9 the round is over and the bets are settled immediately.
- A third card is dealt where the rules require itThe Player hand draws first according to its total, after which the Banker hand follows the third card table.
- The hands are compared and bets settledThe hand closer to nine wins. Winning Banker bets are paid in full and the five percent commission is then deducted.
- The next round beginsWinnings are collected or left in place as the next bet, and the dealer reopens betting.
The Third Card Rule
The third card rule is the part of baccarat most often misunderstood. Players never need to memorise it, since the dealer applies it, but following it makes the round easy to read.
When the Player hand draws
- Total of 0 to 5: the Player hand draws one card.
- Total of 6 or 7: the Player hand stands.
- Total of 8 or 9: a natural, and the round ends for both hands.
When the Banker hand draws
The Banker's decision depends on its own two-card total and on the value of the Player's third card, where one was dealt.
| Banker total | Banker draws when the Player third card is | Banker stands when it is |
|---|---|---|
| 0, 1, 2 | Any value | None |
| 3 | 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 | 8 |
| 4 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 | 0, 1, 8, 9 |
| 5 | 4, 5, 6, 7 | 0, 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 |
| 6 | 6, 7 | 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9 |
| 7 | None | Any value |
| 8, 9 | Natural, the round ends | — |
When the Player hand stands on 6 or 7, the Banker hand draws on a total of 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7.
Side Bets and Their Payouts
Many tables offer side bets with large payouts. All of them carry a house edge far above the main bets, so their effect on long-run results is correspondingly greater.
| Bet | Winning condition | Payout | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player Pair | The first two Player cards are a pair | 11:1 | 11.25% |
| Banker Pair | The first two Banker cards are a pair | 11:1 | 11.25% |
| Perfect Pair | A pair of the same suit | 25:1 | 17.07% |
| Either Pair | Either hand holds a pair | 5:1 | 14.54% |
| Big | The round ends with 5 or 6 cards | 0.54:1 | 4.35% |
| Small | The round ends with 4 cards | 1.5:1 | 5.27% |
Results Boards and Their Limits
A baccarat results board displays past outcomes in several formats, among them the bead plate, the big road and three derived roads. Many players use these boards to predict the next result by following or cutting a streak.
Mathematically, each round stands alone. Cards already dealt do change the composition of the shoe, but the effect on the next round is tiny and cannot be read from a pattern of coloured marks. The board is a record, not a basis for calculating odds. Errors of this kind are covered further on the beginner mistakes page.
Managing Bets at the Baccarat Table
Baccarat moves quickly. A mini table can complete sixty to seventy rounds an hour, a big table around forty. The number of rounds determines how much of a bankroll is exposed during a session.
- Work out hourly exposure by multiplying rounds, stake and house edge. A Banker bet of 100 units at sixty rounds an hour gives an expected cost of 63.6 units per hour.
- Set the stake before sitting down, not after a few rounds have been played.
- Avoid doubling systems such as the Martingale; they leave the house edge unchanged and merely shift the risk into a single large bet.
- Treat Banker commission as a fixed cost rather than as an additional loss.
How to size a session budget is covered separately on the bankroll management page.
Baccarat Terminology
The terms below are the ones heard most often at the Baccarat table. A wider list is available in the casino glossary.
- Punto Banco
- The version of baccarat in which the drawing rules are fixed and carried out by the dealer. It is the version dealt in almost every casino.
- Natural
- A hand worth 8 or 9 on the first two cards. The round stops at once.
- Commission
- The five percent deduction from winning Banker bets, charged to offset that hand's advantage.
- Shoe
- The box holding six to eight shuffled decks from which cards are drawn.
- Big road
- The results board format recording Player and Banker wins in descending columns.
- Mini baccarat
- A small table with one dealer, lower limits and faster rounds.
Baccarat FAQ
Which baccarat bet is the best one to make?
The Banker bet carries the smallest house edge, 1.06% after the five percent commission, against 1.24% for the Player bet. The gap is narrow, but across many rounds the Banker bet produces the lowest long-run cost.
Is the Tie bet worth taking?
On the arithmetic, no. Ties occur in about 9.52% of rounds, while a payout of 8:1 leaves a house edge of 14.36%. At a table paying 9:1 the edge falls to 4.84%, still far above the main bets.
Can patterns on the results board predict the next round?
No. Each round is dealt from a shoe whose composition is almost unchanged, so previous results do not alter the odds of the next one. The board records rounds that have already been played.
Why is five percent deducted from Banker wins?
Because the Banker hand acts after the Player hand and uses the information of the Player's third card, it wins more often. The commission is charged to keep the payouts balanced for the operator of the table.
How much money is needed to play baccarat?
It depends on the table limits. At a table with a minimum of 50 units and sixty rounds per hour, an hour of play calls for a reserve of roughly twenty times the minimum so that normal swings do not end the session early.
Does player skill affect the result in baccarat?
Not the run of the cards. The only decision available is which bet to make, and that choice determines the house edge carried.