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How to play baccarat

In baccarat you do not play a hand: you bet on which of two hands, Player or Banker, will finish closer to 9, or on a tie. The cards are dealt by fixed rules, so the only decision is where to put your chips. Here is every rule, with four coups worked out and a free table to watch them play.

On this page
  1. Player, Banker, Tie: what you bet on
  2. How a coup of baccarat goes
  3. Try it on the table
  4. Card values: only the last digit counts
  5. The third card rules
  6. Four coups, step by step
  7. Baccarat bets and payouts
  8. Punto banco, mini-baccarat, chemin de fer
  9. What to avoid
  10. How to play baccarat: questions

Player, Banker, Tie: what you bet on

“Player” and “Banker” are only the names of the two hands on the table. They have nothing to do with you or the casino: anyone can bet on either, and the dealer plays both by the rules.

Bet on the hand you think will finish closer to 9, or on a Tie. Player pays 1 to 1, Banker pays 0.95 to 1 because the casino takes a 5% commission on it, and Tie pays 8 to 1.

How a coup of baccarat goes

  1. Bets go on Player, Banker or Tie, plus the optional pair bets.
  2. The dealer gives two cards to Player and two to Banker, alternating, Player first.
  3. If either hand totals 8 or 9, it is a natural: nobody draws and the coup is over. About one coup in three ends this way (34.3%).
  4. Otherwise the Player hand draws a third card on 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7.
  5. The Banker hand then draws or stands according to its total and the Player’s third card, as the table further down shows.
  6. The hand closer to 9 wins. On a tie, bets on Player and Banker are returned and Tie pays 8 to 1.

Try it on the table

Play this table for real money300% up to €1,500 + 10% cashbackWithdrawals within a few hours(Partner link · 18+)Play this table for real money150% up to €750 + 50 free spinsWithdrawals within a few hours(Partner link · 18+)
Balance
5,000
Last win
0
Cards left in the shoe : 416

Player

Banker

Pick a chip, then tap Player, Banker, Tie or a pair.

Total bet0

Bead plate

Big road

Keyboard: Enter deals.

Play baccarat for real money

Card values: only the last digit counts

Aces count 1, cards 2 to 9 count their number, and tens, Jacks, Queens and Kings count 0. When a total reaches 10 or more, drop the first digit: a hand never goes over 9.

  • 7♥8♠57 + 8 = 15, which counts 5
  • K♦9♣Natural 9the best hand, the coup stops
  • A♣7♦Natural 8also stops the coup
  • 5♠5♥0“baccarat”, the worst total

The third card rules

The Player hand draws on 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7. If Player stood, Banker follows the same rule and draws on 0 to 5. If Player drew, Banker decides with this table, using the value of Player’s third card:

Banker totalBanker draws when Player’s third card is
0, 1, 2anything
3anything except 8
42 to 7
54 to 7
66 or 7
7never: Banker stands
A natural 8 or 9 on either side stops everything: nobody draws.

You never apply these rules yourself: at the casino, as on this table, the dealer does it. Knowing them lets you follow each coup and check it.

Four coups, step by step

PlayerBankerWhat happens
A♥ 7♠ = 86♦ Q♣ = 6Player has a natural 8: nobody draws. Player wins.
4♣ 3♦ = 7K♠ 5♥ = 5Player stands on 7, so Banker draws on 5: the 3♥ makes 8. Banker wins, 8 against 7.
2♠ J♦ = 2, draws 6♣ = 89♥ 5♣ = 4Banker on 4 draws against a third card of 6: the K♠ leaves it on 4. Player wins, 8 against 4.
5♠ K♥ = 5, draws 8♦ = 32♥ A♣ = 3Banker on 3 stands against an 8. 3 against 3 is a tie: Tie pays 8 to 1, Player and Banker bets come back.

Baccarat bets and payouts

BetPaysWinsHouse edge
Banker0.95 to 145.86%1.06%
Player1 to 144.62%1.24%
Tie8 to 19.52%14.36%
Player pair, Banker pair11 to 17.47%10.36%
Exact figures for eight decks, from every possible coup of a full shoe.

At 0.95 to 1, a winning Banker bet of 100 pays 95. Some tables drop the commission and pay Banker 1 to 1, except a Banker win on 6, which pays half: that version costs 1.46% on Banker, more than the classic 1.06%.

Punto banco, mini-baccarat, chemin de fer

  • Punto banco is the casino game, and the one on this page: the house banks every coup and the drawing rules are fixed.
  • Mini-baccarat plays the same rules at a smaller table with lower minimums; the dealer handles all the cards.
  • Chemin de fer is the older game, still dealt in some European casinos: players take turns holding the bank, the player may choose whether to draw on 5, and the banker has a few choices too.
  • Online you will also find speed and no-commission tables: the drawing rules stay the same, only the pace or the payouts change.

What to avoid

  • The Tie: it pays 8 to 1 but comes only 9.52% of the time, and costs 14.36% of what you bet on it.
  • The pair bets: 11 to 1 for a 7.47% chance, a 10.36% house edge.
  • Chasing streaks on the scoreboards: over 36 million simulated coups, after three Banker wins in a row Banker won the next coup 45.85% of the time, exactly its usual rate.
  • Avoiding Banker because of the commission: even after the 5%, it is the cheapest bet on the table, 1.06% against 1.24% for Player.

How to play baccarat: questions

Is baccarat a game of skill?

No. Every card is drawn by fixed rules, so nobody makes a decision after the bets. The only choice is which bet, and Banker is the cheapest.

Why is a 10 worth zero in baccarat?

Only the last digit of a total counts. A 10 adds nothing to the last digit, so it counts 0, like the face cards.

What is a natural?

A total of 8 or 9 on the first two cards. It ends the coup at once: nobody draws a third card.

What happens to a Banker bet on a tie?

It is returned, like a Player bet. Only the Tie bet wins, at 8 to 1.

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