Baccarat
What Is Baccarat?
Baccarat is the glamorous casino card game associated with James Bond and high-stakes gambling. Despite its sophisticated reputation, it is actually one of the simplest games in any casino. You do not play cards yourself at all. You simply place a bet on which hand will win — the Player hand, the Banker hand, or a Tie. Then cards are dealt automatically, totals are compared, and the closest to 9 wins. Your only decision is where to place your bet.
What You Need
- Six to eight standard 52-card decks dealt from a shoe — this is a casino game
- A baccarat table with three betting areas: Player, Banker, and Tie
Card Values in Baccarat — Different From Other Games
- Aces: worth 1 point
- Cards 2 through 9: worth their face value
- 10s, Jacks, Queens, Kings: worth 0 points — zero, nothing
Hand totals only go from 0 to 9. If a hand total exceeds 9, only the last digit counts. Example: a 7 and an 8 total 15, but in Baccarat the hand value is 5. A 9 and a 6 total 15, so the hand value is 5. A 9 and a King total 9 (King = 0), so the hand value is 9.
How to Play — Step by Step
- Before any cards are dealt, place your bet. You must choose one of three options: bet on the Player hand to win, bet on the Banker hand to win, or bet on a Tie.
- The dealer deals two cards to the Player position and two cards to the Banker position — all face-up.
- Calculate each hand’s total using the rules above. If either hand totals 8 or 9 from just two cards, that is called a Natural and no more cards are drawn. The Natural hand wins, or they tie if both are equal.
Drawing a Third Card — Automatic Rules
If neither hand has a Natural, a third card may be drawn according to fixed automatic rules. You do not decide this — the dealer follows a strict chart:
- Player hand draws a third card if their total is 0 through 5. Player stands on 6 or 7.
- Banker hand: draws based on their total AND the Player’s third card value according to a specific chart. Simplified: Banker draws on 0 through 2 always; on 3 through 6 depending on Player’s third card; stands on 7.
Do not worry about memorizing these rules — the dealer handles everything automatically. You just watch.
Determining the Winner
Compare the final totals of the Player hand and the Banker hand. Whichever is closest to 9 wins. If both totals are equal, it is a Tie.
Payouts
- Bet on Player and Player wins: Paid even money — 1 to 1. Bet ten dollars and win ten dollars.
- Bet on Banker and Banker wins: Paid 0.95 to 1 — you win 95 cents per dollar bet. Casinos take a 5 percent commission because the Banker bet has slightly better odds.
- Bet on Tie and it ties: Paid 8 to 1 in most casinos. Sounds attractive but this is a very poor bet.
Winning
There is no ongoing game to win — each hand is completely independent. You win or lose based on each individual bet.
Tips for New Players
- Bet Banker every single time — it has the lowest house edge of any bet in the casino at about 1.06 percent. The 5 percent commission is already accounted for in that figure.
- Never bet Tie — the house edge is approximately 14 percent. The 8 to 1 payout sounds tempting but statistically you lose far more than you win on Tie bets.
- Baccarat is entirely luck — no skill or strategy changes the outcome. Enjoy it as a relaxing, fast-paced game and manage your bankroll accordingly.