How to Play Baccarat

The most common version of the online baccarat game is ‘Punto Banco’ or North American Baccarat. The casino banks the game at all times, so is more suited to online play.

Baccarat can offer attractive odds for the player. As when the player is betting, the house has only a small edge. To balance this out, the house takes a commission, of usually 5%, on winning bank bets. The bets are always made before any of the cards have been dealt.

Players need to make one of two bets – either to the banker or dealer, or if they fancy their chances – a bet on a tie. At an online casino, a virtual dealer deals the cards but at land-based casinos, players can either have a turn at dealing the cards or one assigned dealer deals. Each player bets on either banker or player (custom has it that the dealer bets on the bank).

The shoe is passed to the next player, if one decides not to be dealer. It remains with this player until the bank wins and passes to the next player, if the player wins. Players bet on which hand out of the two dealt will win or if they will tie, with the payoff being even money (1:1). Each dealt hand has between 2-3 cards. The dealer puts two cards face down under the shoe. Then hands the highest betting player another two cards, also face down. This player then hands the cards back to the dealer after looking at them. The dealer then turns both hands over and a dealer announces the winner.

A ‘natural’ hand will comprise an 8 or, even better, a 9. If one of the hands contains a natural, no more cards are dealt. However, if not, the casino baccarat dealer may deal a third card. The hand with the highest count wins. The losing bets are collected and the winners are then paid out.

The banker plays against only one player at a time. Even so, everyone present can bet on each hand. Baccarat requires three dealers, and up to 14 people can sit at the table at any one time. Each player, including the player dealing, may still bet on either the player or the banker but it is customary for the dealer to bet on the banker.

Card Values

Baccarat has its own unique set of card values. The object for the player is to bet for a side whose point total will be the closest to 9 in value:

• Aces = 1
• 2 - 9 = face value
• 10, J, Q, K = 0

Each player can receive a maximum of three cards and after that the closest to 9 is the winner. Unlike blackjack there is no going bust, as points total can never exceed 9. When you do exceed a total of nine you must drop the first digit of the point total since the hand values cannot go above 9. For example, if you receive a 3, a 2 and a 9 then you're point total is 14 then drop the first digit, and your hand value is 4. A tie will be declared if the point’s values of both hands are identical.

If the Banker achieves a total of 8 or 9 on the initial deal - a 'natural', no further cards are drawn. If not, play proceeds as follows.

If the Player has an initial total of 0-5, the Player draws a single card. If the Player has an initial total of 6 or 7, he stands.

The Banker's play depends on the Banker's hand, on whether the Player drew a card, and on what card the Player drew:

• If the Player did not draw a card, the Banker draws if he has 0-5, and stands if he has 6-7.
• If the Player drew a 2 or 3, the Banker draws if he has 0-4, and stands if he has 5-7.
• If the Player drew a 4 or 5, the Banker draws if he has 0-5, and stands if he has 6-7.
• If the Player drew a 6 or 7, the Banker draws if he has 0-6, and stands if he has 7.
• If the Player drew an 8, the Banker draws if he has 0-2, and stands if he has 3-7.

If the Player drew an ace, 9, 10, or face-card, the Banker draws if he has 0-3, and stands if he has 4-7.

Baccarat Third Card Rules

If after the player and the banker have been dealt two cards, and neither has reached a natural or a tie, then a further card is dealt to determine the winner.

This third card is dealt to either the player or the banker, or both, based on the following third-card rules. Remember these will all be worked out for you in online baccarat, so there is no need to worry too much about learning them.

Third Card Rules Chart

Player's Hand

Point Value of first two cards	Action
0-1-2-3-4-5	Draw
6-7	Stand
8-9	Natural hand, no further draw

 

Banker's Hand

Point Value of first two cards	Draws when the player's third card is:	Does not draw when the player's third card is:
0-1-2	Draw	-
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	Stand	-
8-9	Natural hand, no further draw	No further draw

 

Strategies

• Baccarat is really as simple as betting on the flip of a coin. There are no set patterns for the outcome of a baccarat game as it is totally a game of chance and the next winning hand cannot be predicted.
• Don’t be tempted to bet against a run of banker or player wins. After three consecutive banker or player wins, either stop betting until the run stops, or bet with the run.
• The house 5 % house commission should not deter you from betting the banker, because the banker ultimately wins more times than the player. It is a smart move to back the banker.
• There are normally eight decks of cards in a baccarat game. You can maximise returns by playing baccarat with single decks which offers the best mathematical return (about 1 % house edge) for the banker bet, representing the best return possible for any bets in any form of baccarat.
• The chance of a standoff or tie occurring is very slim. A player will always get his money back if no-one bets on a tie.
• A player should have a good basic knowledge of the rules and how the game of baccarat works.
• A dealer uses as many cards as the number in the face up card on the baccarat table.
• The player receives the first and third dealt cards and the banker is dealt the second and fourth card.

Baccarat Payouts

Payouts in baccarat are one of the simplest of all casino games:
Payouts on the banker winning - 1:1
Payouts on the player winning - 1:1
Payouts on a tie - 8:1
It should be noted that most casinos will charge a 5 % commission on the banker’s bet, so if the banker wins, the actual payout is 0.95:1

House Advantage

The banker has a house advantage of 1.17 %
The player has a house advantage of 1.36 %
A tie has a house advantage of 14.12 %

Variations

Chemin de fer is a baccarat game of French origin. It serves as the foundation of other baccarat varieties. In this baccarat variety, the casino does not finance the game and the role of the bank is acted by one of the players. This role rotates counter-clockwise among the players. The rules for drawing a third card are much more flexible than in the American Baccarat.
Another European variety is Baccarat en Banque. The main difference of this baccarat variety is that instead of dealing two hands, three hands are dealt. Two hands are dealt for the Player and one for the Bank. The third card rules are non-existent - it is optional.

European Baccarat is played not only in European casinos but also in the casinos of South America. This baccarat variety is also closest to the American version of baccarat. The banker's hand is funded by the casino, which also determines the cap or betting limit for the game. Once the cap is reached, further betting will no longer be allowed.