Baccarat
Baccarat looks formal but it is the simplest table game in the room. You choose a bet and then watch. No decisions follow.
Goal
Pick which of two hands, Player or , will finish closer to 9. You can also bet that they tie.
Player and Banker are just labels for the two hands. Betting on Banker does not mean betting for the casino.
Card values
- Ace
- Worth 1.
- 2 through 9
- Worth face value.
- 10, Jack, Queen, King
- Worth 0.
How totals work
Only the last digit of the total counts. A 7 and an 8 make 15, which scores as 5.
The highest possible total is 9.
How a round works
1. Place a bet on Player, Banker, or Tie.
2. Two cards go to each hand.
3. If either hand totals 8 or 9, that is a and the round ends immediately.
4. Otherwise fixed drawing rules decide whether a third card is dealt. Nobody chooses.
5. The higher total wins.
The drawing rules
The Player hand draws a third card on a total of 0 through 5 and stands on 6 or 7.
The Banker hand follows a longer rule that depends on its own total and, when the Player drew, the value of that third card. Afterhand explains which rule fired after every hand.
Payouts
- Player
- Pays 1 to 1.
- Banker
- Pays 1 to 1 less a 5% commission, because Banker wins slightly more often.
- Tie
- Pays 8 to 1 at this table and pushes the Player and Banker bets.
House edge
Banker is the best bet at about 1.06%. Player is close behind at about 1.24%. Tie is far worse at about 14.4% with an 8 to 1 payout. That number is the .
Those numbers are why Afterhand nudges you away from the Tie bet, and why the small Banker commission is still worth paying.
Common mistakes
- Betting Tie because it pays more. The payout does not come close to covering how rarely it wins.
- Reading patterns in past results. Each shoe deals fresh cards and the odds do not shift.
- Avoiding Banker because of the commission, which is already priced into the edge.
Beginner tips
- There is nothing to play. Choose a bet and let the rules run.
- If you want the smallest edge, bet Banker every time.
- Baccarat is a good place to practise sitting out a bad bet.
Terms you will hear
- Push
- A tie. Your bet is returned and nothing is won or lost.
- Banker
- One of the two hands in baccarat. Betting on Banker is not betting on the casino, it is simply the name of the second hand.
- House edge
- The long run share of each wager the house keeps. A 1.06% edge means about one cent per dollar wagered on average.
- Natural
- A two card total of 8 or 9 in baccarat. It ends the hand immediately.