Baccarat Rules
Complete baccarat rules and odds guide.
Baccarat Top Tips
- Payouts are 1:1 for the player and banker bets and 9:1 (sometimes 8:1) for the tie bet.
- Learning the rules isn’t essential, but adds to the excitement of the game.
- Your baccarat score is the last digit of the total value of the cards dealt.
- The objective of the baccarat is to score as close to nine as possible.
The rules of baccarat can seem confusing at first. However, while the game’s mechanics do have some intricacy, actual play consists merely of deciding whether to bet on the banker, the player, or a tie. The rules to betting in baccarat are very simple. Bets can be placed only on the following three outcomes:
- The banker wins
- The player wins
- A tie between the banker and the player
There are two boxes where cards are dealt; these are labelled “player” and “banker”.
Apart from betting on the banker, player or tie, there is actually no need to understand any of the other rules of the game other than to satisfy the thirst for knowledge. However, Casino Edge feels that doing so will increase enjoyment of the game, and give players an edge in determining a system or pattern they can call their own.
The objective is to get as close to nine as possible, with nine being the best hand. This is achieved by adding up the value of the hand the player has bet on (banker or player). If the total exceeds nine, the “tens” digit is removed and only the “unit” remains. (For example, if your final total is 21, your baccarat score is 1; if your final total is 18, your baccarat score is 8.) If the units on the cards add up to ten they become zero and the count starts again.
If either the player or the banker’s baccarat score is eight or nine, the hand ends with the higher value hand winning the tie. The event of being dealt an eight or a nine from the initial two cards is referred to as a “natural”.
Below are a few examples of baccarat scores:
| Hand & Score | Hand & Score |
|---|---|
| 5♥ + 3♦ = 8 | 3♣ + A♦ = 4 |
| K♠ + 10♥ = 0 | 2♣ + 9♠ = 1 |
| 6♥ + 6♦ = 2 | 2♣ + 9♦ + 6♦ = 7 |
| Q♣ + A♦ = 1 | 6♣ + 5♦ + J♦ = 1 |
| 5♠ + 9♦ = 4 | 8♣ + 4♠ + 7♦ = 9 |
Third Card Rules
Dealing to the player section first, two cards will be dealt. A third card is also dealt if any of the following exceptions have occurred:
- If the player hand does not take a third card, the banker hand draws a third card on a total of five or less.
- If the banker hand total is 0, 1 or 2, the banker draws a third card.
- If the banker hand total is 3, then the banker draws a third card if the player’s third card was not an 8.
- If the player hand has drawn a third card of between 2 and 7 and the banker’s hand totals 4, then the banker draws a third card.
- If the player hand has drawn a third card between 4 and 7 and the banker’s hand totals 5, the banker draws a third card.
- If the player hand has drawn a third card that’s either 6 or 7 and the banker’s hand totals 6, then the banker draws a third card.
- If the banker hand totals 7, then the banker stands.
- If the player’s total is less than or equal to five, the player must draw a third card.
Card Values
Ace = 1
2 – 9 = Face value
10 and face cards = 0
Baccarat Payouts and Odds
The payouts in baccarat are very straightforward, with two even money bets and an 8-to-1 bet in the event of a tie.
- Player (Punto)
- Banker (Banco)
- Tie
In the event of the player hand winning, bets are paid out 1-to-1.
In the event of the banker hand winning, bets are paid out 1-to-1 with a 5% commission taken (to make the game financially worthwhile for the casino).
In the event of a tie (player and banker hand totals are the same) all bets are returned and any bet placed on a tie would usually payout 8-to-1 (less commonly 9-to-1).
The odds of winning correlate to the payouts. However, they do vary slightly depending on the number of decks being used. Below is a table of the probability of each outcome when playing with one, four, six, and eight decks.
| No. of Decks | Banker (Banco) Bet | Player (Punto) Bet | Tie (standoff) |
|---|---|---|---|
| one | 45.96% | 44.68% | 9.36% |
| Four | 45.88% | 44.63% | 9.49% |
| Six | 45.87% | 44.63% | 9.51% |
| Eight | 45.86% | 44.62% | 9.52% |
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