Baccarat Rules

Learn Baccarat Rules: Understanding Baccarat Bets

To understand how to play Baccarat, it’s perhaps most important to understand how you may bet.  Baccarat games are unique among card games in that players do not bet on the strength of their own hand; rather, they bet on the position they believe holds the best hand.

There are three available betting options.  Bettors may wager on the “banker”, the “player” or the “tie”. Despite what appears obvious, the banker in this scenario is not the dealer and you are not the player.  These are merely positions to which cards are dealt. 

Betting on the tie indicates you believe the banker position and the player position will end up with exactly the same hand value. This scenario is very rare, but many lists of game tips will suggest that you place your bet here because it pays out more than the other positions.

Learn Baccarat Rules: Game Flow

Baccarat rules dictate that the dealer starts the game by placing one card face down in each position. He will then reveal this initial card and note the hand value in each position. It is crucial to remember that the Baccarat rules for counting card values are unlike those of other casino card games.  Face cards and tens are worth zero and everything else is assigned its numeric value.

Following the initial deal, each position receives a second card. Hand values for each position are then tallied using another unique set of Baccarat rules. When the sum of two cards is a two digit number, the tens place value is removed. For example, a hand value of 12 becomes a hand value of 2.

After the two card hand values are assessed, the player position “acts” first. Baccarat rules state that the player position may not receive another card if he has a total of six or higher in his hand. If he has less than six, he may receive another card in order to have a fair chance of winning the game.

The banker position “acts” next.  He automatically receives another card if he holds a hand value whose total ranges from 0 – 2.   However, the banker position never receives cards if he is holding more than 7. If he has less than 6 but more than 2, he may receive a card if the player did not.

Learn Baccarat Rules: Odds & Payouts

You may place a wager on any of the three bet types. Knowing how to win Baccarat is all about knowing where to place your bet.

• Player and banker positions pay even money on every hand.  This means that if a bettor wagers on the winning position, he wins is initial bet times two. 
• Bets placed on the banker have a greater chance of winning—an average 1% increase, to be exact.  In response to these player-friendly odds, nearly all casinos extract a 5% commission on winnings earned from bets on the dealer.  Thus, if a bettor wins on the dealer, he wins his initial bet plus 95% of that bet.
• Betting the tie can be lucrative.  Average payout is 9 to 1 (i.e. the bettor wins his initial bet plus the total of nine times that bet).  Betting on the tie is also risky.  It rarely hits, which mean you’ll often lose a lot before you win.
• Even when no one bets the tie, everyone benefits when it hits.  This is because most casinos consider a tie a push.  No one loses money; the hand is simply re-dealt.

In terms of house edge, it varies depending on the position upon which you wager.  Player position generally carries a 1.24% house edge; banker position stands at 1.06%; tie position is highest at an average 14%.

The above Baccarat rules indicate basic game flow and betting rounds. To better understand how to win Baccarat, read our Baccarat strategy page. Good luck!