Master Baccarat Rules
The rules of baccarat are a mix of understanding the game objective, knowing the card values, and grasping the different types of bets.
The Objective
The aim of the game is to bet on the banker (dealer), player or on a tie. The winning hand is the one with a score closest to nine. It’s a game of chance and you wager before the hands are dealt.
Card Values
One of the most important aspects of baccarat rules is knowing the card values. We’ve set out each one so that you can calculate the score of a baccarat hand.
- Ace – has a value of one
- 2 to 9 – these cards keep their face value
- 10, Jack, Queen and King – in baccarat, once the score goes over 10 only the second digit is counted, meaning the value of these cards is zero.
What Does Baccarat Mean?
The exact meaning of the game’s name isn’t easy to pin down; most attribute it to a French or Italian word, meaning zero.
Types of Bets in Baccarat
If you’re going to play the game and form baccarat strategies, you need to know your options when it comes to the types of baccarat bets. With this knowledge, you can start developing your baccarat strategy.
1. Bet on a player
The baccarat rules focus on three main bets. One is backing the player’s hand, which means you’re predicting that the score of the player’s hand will be closest to nine.
2. Bet on a banker
If you’re not betting on the player’s hand, you might back the banker instead. You’re predicting that this hand will have a score of nine according to the drawing rules.
3. Tie
The third of the three main bets is to predict that the two hands will have the same number of points, resulting in a tie.
4. Pairs
There are also baccarat bets that concern the cards that are dealt. One of the most popular is a PB or pairs bet.
Player Pair
You’re wagering that the cards that are dealt to the player are a pair.
Banker Pair
Your bet predicts that the banker’s two cards will be a pair.
Perfect Pair
This bet covers both hands and gets you a payout if either the player’s or banker’s hand contains a pair of the same rank. You get an even higher payout if they are the same suit.
5. Big Hand
Also known as La Grande, a big hand is when the player or banker has a natural. It means that they have a score of nine from the first two cards and a win is declared immediately.
6. Small Hand
A natural can be eight or nine. When it’s the smaller version, it’s known as La Petite. You’re betting that the player or banker will get a natural baccarat of eight.
7. Minimum/ Maximum Bets
The most common types of the game are baccarat and mini-baccarat, although you can also find midi tables. The rules are the same, but the betting limits and the number of players differ.
Other Baccarat Side Bets
Since the main bets of baccarat are straightforward, the game has been made more interesting with numerous side bets.
3 Card Wins
This side bet allows you to predict whether the player or the banker will win with three cards.
3 Giving 8
Also known as 3g8, it’s a very specific bet. If the banker’s hand has three points and the player is entitled to another card (the third card) and it’s an 8, the bet pays out.
4-5-6
This wager concerns the total number of cards in a round. You’re betting whether the 4, 5 or 6 cards will be dealt.
5 Treasures
It’s a type of baccarat with four side bets: Fortune 7 (also known as Dragon 7), Golden 8 (Panda 8), Heavenly 9 (a banker or player wins with three cards totalling 9) and Blazing 7s (a three-card total of 7). The fifth treasure is Cover All, which means you get a payout if any of the four side bets win.
All Red/Black
You’re betting that all the cards in a specific hand will be all red (hearts and diamonds) or all black (spades and clubs).
Banker Streak
This bet can be made at certain points during the game to predict that the banker will have at least four wins in a row.
Big and Small
Similar to the 4-5-6 side bet, a big bet pays if there are more than five cards dealt. Small wins if the round ends with four cards.
Big Tiger
Big Tiger is a side bet in the Tiger Baccarat variant, where you’re predicting that the bankers will win with a point total of 6 with a hand of three cards.
Bad Beat Baccarat
A bad beat is a betting term for losing out even when you had a good chance of winning. In Bad Beat Baccarat, you can place a side bet on the player or the banker and get a payout if one of the respective hands loses by a one-point margin.
Contrast Bonus Baccarat
When you play variants with a Contrast Bonus wager, you get a payout if the player and banker hands are contrasting colours. For example, one hand is all black and the other is all red.
Even/Odd
It’s a type of combined value bet where you’re betting whether the sum of the two hands will be an odd or an even number.
Golden Frog
The Golden Frog is a combination of side bets. The four wagers are: that any 8 beats any 6, that a two-card 9 will beat a two-card 7, that a three-card 9 will beat a three-card 1 and that a three-card 9 will beat a three-card 7.
Kill the Ox/Tiger
This side bet wins if one of two events occurs: the banker doesn’t win with a three-card hand of seven points or the player doesn’t win with a three-card hand of six points.
Ox 6
If the player wins with a three-card hand with a total of 6, this bet pays out.
Small Tiger
In Tiger Baccarat, a Small Tiger side bet means that you win if the banker wins with a point total of 6 from a hand of two cards.
Royal 9
A Royal 9 is a hand with a face card and a 9 in the initial deal. Some seats at baccarat tables specify particular Royal 9 combinations, giving you an even higher payout if you match the pair shown on your seat.
Side Totals
Side totals are bets you can make on the player or banker’s hand, predicting the exact number of points from 0 to 9.
Tiger
You can cover the Small and Big Tiger side bets in one with the Tiger side bet, which predicts that the banker will win with a score of 6 with a hand of two or three cards.
Tiger Pair
When playing the Tiger variant, there’s a pair bet that pays out if the first two cards dealt to the player or banker are a pair. You get a bigger payout if both hands contain a pair, and the biggest win comes from identical pairs.
Dragon Bonus
This side bet is a prediction that the player will win with a natural and where your payout depends on the margin of victory.
Dragon Dragon Progressive
It’s a combined bet where you’re predicting whether the player and banker hands will contain three of a kind up to six of a kind. The better the match, the higher the payout is, with six of a kind landing the jackpot.
Duo Bao
Poker hands combine with baccarat to give Duo Bao side bets. The banker’s and player’s hands are used to make anything from three of a kind up to a royal flush.
Egalities
A side bet that covers the event of a tie, but also includes a prediction for the value of the tied hands.
Either Pair
You’re betting that either the player or banker will be dealt a pair in their first two cards.
First Two Banker/Player Cards Same Suit
The name says it all. You’re betting that the player’s or the banker’s first two cards will be the same suit.
Jackpot Baccarat
Like Duo Bao, this is a side bet based on poker hands but covers the first four cards dealt.
Lucky 6
Known as the Lucky Bonus or Super 6, this side bet predicts that the banker will win with a point score of 6.
Lucky Nines
In this side bet, you get a payout for nines appearing in the first four cards. The payouts depend on the number of nines and the suits.
Lucky 99
Lucky 99 or Baccarat 99 focuses on natural nines. Your bet pays out for a player’s natural nine, more for a banker’s natural nine and the top payout if they both get them.
Panda 8
With this side bet, you’re predicting that the player will win with three cards and a score of 8.
The Odds and Payouts
Baccarat has one of the lowest percentages when it comes to a casino house edge at 1.06%. This percentage represents the casino’s profit from the game in the long term.
In the table below, you can see baccarat odds and baccarat payouts for the classic variant.
| Bet | Odds | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| Banker | 45.86% | 0.95 to 1* |
| Player | 44.62% | 1 to 1 |
| Tie | 9.52% | 8 to 1 |
*banker bets include 5% commission
Rule Variations
There are three versions of the game that have different rules.
- Chemin de Fer has players competing against each other with the banker role moving around the table.
- Baccarat Banque also has players competing, but the role of the banker is auctioned at the start.
- Punto Banco is most like classic baccarat.
Drawing Rules
The player’s hand stands on 6 or 7 and 8 or 9 is a natural. A third card is drawn if the score is 0 to 5. For the banker, the same rules apply except when the player has already drawn a third card.
- Score of 7 – stand
- Score of 6 – draws if player’s card was 6 or 7
- Score of 5 – draws if player’s card was 4, 5, 6 or 7
- Score of 4 – draws if player’s card was 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7
- Score of 3 – draw unless the player’s card was an 8
- Score of 0 to 2 – draw
How To Play Baccarat – Breakdown of a Round
Follow these steps to play.
1. Fund your balance
You’ll need to make a deposit with your preferred payment method to add funds to your account.
2. Place Your Bets
It’s time to pick your bet and decide how much to wager. The table limits will affect the amount, but remember to only bet what you can afford to lose.
3. The Dealer Will Now Deal the Cards
With the bets placed, two cards will be dealt to the player’s hand and two to the banker’s hand.
The One I Bet On Got ‘Natural’!
A natural is when the first two cards dealt to a hand make 8 or 9, which means a win unless the other hand has an equal natural.
4. Dealer Counts the Dealt Cards
If neither hand has a natural, the dealer proceeds based on the points for each hand and the drawing rules explained above.
5. Payouts
Bets and side bets winnings are paid out based on the result of the round.
Don’t Forget the Commission
In baccarat, there’s a 5% commission for betting on the banker’s hand, which affects your payout.
Banker or Player?
Once you’ve grasped the scoring, drawing rules, odds and payouts, you’ve mastered the basics of the game. The next step is to explore the bets and side bets while managing your bankroll. Now that you’ve got all this knowledge, head to your favorite online casino and start winning! Please play responsibly.
Frequently asked questions
