Free Casino Games / Baccarat / How to play baccarat
How to play baccarat
To play baccarat, you bet on which of two hands, Player or Banker, will finish with a total closer to 9, or on a tie between them. The dealer deals both hands by fixed rules. Once your bet is down, there is nothing else to decide.
The bets
| Bet | Wins when | Pays |
|---|---|---|
| Player | The Player hand is closer to 9 | 1 to 1 |
| Banker | The Banker hand is closer to 9 | 1 to 1, less 5% commission |
| Tie | Both hands have the same total | 8 to 1 |
| Player Pair | The Player's first two cards are the same rank | 11 to 1 |
| Banker Pair | The Banker's first two cards are the same rank | 11 to 1 |
"Player" and "Banker" are just the names of the two hands. You are not the Player, and the casino is not the Banker. You can bet on either one, every hand.
One hand, step by step
- Bet. Put your chips on Player, Banker or Tie. You can add a pair bet too.
- Deal. The dealer deals two cards to Player and two to Banker, face up: Player, Banker, Player, Banker.
- Count. Each hand adds up its cards and keeps only the last digit.
- Naturals. If either hand has 8 or 9, both hands stand and the hand is over.
- Third cards. If not, the Player hand may get a third card, then the Banker hand, by fixed rules.
- Pay. The total closer to 9 wins. On a tie, Player and Banker bets come back to you.
Card values
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 |
| 2 to 9 | Face value |
| 10, Jack, Queen, King | 0 |
When the cards add up to 10 or more, drop the first digit. 7♣8♦ is 15, so the hand is 5. K♠9♥ is 9, the best total, and a natural. 5♥5♣ is 0, a total that is itself called "baccarat". No hand can go over 9, so nobody busts.
When a third card is dealt
The Player hand draws a third card on 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7. The Banker hand draws on 0 to 2, stands on 7, and on 3 to 6 it depends on the Player's third card. You never have to remember any of it: the dealer applies the rules, and so does our table. The third-card rules, with a chart.
An example hand
You bet 10 on Banker. Player gets 4♠2♦, a 6, and stands. Banker gets J♣3♥, a 3. Because Player stood, Banker draws on any total from 0 to 5, so Banker takes a third card and ends with J♣3♥5♣: 8. Banker wins, 8 to 6. Your 10 wins 9.50, which is 10 less the 5% commission.
Next hand, you bet 10 on Tie. Player gets A♦6♠, a 7. Banker gets Q♥7♣, also a 7. Both stand. It is a tie: your Tie bet wins 80, and anyone with chips on Player or Banker gets them back.
Which bet to make
Banker wins a little more often than Player: 45.86% of hands against 44.62%, with ties the other 9.52%. Even after the commission, Banker has the lowest house edge on the table, 1.06%. Player is 1.24%. Tie is 14.36%, and each pair bet is 10.36%. Baccarat odds and Banker vs Player.
The shoe and the scoreboard
Baccarat is dealt from a shoe of eight decks, about 80 hands before the next shuffle. Most tables show a scoreboard of the results so far, drawn as "roads" in red and blue. People enjoy reading them, and it is a long tradition. The roads show what has happened, not what will happen: every hand is dealt the same way, whatever came before. How to read a baccarat scoreboard.
Try it for free
The quickest way to learn is to watch some hands. Our table deals the same game with play money. High Score is one shoe from an $8,888 bankroll, and Practice deals shoe after shoe with no score. Play free baccarat.
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Questions
Is baccarat easy to learn?
Yes. You only choose a bet: Player, Banker or Tie. The cards are dealt and drawn by fixed rules, so there are no decisions during the hand.
What do Player and Banker mean in baccarat?
They are the names of the two hands dealt each round. You are not the Player and the casino is not the Banker. You can bet on either hand.
What is the best hand in baccarat?
A 9 from the first two cards, called a natural 9. It can only tie with another natural 9.
Do I need to know the third-card rules to play baccarat?
No. The dealer follows them for both hands. Knowing them only helps you follow along.
What happens to my bet if baccarat ends in a tie?
Bets on Player and Banker push and come back to you. A Tie bet pays 8 to 1.
More: Baccarat rules · Baccarat third card rules · Baccarat terms · How to read a baccarat scoreboard · The Big Road and Bead Road in baccarat · Big Eye Boy, Small Road and Cockroach Pig · Baccarat patterns · Baccarat odds · Banker vs Player · Baccarat tie and pair bets · Baccarat strategy · Baccarat simulator and practice