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Baccarat rules
In baccarat, two hands called Player and Banker each get two cards, and the hand with the total closer to 9 wins. Aces count 1, cards 2 to 9 count their face value, and tens and picture cards count 0. A third card is drawn only by fixed rules. You bet on Player, Banker or a tie.
Punto banco
The baccarat dealt in casinos today is punto banco: "punto" is Player and "banco" is Banker. The house takes every bet, and nobody at the table makes a choice about drawing. An older version, chemin de fer, lets a player hold the bank and decide some draws. It is rare now. Mini baccarat is punto banco at a smaller table with lower limits, where the dealer handles all the cards.
The cards
The game here uses eight standard 52-card decks shuffled together, 416 cards in all.
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 |
| 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 | Face value |
| 10, Jack, Queen, King | 0 |
A hand's total is the last digit of its card values added together. 9♣6♦ is 15, so it counts as 5. Q♠8♥ is 8. 6♣4♠ is 10, so it counts as 0. Suits never matter.
Naturals
A natural is a total of 8 or 9 from the first two cards. If either hand has a natural, both hands stand and the hand is over. A 9 beats an 8. Two equal naturals tie. About one hand in three ends with a natural.
The Player hand
| Player's first two cards | Player |
|---|---|
| 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | Draws a third card |
| 6, 7 | Stands |
| 8, 9 | Natural: both hands stand |
The Banker hand
If the Player stood, the Banker draws on 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7. If the Player drew, the Banker's move depends on its own total and on the Player's third card:
| Banker total | Banker draws when the Player's third card is |
|---|---|
| 0, 1, 2 | Any card |
| 3 | Anything but an 8 |
| 4 | 2 to 7 |
| 5 | 4 to 7 |
| 6 | 6 or 7 |
| 7 | Never: Banker stands |
Each hand gets at most one extra card. The full drawing chart, with examples.
Who wins
The hand with the higher total wins. Equal totals are a tie. There is no busting and no counting past 9.
How every bet is paid
| Bet | Pays | On a tie |
|---|---|---|
| Player | 1 to 1 | Push |
| Banker | 1 to 1, less 5% commission (0.95 to 1) | Push |
| Tie | 8 to 1 | Wins |
| Player Pair | 11 to 1 | Settled on the Player's first two cards only |
| Banker Pair | 11 to 1 | Settled on the Banker's first two cards only |
A pair means the first two cards of that hand are the same rank, such as 7♠7♦. K♣Q♣ is not a pair, even though both count 0. Tie and pair bets.
The commission
Banker wins a little more often than Player, so a winning Banker bet pays 5% less. A 20 Banker bet wins 19. Some casinos keep a running tally of commission and collect it at the end of the shoe. Our table takes it from each win as it happens.
The shoe
- The eight decks are shuffled and placed in the shoe.
- The first card is turned over and burned. That many more cards are burned too, by the first card's number: an ace burns one more, a 7 burns seven, and a 10 or picture card burns ten.
- A cut card goes in 16 cards from the end.
- When the cut card comes out, the hand being dealt is the last one of the shoe. Then the cards are shuffled for a new shoe.
That gives about 80 hands a shoe. Casinos differ a little on this. Some deal one more hand after the cut card.
What players can and can't do
You choose your bets and their size before the cards come out. You can't change a bet once the deal starts, and you can't ask for a card or refuse one. The results of earlier hands, shown on the scoreboard, have no effect on the next hand. The scoreboard.
Where to go next
New to the game? How to play baccarat walks through a hand. For the numbers behind each bet, see baccarat odds.
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Questions
What are the basic rules of baccarat?
Bet on Player, Banker or Tie. Each hand gets two cards, maybe a third by fixed rules, and the total closer to 9 wins. Tens and picture cards count 0, aces 1, and only the last digit of a total counts.
What is a natural in baccarat?
A total of 8 or 9 from the first two cards. When either hand has one, both hands stand and the hand ends right away.
How much is a king worth in baccarat?
Zero. Kings, queens, jacks and tens all count 0. Aces count 1.
What happens if a baccarat hand adds up to more than 9?
Only the last digit counts. A 7 and an 8 make 15, which is a 5.
Is punto banco the same as baccarat?
Yes. Punto banco is the casino version of baccarat, where the house takes every bet and all draws follow fixed rules.
How much does the Banker bet pay in baccarat?
1 to 1 less a 5% commission, so 0.95 to 1. A 100 Banker bet wins 95.
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