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Baccarat third card rules

In baccarat, the Player hand draws a third card on a total of 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7. The Banker hand then draws on 0 to 2, stands on 7, and on 3 to 6 it draws or stands depending on the Player's third card. If either hand has 8 or 9 from the first two cards, nobody draws.

Step 1: check for a natural

If the Player or the Banker has 8 or 9 from the first two cards, it is a natural. Both hands stand, whatever the other total is, and the hand is settled.

Step 2: the Player hand

Step 3: the Banker hand

If the Player stood on 6 or 7, the Banker follows the same rule as the Player: draw on 0 to 5, stand on 6 or 7.

If the Player drew, the Banker looks at its own total and at the value of the Player's third card:

The Player's third card counts by its baccarat value: a 10 or picture card is 0, an ace is 1.

The full drawing chart

Rows are the Banker's total. Columns are the value of the Player's third card. D is draw, S is stand. The last column is for when the Player stood.

An easy way to remember it

• Banker 0 to 2: always draws.
• Banker 3: draws unless the Player's third card is an 8.
• Banker 4, 5 and 6: draws when the Player's third card is from 2, 4 or 6 up to 7. The bottom of the range moves up by two each step, and the top stays at 7.
• Banker 7: always stands.

Three examples

• Player has 3♠2♥, a 5, and draws 8♣ for a total of 3. Banker has 10♦3♣, a 3. The Player's third card is an 8, so the Banker stands. It is a tie, 3 to 3.
• Player has A♣3♦, a 4, and draws 6♥ for a total of 0. Banker has 2♠4♣, a 6. The Player's third card is a 6, so the Banker draws: 9♦ makes 5. Banker wins, 5 to 0.
• Player has Q♠7♦, a 7, and stands. Banker has 4♥A♠, a 5. Because the Player stood, the Banker draws on 5 and gets 3♣ for 8. Banker wins, 8 to 7.

Why the Banker rules look this way

The Banker acts second and sees the Player's third card, which says something about the Player's likely total. The rules use that to draw when it helps and stand when it doesn't. That is why Banker wins slightly more hands than Player, and why a winning Banker bet pays 5% commission. Banker vs Player.

How often each hand draws

You don't have to memorize it

Nobody at the table makes a drawing decision. The dealer follows the chart, and on our table the cards are drawn for you. Knowing the rules lets you follow along and see why a hand turned out the way it did. All the rules.

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