Baccarat is a card game with a low house edge. That means you’ve got a better shot at winning coins in baccarat than you do in casino games such as slots and roulette.
However, to realize the potential of this game, you need to know the rules of online baccarat. The good news is that baccarat rules are easy to learn, as you’ll see if you scroll down now.
Baccarat Rules Simplified
Baccarat rules are easy to understand if you focus on each specific element of the game. With this in mind, here are the 6 basic rules of baccarat you need to know.
1. The Aim of Baccarat
The goal of baccarat is to pick the winning hand. As per the rules of baccarat, cards are dealt to two invisible competitors: the Banker and the Player. Your job is to back one of the competitors.
Backing these hands doesn’t mean you control how many cards you receive, as you can in blackjack. You’re simply an observer in baccarat.
Baccarat game rules also allow you to speculate on a tie. We’ll discuss rewards in a moment. For now, just know that a tie pays more than wins for the Banker or the Player.
2. Number of Decks Used in Baccarat
Standard baccarat game rules dictate that there are eight decks of cards in play. However, it’s worth noting that the rules of baccarat allow for some flexibility in terms of how many decks are used. This means operators can use more or less than eight decks as they see fit.
3. Best Hands in Baccarat
A winning hand, according to baccarat game rules, is the one with a total closest to ten. In this regard, baccarat is similar to blackjack. However, the way in which totals are calculated is different.
The best total in baccarat is 9. The Banker and Player receive two cards each at the start of a new round. Depending on the total of these two cards, both hands may receive additional cards according to the drawing rules of baccarat.
4. Baccarat Totals and Card Values
Totals in baccarat are calculated using the pip values of each card dealt. For example, the 5♥ + the 8♣ is worth 5 + 8 = 13. Given that the highest possible total (and best total) is 9, the rules of any baccarat game need to account for this.
The rules account for this by discounting the first digit of totals of 10 or higher. So, in our previous example, 5+ 8 = 13, the 1 gets removed. This means the hand is worth 3. One final thing to note is that aces are low in baccarat, i.e., aces are worth 1.
Here are some other example hands to show how totals are calculated according to the rules of baccarat:
- 6♥ + A♠ = 7
- 9♦ + K♣ = 19 / remove the 1 = 9
- 5♣ + 5♥ = 10 /remove the 1 =0
5. Baccarat Drawing Rules
There are certain instances where the Banker and Player can receive a third card. The baccarat rules governing when a third card is required vary depending on the hand and the total.
Specifically, the draw rules of baccarat are:
- No one receives a third card if the Banker and/or Player hand has a total of 8 or 9. This rule trumps all others. Therefore, if one or both hands equal 8 or 9, no other drawing rules apply.
- The Player receives a third card if their total is between 0 and 5. The player doesn’t receive a third card if their total is 6 or 7.
The Banker has a more complex set of drawing rules that depend on their total and the Player’s cards:
| The Banker’s Starting Total | The Banker Draws if… | The Banker Doesn’t Draw if… |
|---|---|---|
| 0, 1, or 2 | Their starting total is 0, 1, or 2 | N/A |
| 3 | Their total is 3, and the Player’s third card is a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7, 9 or 10 (i.e. 0) | Their starting total is 3, and the Player’s third card is an 8 |
| 4 | Their total is 4, and the Player’s third card is a 2, 3, 4,5, 6, or 7 | Their starting total is 4, and the Player’s third card is 1, 8, 9, 10 (i.e. 0) |
| 5 | Their total is 5, and the Player’s third card is a 4,5, 6, or 7 | Their starting total is 5, and the Player’s third card is 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10 (i.e. 0) |
| 6 | Their total is 6, and the Player’s third card is a 6 or 7 | Their starting total is 6, and the Player’s third card is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 (i.e. 0) |
| 7, 8, or 9 | N/A | They have a starting total of 7, 8, or 9 |
6. Baccarat Rewards
Traditional Baccarat game rules state that you can win in one of three ways:
- Pick the Banker’s hand and win 1:1 (minus 5% commission)
- Pick the Player’s hand and win 1:1
- Pick a tie and win 8:1 (9:1 in some games)
Banker wins are charged a 5% commission to account for the slight statistical edge this hand has. You can read more about house edge in our baccarat strategy guide. What you need to know now is that the Banker’s hand is more likely to win. Because of this, 5% of your reward is deducted.
Certain versions of baccarat have side wagers that allow you to win more. The side wagers vary depending on the game you’re playing, but three of the most common are:
- All Red/All Black: 22:1 prize if all three winning cards are red. 24:1 prize if all three winning cards are black.
- Double 8: win 15:1 on your coin wager if both the Banker’s and the Player’s starting totals are 8.
- Dragon 7: this side wager allows you to win 40:1 if the Banker wins with a three-card hand with a total value of 7.
Types of Baccarat
Are the rules for baccarat always the same? Yes, but certain games have additional rules. Some of the different ways to play baccarat are:
- Mini Baccarat: this variant is the same as traditional baccarat, except for the fact that the table is smaller. A smaller table means fewer people can play, which speeds up the time in between rounds.
- No Commission Baccarat: this variant removes the 5% commission charge on winning Banker picks. To account for this, you’ll receive a prize based on 50% of your original wager if the Banker wins with a total of 6.
- Dragon Tiger: this is a two-card version of baccarat. The Dragon receives one card, as does the Tiger. You have to pick the hand you believe will receive the highest value card. You can also play on a tie or the types of cards you think will be dealt.
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