Baccarat

Overview

Bet on whether the Player hand or the Banker hand will come closer to nine. You are not either of them — both are dealt by the house, and you simply choose which to back.

The drawing rules are fixed. No decisions exist for anyone at the table.

This page describes standard punto banco, the usual casino form.

Each casino sets its own rules, within what its gaming regulator approves: decks, payouts, table limits and options vary. Check the rules at your table. The odds below are our own calculations.

1. Card values

Card	Value
Ace	1
2–9	Face value
10, J, Q, K	0

Hands are scored modulo 10 — only the last digit counts. A 7 and an 8 total 15, which is a 5.

The highest possible hand is 9.

2. Play

Two cards are dealt to Player and two to Banker.

If either totals 8 or 9, that is a natural and the hand ends immediately.

Otherwise, the fixed drawing rules apply.

The Player rule

Player total	Action
0–5	Draw a third card
6–7	Stand

The Banker rule

If Player stood, Banker draws on 0–5 and stands on 6–7.

If Player drew, Banker's action depends on their own total and the Player's third card:

Banker total	Draws when Player's third card is
0–2	Always
3	Anything except 8
4	2–7
5	4–7
6	6–7
7	Never — stands

Nobody chooses any of this. The table's rules print it.

3. Betting and payouts

With an eight-deck shoe, counting every possible deal:

Bet	Pays	House edge
Banker	1 to 1, less 5% commission	1.06%
Player	1 to 1	1.24%
Tie	8 to 1	14.4%

Banker wins 45.9% of hands, Player 44.6%, and 9.5% are ties. The 5% commission on Banker offsets its slightly higher win rate. (A push on a tie is assumed for Banker and Player bets.)

Banker is the better bet even after commission. And the Tie bet is appalling — one of the worst wagers in any casino.

4. Why systems do not work

Every hand is independent. Scorecards tracking previous results — offered at most baccarat tables — have no predictive value whatsoever.

The house edge is fixed by the drawing rules and the commission. No betting pattern changes it.

Commonly argued

• Only the last digit counts. 15 is 5.
• Nobody makes any decisions, including the dealer.
• Payouts vary by casino. Check the table.
• Banker is the best bet despite the commission.
• The Tie pays 8 to 1 and has a 14% edge. Avoid it.
• You are not the "Player" — it is simply the name of one of the two hands.