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HOW TO PLAY BACCARAT

LEARN RULES AND TIPS

The Logic Behind Baccarat

Pick The Correct Hand: The logic behind the game of baccarat is simple, players just have to pick the correct hand.

How do players pick the correct hand?

  • Placing a bet on the bankers hand with the closest total to 9
  • Placing a bet on the players hand with the closest total to 9
  • Placing a bet on tie and both the players and bankers hands are equal

How do players lose to the house?

  • Placing a bet on the bankers hand that does not have the closest total to 9
  • Placing a bet on the players hand that does not have the closest total to 9
  • Placing a bet on tie and the players and bankers hands are not equal

How Do You Find a Hand’s Total Value?

Baccarat is played with a deck of 52 standard playing cards (suits don’t matter).
 
  • Cards 2 through 9 count at face value (2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9)
  • Face cards count as 0 (J, Q, K)
  • Aces count as a 1 (A)

The Layout of a Baccarat Table

Baccarat is played on a table that contains a various number of players. Most tables accommodate between 5 and 14 players at once. The dealer stands behind the table and chip tray. Players sit on the opposite to the dealer on the other side of the table.

 

Playing The Game of Baccarat

Standard baccarat games have some rule variations and a various number of decks. The most common game of baccarat is dealt out of a shoe that contains 6 or 8 decks. The two most common variations of the game are mini baccarat and baccarat which is reserved for high limit rooms and players. This is how to play a round of mini baccarat at a casino:

1. Buy Chips

Before placing a wager at the table a player needs to purchase chips. It’s a simple process of exchanging cash for casino chips. Upon sitting down at the table a player sets their cash down on the table. Players can’t hand the money directly to the dealer because security won’t allow a hand to hand transaction. After a player lays money down on the table the dealer with organize the money so the cameras and pit boss can see it and verify the amount. Once verified the dealer will drop it in the cash box and give the player an equal amount of chips back. A player can now touch the chips and organize them.

2. Place A Wager
When the round begins the player starts by placing chips into the betting area of the felt. The betting contains two circles, squares, or rectangles; one for the player and one for the banker. There will always be a minimum and maximum bet that is displayed on the side of the table next to the dealer, if there are any questions players can ask the dealer. Most casinos in the United States will require a minimum of a $5 wager but it could be as high as $100 in locations such as the Strip in Las Vegas and high limit rooms.
 

3. Get Dealt Cards

Once bets are placed the dealer will start dealing out cards, at this point all action is closed and additional bets can’t be placed. The player and the banker are dealt two cards each on separate sections of the table. These two cards are added together to find the total.
 

4. How Hands Are Played

Both the player and the banker will have two cards face up. The following situation are when the player or the banker draw or do not draw cards.
 
Important Information To Remember

 

  • If the banker or the player is dealt two cards with a total of 8 or 9, no additional cards are dealt
  • A player hand is between 0 and 5 must draw a card. If a player hand is 6 or 7 it will not draw
  • The player and banker hands draw according to the rules below
When The Player Draws
 
  • The player hand draws when the first two cards total 1,2,3,4,5,0
When The Player Does Not Draw
 
  • The player hand stands when the first two cards total 6,7
  • The player hand stand when the first two cards total a natural 8,9
When The Banker Draws
 
  • If the banker has a 3 a third card is drawn if a player’s third card is 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9,0
  • If the banker has a 4 a third card is drawn if a player’s third card is 2,3,4,5,6,7
  • If the banker has a 5 a third card is drawn if a player’s third card is 4,5,6,7
  • If the banker has a 6 a third card is drawn if a player’s third card is 6,7
When The Banker Does Not Draw
 
  • If the banker has a 3 a third card is not drawn if a player’s third card is 8
  • If the banker has a 4 a third card is not drawn if a player’s third card is 1,8,9,0
  • If the banker has a 5 a third card is not drawn if a player’s third card is 1,2,3,8,9,0
  • If the banker has a 6 a third card is not drawn if a player’s third card is 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,9,0
  • The banker stands on a 7
  • The banker stands on a natural 8,9
 
 

6. Payouts

Once the players hand and the dealers hand are done drawing cards there are three outcomes:
 
  • The player hand is closer to 9 than the banker hand and all wagers on the player are paid 1 to 1
  • The banker hand is closer to 9 than the player hand and all wagers on the banker are paid 1 to 1 minus a 5% commission
  • The player and banker hands tie and all wagers push except for the tie bet that pays 9 to 1
 

Specific Situations

These are a few situations that have not been covered above.
 
  • Commission – All winning wagers from bets placed on the banker’s hand are subject to a 5% commission paid to the casino. This means a $20 winning wager would actually be $19 with $1 collect by the dealer.
 

Different Rule Variations

Some casinos have a different set of rules for baccarat. These are a couple of common variations:
 
Traditional Baccarat – The original version of the game usually found in high limit-rooms. Players take turns acting as the banker instead of the casino. It’s also played on larger tables.
 
Punto Baco – Similar to mini-baccarat where the casino acts as the bank instead of players taking turns.