Baccarat rules are simple: you bet on which hand, the Player or the Banker, will finish closest to 9, or you bet on a tie. If you’re looking for baccarat rules for beginners, this guide will help you get started.
Key Takeaways
- Two hands are dealt: the Player hand and the Banker hand. The hand closest to 9 wins.
- Tens and face cards count as 0. Aces count as 1. All other cards count at face value.
- You never make choices during a hand. The dealer follows fixed drawing rules.
- The Banker bet has the lowest house edge at about 1.06% in an eight-deck game.
- The Tie bet has a house edge of about 14.36% when it pays 8 to 1.
Baccarat is one of the easiest casino games to learn. You pick a bet, and the cards do the rest. There is no skill involved once the cards come out. That makes it a good first table game for new players.
How does a baccarat hand work?
A baccarat hand starts with two cards dealt to each side. One side is called the Player. The other side is called the Banker. These are just names for the two hands. You do not play as either one, and you do not have to be the banker.
Here is the basic flow of a round:
1. You place a bet on Player, Banker, or Tie.
2. The dealer gives two cards to the Player hand and two to the Banker hand.
3. Each hand’s total is counted.
4. A third card may be dealt to one or both hands, based on fixed rules.
5. The hand closest to 9 wins.
If either hand totals 8 or 9 on the first two cards, that is called a natural. A natural means both hands stand right away. No more cards are drawn.
Most games use six or eight standard decks shuffled together. The decks sit in a box called a shoe, which is just a card holder that deals one card at a time.
What do the cards count as in baccarat?
Card values in baccarat are different from blackjack. Here is the full list:
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 |
| 2 through 9 | Face value |
| 10 | 0 |
| Jack, Queen, King | 0 |
The highest possible total is 9. A hand can never go over 9. If the cards add up to 10 or more, you drop the first digit.
For example, a 7 and an 8 add up to 15. You drop the 1, so the hand is worth 5. A King and a 9 add up to 9, so the hand is worth 9. A 5 and a 5 add up to 10, so the hand is worth 0.
A hand worth 0 is sometimes called baccarat. It is the worst total you can have.
What is the third card rule?
The third card rule is a fixed set of steps that decides when each hand gets one more card. The dealer handles this for you. You do not need to memorize it to play. Still, it helps to know why a card was drawn.
The Player hand always goes first.
Player hand rules:
- Total of 0 to 5: the Player draws a third card.
- Total of 6 or 7: the Player stands, which means no more cards.
- Total of 8 or 9: this is a natural, so both hands stand.
Banker hand rules when the Player stands:
- Total of 0 to 5: the Banker draws a third card.
- Total of 6 or 7: the Banker stands.
Banker hand rules when the Player draws a third card:
The Banker’s move now depends on its own total and the Player’s third card.
| Banker Total | Banker Draws If Player’s Third Card Is | Banker Stands If Player’s Third Card Is |
|---|---|---|
| 0, 1, 2 | Any card | Never |
| 3 | Any card except 8 | 8 |
| 4 | 2 through 7 | Ace, 8, 9, 10, or face card |
| 5 | 4 through 7 | Ace, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, or face card |
| 6 | 6 or 7 | Any other card |
| 7 | Never | Always stands |
No hand ever gets more than three cards. After the third card step, the totals are compared and the round ends.
What bets can you make in baccarat?
There are three main bets in standard baccarat. Each one is simple.
Player bet. You bet that the Player hand will win. A win pays even money, which means you win the same amount you bet. A $10 bet wins $10.
Banker bet. You bet that the Banker hand will win. A win also pays even money, but the casino takes a commission of 5%. A commission is a small fee taken from your winnings. So a $10 Banker win pays $9.50 instead of $10. The fee exists because the Banker hand wins slightly more often, thanks to the third card rules.
Tie bet. You bet that both hands will end with the same total. Most tables pay 8 to 1 on a tie. That means a $10 bet wins $80. Some tables pay 9 to 1, which is better for you.
What happens to Player and Banker bets on a tie? They push. A push means nobody wins and you get your bet back.
Many online tables also offer side bets. These are extra bets on things like pairs in the first two cards. Side bets usually carry a higher house edge than the three main bets. Read the pay table before you try one.
Some tables offer a no-commission version. The Banker bet pays even money with no 5% fee. In return, a Banker win on a certain total, often 6, pays only half. Check the table rules to see which version you are playing.
What is the house edge on each baccarat bet?
The house edge is the average share of each bet the casino expects to keep over time. A lower number is better for you. If you want the full math behind it, read our guide on how RTP and house edge work.
Here are the numbers for a standard eight-deck game, based on figures published by the Wizard of Odds:
| Bet | Payout | House Edge |
|---|---|---|
| Banker | 1 to 1, minus 5% commission | 1.06% |
| Player | 1 to 1 | 1.24% |
| Tie | 8 to 1 | 14.36% |
The Banker bet has the lowest edge of the three. The Player bet is close behind. The Tie bet is far worse. At 14.36%, it costs you more than ten times as much as the Banker bet over the long run.
This is why many baccarat guides point beginners to the Banker bet. It is not a sure win. It just loses the least on average. No betting pattern or system changes these numbers, because each hand follows the same fixed rules.
For comparison, basic strategy blackjack can have a lower edge, but it asks you to make decisions. Baccarat asks for none. Our list of the best online blackjack sites for 2026 covers that game if you want to compare.
Where can you play baccarat online?
You can play baccarat at offshore online casinos that accept U.S. players. Four options we cover are Bovada, Ignition Casino, BetOnline, and MyBookie. Each one runs a casino section with table games. Game lists change, so check the casino lobby for the current baccarat tables.
Online baccarat usually comes in two styles:
- Digital baccarat. A computer deals the cards using a random number generator. That is software that picks each card at random. These games often allow smaller bets.
- Live dealer baccarat. A real dealer deals real cards on a video stream. You place bets on screen. Our live dealer casino guide explains how these tables work.
Before you sit down, check three things:
1. The commission. Standard tables take 5% on Banker wins. No-commission tables change the payout on certain totals instead.
2. The Tie payout. A 9 to 1 Tie pays better than 8 to 1.
3. The table limits. These are the smallest and largest bets the table allows.
Many offshore casinos also accept crypto deposits. If you plan to use Bitcoin, our guide on how to deposit Bitcoin on Bovada walks through the steps.
References
- Wizard of Odds, “Baccarat Basics” — card values, drawing rules, and house edge by bet.
- Wizard of Odds, “Baccarat Appendix 1” — house edge calculations by number of decks
- Wikipedia, “Baccarat” — game history, Punto Banco format, and tableau of play
