Baccarat: the elegant card game of chance

01What can you bet on?

• Player: the Player hand finishes closer to nine.
• Banker: the Banker hand finishes closer to nine. Wins usually pay even money minus a commission, often 5 percent.
• Tie: both hands finish on the same total. It pays more but lands rarely.

02How are the cards counted?

Aces count as one, cards two to nine count at face value, and tens and picture cards count as zero. If a hand adds up to more than nine, only the last digit counts, so a seven and an eight make 15, which counts as five.

03When is a third card drawn?

Each hand starts with two cards. A third card is dealt according to fixed rules based on the totals, and the dealer handles it. You never decide whether to draw.

04What should you know before playing?

Check the table's minimum, maximum and commission before you sit down. Previous results on the scoreboard don't affect the next hand, so patterns in the history aren't a reason to change your bet.

05What are the third-card rules?

If either hand has a natural (eight or nine) on two cards, the round ends. Otherwise the Player draws a third card on 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7. The Banker then follows its own table:

• If the Player stood, the Banker draws on 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7.
• Banker total 0 to 2: always draws.
• Banker total 3: draws unless the Player's third card was an 8.
• Banker total 4: draws if the Player's third card was 2 to 7.
• Banker total 5: draws if the Player's third card was 4 to 7.
• Banker total 6: draws if the Player's third card was 6 or 7.
• Banker total 7: stands.

06How big is the house edge on each bet?

On a standard eight-deck game, the Banker bet's edge is about 1.06 percent after the 5 percent commission, the Player bet's about 1.24 percent, and a Tie paying 8 to 1 about 14.4 percent. That's why the Tie looks tempting but costs much more over time. If a hand ties while you've bet Player or Banker, your stake is usually returned.

07What changes on no-commission tables?

Some tables drop the Banker commission and instead pay less when the Banker wins with a six, often half the stake. The edge ends up similar, so read the table's rule rather than assuming no commission means a better deal.