Baccarat Rules: Understanding the Basics

Baccarat is a relatively simple game of chance, but it’s important that new players take a look at guides that cover the baccarat rules for beginners, as these cover the game’s unique elements, like how additional cards are dealt and how the scoring system works. Outside of the element of chance, these rules define how the game of online baccarat is played, making them essential for players to understand. 

Read on to learn more about the basics of baccarat.

What is Baccarat?

As BetMGM’s baccarat guide explains, baccarat is a card game usually played with six to eight decks in the shoe. Standard baccarat tables can feature up to 14 positions for bettors.

Your objective in RNG (random number generator) and live dealer baccarat is to correctly predict the outcome of the upcoming coup (round). There are three possibilities:

• The banker hand has a better score than the player hand
• The player hand has a better score than the banker hand
• The banker and player hands are tied in value

What Are the Rules of Baccarat?

The game starts with bettors placing their wagers before the cards are dealt. At that point, the dealer deals the cards, announces the results, and baccarat payouts are settled according to the score of each hand.

Bettors have no part in gameplay other than betting on the banker, player, or tie in the standard Punto Banco version of baccarat. Rules govern the value of cards, how they are combined to formulate scores for hands, and how many cards each hand receives.

Baccarat Card Values Explained

One of the easiest ways to become a better baccarat player is to be familiar with which cards are part of the game and the values of the featured cards. Baccarat excludes jokers from play, and

10s and face cards are worth zero. Aces are worth one point. Every other card in the game is worth its face value in points.

How Does Baccarat Scoring Work?

Scoring in most types of baccarat involves the sums of the values of the cards in each hand. For example, a five and a two is a score of seven. The top score in baccarat is nine, so any total that surpasses nine and has double digits automatically gets the first digit removed. For example, a hand worth a total of twelve has a final score of two. 

What Are the Baccarat Dealing Rules?

In baccarat, both the Banker and Player are dealt two cards for their initial hands. Each hand is dealt a card one-by-one. The values of each hand are totaled to determine what the next steps are. The round may be over, or each hand may need a third card to decide the winner. Third-card rules limit the instances of ties and result in the casino’s house edge. The player vs. banker baccarat rules are different in terms of whether each hand receives a third card.

When Does the Player Hand Get a Third Card?

The rules for whether the Player hand gets a third card are very simple:

When Does the Banker Hand Get a Third Card?

The rule for the banker hand hinges on applying these rules to the player hand. If the player hand didn’t receive a third card, then the same rules apply to the banker hand (third card on a score of 0-5, no card on 6 or 7).

If the player hand received a third card, then the dealing rules for the banker hand depend on two factors: the two-card score of the banker hand and the value of the player’s third card only, in that order.

If the banker’s two-card score is seven, then no third card is dealt regardless of the value of the player’s third card. If the banker’s two-card score is zero, one, or two, then the hand receives a third card regardless of the value of the player’s third card.

For two-card scores of three, four, five, and six, the value of the player’s third card dictates the action. 

Basic Baccarat Terminology

In any activity, people eventually repurpose existing phrases and words to communicate more efficiently. Baccarat is no exception.

Common baccarat terms include:

• Banco — Another name for the banker in the game.
• Banker Bet — Wagering on the banker to have the better score.
• Banque — A baccarat variant that adds a second Player hand to the game.
• Caller — A casino staff member who handles cards and calls out the results.
• Carte — Request for a third card.
• Chemin de Fer — A variation of baccarat in which players take turns as the banker.
• Commission — A fee, commonly up to 5%, deducted from winning Banker bets in commission baccarat.
• Coup — A round of play in standard baccarat games.
• Cut — Separating and repositioning a portion of the cards after shuffling before they are placed in the shoe.
• Dealer — A casino staff member who deals cards to the banker and player.
• Discard Tray — A specific location on the table for cards that have been played.
• Down Card — A card that is turned over to conceal its value.
• Dragon Bonus — A side bet that pays out if the banker or player wins with a score of eight or nine, or if the margin of victory is at least four points.
• Face Cards — The Jacks, Kings, and Queens in the decks.
• Flat Bet — A wager with the same value as the bet that came before it.
• Ladderman — A casino staff member who observes the game and makes a ruling in any disputes.
• La Grande — Another way to describe a natural nine.
• La Petite — Another way to describe a natural eight.
• Mini Baccarat — A baccarat game with fewer table positions.
• Monkey — Slang for a 10 or a face card.
• Natural — A two-card hand with a score of eight or nine.
• Palette — A device or tool that callers and/or dealers use to move cards.
• Player — A wager on the player hand to have the better score.
• Punto — The player in a baccarat hand.
• Punto Banco — A common name for standard baccarat.
• Push — A bet that neither loses nor wins. 
• Shill — A casino staff member whose job is to fill a baccarat table.
• Shoe — A card-holding machine or device.
• Tie — Betting on the banker and player hands to have the same scores.
• Upcard — A card facing upwards, showing its value.

It’s good baccarat etiquette to understand these terms so you don’t interrupt the game.

Baccarat Rules FAQ

Take a look at some of the frequently asked questions about baccarat rules below.

Do Any Baccarat Variants Change the Basic Game Rules?

Yes. Chemin de Fer, for example, gives bettors the chance to act as the banker and make decisions about whether to draw third cards.

What Beats What in Baccarat?

The two- or three-card hand with the better score, with nine being the ideal score, wins in baccarat. The scoring system dictates that 10s and face cards are zero points, aces are one point, every other card is worth its face value, and any total of 10 or more gets the first digit removed for the final score. Understanding the scoring system in baccarat can help you avoid any baccarat misconceptions.

What Is a Natural in Baccarat?

A natural in baccarat is when the first two cards of any hand add up to eight or nine. A three-card score of either eight or nine doesn’t count as a natural. 

What Happens if Both Hands Get Naturals in Baccarat?

If both hands are dealt naturals in baccarat, there are two possible results. If one of the hands is a natural eight while the other hand is a natural nine, the natural nine hand wins. If both hands are natural eights or both are natural nines, then the result is a tie.

Why Do Some Hands Get Third Cards in Baccarat?

One of the most common mistakes that new baccarat players make is looking at the first two cards for each hand and thinking that the coup is over, as rules may allow for the dealing of third cards. The third-card rule preserves the math of the game to provide for the casino’s advantage in baccarat. 

Play Baccarat Like a High Roller With BetMGM

Baccarat players, both experienced and novice, enjoy a full deck of benefits. This includes a regular procession of valuable promotions and access to the exclusive BetMGM Rewards program.

When you register for BetMGM, you’ll get access to all of these perks and the biggest collection of online baccarat titles available. It’s time to put your new knowledge to use.