Baccarat

The Bond-favoured casino card game — bet on Player, Banker or Tie, aiming for a two- or three-card total closest to 9.

⏱~1 min🌤indoor

What is Baccarat?

Baccarat is a comparing card game that originated in 15th-century Italy (from the Italian baccara, 'zero') and was refined in France in the 19th century. Its modern casino form — Punto Banco — is a fixed-rule game where players wager on one of three outcomes: Player, Banker, or Tie. Cards are drawn according to a rigid tableau (no strategic decisions), face cards and 10s count as 0, and the winning hand is the one closest to a total of 9. Baccarat is Macau's number-one casino game — it accounts for over 80% of all Macau gaming revenue — and is best known globally through James Bond, who plays chemin de fer (a strategic French cousin) in the original Ian Fleming novels.

Quick facts

How it works

Objective

Bet on which hand — Player or Banker — will be closer to a total of 9, or that both will tie.

Match structure

Players place bets on Player, Banker or Tie (plus optional side bets). The dealer draws two cards each for Player and Banker from the shoe. Card values are added — face cards and 10s = 0, aces = 1, others face value — and only the units digit counts (so 7 + 8 = 15 = 5). If either hand totals 8 or 9, it's a 'natural' and the coup ends. Otherwise, a third card is drawn to each hand according to a fixed tableau. The hand closer to 9 wins.

Rules

Basic rules

Card values
Ace = 1. Numeric cards = face value (2-9). 10s and face cards (J/Q/K) = 0. Suits are irrelevant.
Hand total
Total = sum of card values modulo 10 (only the units digit). So a hand of Q + 7 = 7, or 7 + 8 = 15 → 5.
Natural win
If either hand totals 8 or 9 on the first two cards, it's a natural and no third card is drawn.
Third card rule — Player
If Player's first two cards total 0-5, Player draws a third card. If 6 or 7, Player stands.
Third card rule — Banker
Banker's third-card rule depends on Player's third card and Banker's own two-card total — a fixed table with no strategic input.
Bets and payouts
Player win: 1:1. Banker win: 1:1 minus 5% commission. Tie: 8:1 or 9:1 depending on house. Push on tie for Player/Banker bets.

Advanced rules

No-commission baccarat
Some tables pay Banker even money except when Banker wins with 6 (paid 1:2), reducing house edge slightly and speeding play.
Punto Banco vs Chemin de Fer
Punto Banco = all decisions dictated by the house tableau (played as pure gamble). Chemin de Fer = players themselves take turns as the Banker and may choose whether to draw a third card.
Mini and Midi baccarat
Smaller versions with only one dealer and a smaller table; faster dealing, lower minimums.
Side bets
Perfect Pair (matching cards), Dragon Bonus (paying scaled bonuses for large wins), and Panda 8 / Dragon 7 (specific 3-card totals) all carry much higher house edges.

Scoring

House edge (main bets): Banker 1.06%, Player 1.24%, Tie 14.36% (at 8:1). Best strategic play: always bet Banker.

Action	Points
Banker win	0.95:1
Player win	1:1
Tie	8:1

Win condition · The hand closer to 9 wins. Ties push the Player/Banker bets and pay the Tie bet.

Equipment

Six or eight standard 52-card decks
Shuffled together in a dealing shoe. Baccarat uses no jokers.
Baccarat table
Large, kidney-shaped, seating up to 14 punters with three betting boxes each (Player, Banker, Tie).
Card shoe
Multi-deck holder from which cards are dealt face down.
Chips
Casino chips; high-roller baccarat rooms use large-denomination plaques.
Commission markers
The dealer tracks 5% commission on Banker wins for settlement.

Officiating

In classic Punto Banco, three casino employees run the game: a caller announces the coup and manages cards, and two dealers manage bets and pay commissions.

Dealer
Caller (large tables)
Pit boss

Strategies

Always bet Banker
Banker has the lowest house edge (1.06%) — mathematically optimal for any single bet, despite the 5% commission.
Avoid Tie bets
Tie carries a 14%+ house edge — 10× worse than Player or Banker.
Ignore streak-following
Each coup is independent; 'trend' cards showing recent Banker/Player patterns don't affect future coups.
Bankroll rules
Set a session limit, walk away when reached; never chase losses in a fixed-edge game.

Terminology

Punto: The Player bet (Italian for 'point').
Banco: The Banker bet.
Coup: One complete deal/round.
Natural: A two-card total of 8 or 9 — instant win.
Chemin de Fer: The French railroad version — the shoe passes around the table like a train.
Commission: The 5% fee on Banker wins that funds the house edge.
Shoe: The card-dealing box holding 6 or 8 shuffled decks.
Whale: A very-high-stakes baccarat player — Macau attracts many.
Trend card: A displayed record of recent coups — visual aid, no predictive value.

Where it is played

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

Akio Kashiwagi (legendary Japanese high roller)
Kerry Packer (Australian media mogul and baccarat whale)
Terrance Watanabe (largest US baccarat loser)

Learn this sport

beginner

1
Learn the three bets
Player, Banker, Tie — that's the entire betting decision in Punto Banco.
2
Card values
Face cards and 10s = 0; aces = 1; others face value; only units digit counts.
3
Watch a session
Sit at a live baccarat table for 30 minutes without betting — see the flow, tableau, and commission handling.
4
Bet Banker only
Play conservatively at low-stakes tables to learn table etiquette before increasing bet sizes.

intermediate

1
Understand the tableau
Memorise when the Banker draws or stands — not required to play, but demystifies the game.
2
Bankroll rules
Use flat-betting or a modest Martingale variant only with strict stop-losses.
3
Learn variant differences
Try chemin de fer or no-commission baccarat once to see how decisions and payouts change house edge.

Frequently asked

Which is the best bet in baccarat?+

Banker — 1.06% house edge, the lowest of any main casino bet. Player is 1.24%, Tie is 14.4% (or 4.85% at 9:1 payout, still much worse).

Is baccarat a game of skill?+

No. Once bets are placed the dealer follows a fixed tableau — there is no player decision. All 'strategy' amounts to bet selection, bet size, and session management.

Why do casinos take 5% commission on Banker wins?+

The Banker hand wins slightly more often than the Player (about 45.86% vs 44.62%). Without the 5% commission, Banker would be a positive-expectation bet — the commission converts the edge to the house.

How is baccarat different from blackjack?+

Baccarat has no player decisions; blackjack has many (hit, stand, double, split). Baccarat targets 9; blackjack targets 21. Baccarat is much simpler to learn but offers no skill component to reduce the house edge.

Sources & provenance

Wikipedia — Baccarat (card game)— Wikipedia
Wizard of Odds — Baccarat— Wizard of Odds

Last verified 2026-08-24.community