How to play baccarat

Card values: only the last digit counts

An ace counts as one, cards two to nine count as their number, and tens and face cards (J, Q, K) count as zero.

If the cards add up to ten or more, drop the first digit: nine plus five is fourteen, so the hand is worth four. The highest total is nine.

Naturals: eight or nine ends the deal

If either hand has eight or nine with its first two cards, it is a natural and nobody draws.

Here Player has four plus four, which is eight, and Banker has zero plus seven, which is seven. Player wins.

When the Player draws a third card

Player draws on zero to five and stands on six or seven. Here Player has two plus three, which is five, draws a nine and ends on four (fourteen).

Banker has seven and stands. Banker wins with seven against four.

When the Banker draws: the third-card table

D = banker draws a third card, S = banker stands. Columns 0–9: the value of the player’s third card. With 8 or 9 on either side, nobody draws.

If Player stood, Banker uses the same rule: draw on zero to five, stand on six or seven.

If Player drew, Banker's move depends on its own total and on Player's third card – the table shows every case. Banker always draws on zero to two and always stands on seven.

Example: both hands draw

Player has one plus four, which is five, draws a two and ends on seven. Banker has three and Player's third card is a two, so Banker draws a four and also ends on seven.

It is a tie: Tie bets win 8 to 1, Player and Banker bets are returned.

Mini baccarat, punto banco and pronunciation

• Punto banco – punto means Player, banco means Banker. Same rules.
• Mini baccarat – the same game on a smaller table with faster deals.
• How to say it – bah-kuh-RAH.
• Online – the same rules, a computer deals. Try it free in the baccarat simulator.

Questions