If you're unaccustomed the game, do not be anxious, since baccarat rules are rather easy to pick up. The most effective tip we can pass on to a player who is just starting out is to review some essential directions on how to play. Prior to placing your first real-money bet, practice for a few rounds with our free online baccarat games. This will give you the experience and comfort you'll need to play your best!
The goal of baccarat is to guess which hand you think will have a total closest to 9.
Baccarat rules allow you to select from three betting choices:
Choice 1 – the player's hand (your hand) will win
Choice 2 - the banker's (or dealer's) hand will win
Choice 3 - the hands will tie (both have the same score).
If your bet on either the banker's hand or the player's hand wins, then the pay out is even money. For example, if you bet $20 on the player's hand and you win, you win $40 ($20 for the original bet plus $20 for the win).
If you win on the banker's hand, many casinos have baccarat rules that subtract a 5% charge on any winning bets. For example, if you bet $20 on the banker's hand and you win, you win $39 ($20 for the original bet plus $19 for the win less $1 charge).
If you bet that the hands would tie (have the same score) then the bet pays out at 8 to 1. For example, if you bet $20 on TIE and win, you would win $180 ($20 for the original bet plus $160 for the TIE win). The downside to this bet is the house advantage of over 14%, one of the highest house edge bets in the entire casino and one of the most disadvantageous baccarat rules for the player.
If the hands have the same score and you bet on either the banker or the player, you keep your original bet (similar to a "push" in blackjack).
A new round starts when the players place their bets on the player, the banker or a tie by putting their chips down on the designated areas of the table surface. The dealer will deal two cards for the banker hand and two cards for the player hand. Each card numbered 2 through 9 count as face value. Aces count as 1 point while 10's and royalty (face) cards count as 0.
A "natural" happens if either the player's hand or the banker's hand totals 8 or 9 with their first two cards and that hand is an automatic winner (similar to an ace-ten combination in blackjack). If neither hand results in a natural, the hand keeps going with the player's cards. If the player's hand totals 6 or 7, the player must stand and is not allowed to draw any more cards. However, if the player's hand totals 5 or less, then the player must draw another card. The player can draw up to three cards until the total score reaches between 6 and 9.
Once the player's hand is set, the banker's hand gets played with the same way. In some variations on baccarat rules, the dealer will stand on a score of 7 and draw cards with a score of 6 or below. After the dealer's hand is set, the hand with a score closer to 9 wins.
Baccarat rules dictate that any score higher than 9 drop the "tens" digit. For example, if the first two cards are 5 and 6, totaling 11, you subtract 10 and the total score is now 1. If the next card is a 10 or a face card, the total stays at 1. If the following card is a 7 your total is now 8 (5 + 6 = 11 – 10 = 1 + 7 = 8).
