How to Play Baccarat — Complete Rules Guide
Learn baccarat rules step by step: card values, hand scoring, naturals, Player and Banker draw rules, standard outcomes and payouts.
Baccarat compares two hands: Player and Banker. The hand closer to 9 wins, and fixed rules determine whether either hand receives a third card. This guide explains the scoring, draw rules and standard payouts.
Step 1: Place your bet
Before any cards are dealt, you must wager on one of three outcomes:
- Player — the Player hand wins.
- Banker — the Banker hand wins.
- Tie — both hands finish with equal totals.
That is the entire decision you make as a player in standard baccarat. There are no choices about whether to draw cards — those decisions are determined entirely by fixed rules that neither the player nor the dealer has any discretion over.
Step 2: Card values
Baccarat uses a unique scoring system that confuses many newcomers.
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 |
| 2 through 9 | Face value |
| 10, Jack, Queen, King | 0 |
The tens and face cards counting as zero is the single most important thing to understand about baccarat. A King is worth nothing. A 10 is worth nothing. A Queen paired with a 6 is worth 6, not 16. For a detailed explanation of why tens count as zero and how this affects hand composition, see Baccarat Card Values.
Step 3: Hand value — the mod-10 rule
A baccarat hand is the sum of its cards, mod 10 — meaning only the last digit of the total counts. If a hand contains a 7 and an 8, the total is 15, but the hand value is 5. If a hand contains a 9 and a 6, the total is 15, hand value is 5. The highest possible hand value is 9.
Examples:
- 3 + 4 = 7 → hand value 7
- 6 + 7 = 13 → hand value 3
- 9 + 5 = 14 → hand value 4
- King + 9 = 9 → hand value 9
- 10 + 6 = 6 → hand value 6
There is no such thing as going “bust” in baccarat. No matter what cards are drawn, the hand always has a valid value between 0 and 9.
Step 4: The initial deal
The dealer deals two cards to the Player hand and two cards to the Banker hand, face up on the table. The hand values are immediately visible to everyone. Two cards are always dealt initially — there is no choice here.
Step 5: The natural — instant win
If either the Player hand or the Banker hand totals 8 or 9 after the initial two-card deal, that is called a natural. When a natural occurs:
- If one hand has a natural and the other does not, the natural wins.
- If both hands have a natural, the higher natural wins (9 beats 8).
- If both hands have the same natural (both 8, or both 9), the hand is a Tie.
When a natural occurs, no further cards are drawn regardless of what any draw rule might otherwise indicate. The round ends immediately.
Step 6: The Player draw rule
If no natural was dealt, the Player hand acts first. The rule is simple:
- Player total 0–5: Player draws a third card.
- Player total 6–7: Player stands (no third card).
There is no exception and no player input. This rule is applied automatically by the dealer.
Step 7: The Banker draw rule
The Banker draw rule is more complex. Whether the Banker draws depends on the Banker’s current total and, in most cases, the value of the Player’s third card (if the Player drew one).
If the Player stood (no third card drawn):
- Banker total 0–5: Banker draws.
- Banker total 6–7: Banker stands.
If the Player drew a third card, the Banker draws based on this table:
| Banker total | Banker draws if Player’s third card is: |
|---|---|
| 0, 1, 2 | Always draws |
| 3 | 0–7 or 9 (stands on 8) |
| 4 | 2–7 (stands on 0, 1, 8, 9) |
| 5 | 4–7 (stands on 0, 1, 2, 3, 8, 9) |
| 6 | 6–7 (stands on all others) |
| 7 | Always stands |
The dealer applies this table automatically. It is included here to explain how a round is resolved.
Step 8: Final hand values and payout
After all draws are complete, the hand values are totalled again:
- Player bet wins: pays 1:1. A stake of 10 credits produces 10 credits in winnings.
- Banker bet wins: pays 0.95:1 after the standard 5% commission. A stake of 10 credits produces 9.5 credits in winnings.
- Tie bet wins: normally pays 8:1. A stake of 10 credits produces 80 credits in winnings.
The 5% Banker commission offsets the advantage created by the draw rules. With this commission, the Banker bet has a 1.06% house edge according to the Wizard of Odds baccarat analysis.
Mini-baccarat
Mini-baccarat uses the same scoring and draw rules as Punto Banco. It uses a smaller table, and the dealer handles the cards.
The baccarat strategy guide compares the mathematical house edge of the three outcomes. For a detailed look at the mod-10 scoring system, see baccarat card values. You can also use the free baccarat game to follow how the fixed draw rules are applied with credits only.