Baccarat

Baccarat is one of the simplest casino card games to play. Two hands are dealt — the Player hand and the Banker hand — and you bet on which one will have a total closest to 9. Cards 2–9 are worth face value, 10s and face cards are worth zero, and Aces are worth 1. If a hand total exceeds 9, only the second digit counts — so a hand of 7 and 8 (totalling 15) is worth 5.

After the initial two cards are dealt to each hand, a fixed set of third-card drawing rules determines whether either hand receives an additional card. You make no decisions after placing your bet — the outcome is entirely determined by the cards and the drawing rules. This makes baccarat purely a game of chance with no skill element in the gameplay itself.

The Banker bet is statistically the best option with a house edge of 1.06%, including the standard 5% commission on wins. The Banker hand wins slightly more often than the Player hand because of how the third-card rules are structured — the Banker draws last and its decision is partly based on what the Player drew.

The Player bet has a house edge of 1.24% and pays 1:1 with no commission. The Tie bet pays 8:1 or 9:1 depending on the table, but carries a house edge of over 14%. Despite the attractive payout, the Tie bet is one of the worst wagers in any casino game. For the best long-term results, sticking to the Banker bet consistently is the mathematically optimal approach.

Online casinos offer several baccarat variants. Standard Baccarat (Punto Banco) is the most common — it follows the traditional rules and is available in both RNG and live dealer formats. Speed Baccarat cuts the round time to about 27 seconds by dealing cards face-up immediately, ideal for players who prefer a faster pace.

No Commission Baccarat removes the 5% Banker commission but adjusts the payout when the Banker wins with a total of 6, paying 0.5:1 instead of 1:1. Lightning Baccarat from Evolution adds random multipliers up to 512x on winning hands, adding volatility and bigger win potential to the classic format. Squeeze variants add dramatic card reveals for a more immersive experience.

Most live baccarat tables offer optional side bets alongside the main Player, Banker, and Tie wagers. Common side bets include Player Pair and Banker Pair (betting that the first two cards of either hand form a pair, paying 11:1), Perfect Pair (both hands form pairs), and Big/Small (betting on the total number of cards dealt in the round).

Side bets add variety and the potential for larger payouts, but they carry significantly higher house edges than the main bets — typically between 5% and 13%. They should be treated as occasional entertainment rather than a core strategy. For a better understanding of how house edges and return rates affect your expected results over time, see our guide to RTP.

Baccarat moves quickly, especially in Speed and No Commission formats, so setting clear limits before you start is important. Decide on a session budget and a win target. If you reach either, stop. The low house edge on the Banker bet means your bankroll lasts longer compared to most casino games, but the fast pace can lead to larger cumulative bets than you might expect.

Pattern tracking — recording whether Player or Banker won each round — is a popular tradition in baccarat, and many online tables display scorecards for this purpose. However, each round is independent, and past results have no mathematical influence on future outcomes. Pattern tracking can make the game more engaging, but it does not provide any strategic advantage. For responsible play guidelines, visit our responsible gaming page.