Baccarat is beloved by high rollers for one reason: it has one of the lowest house edges in the casino, requires zero skill to play, and is lightning fast. Bet Banker, collect your winnings, repeat.
Basic Rules
Baccarat is played between two hands: Banker and Player. You bet on which hand will be closer to 9 — or if they'll tie. Cards are dealt by the casino; you just bet.
Card Values
- Ace = 1
- 2–9 = face value
- 10, J, Q, K = 0
- If total exceeds 9, only the second digit counts (e.g., 7+8=15 → counts as 5)
Bet Options and House Edge
| Bet | Pays | House Edge | Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banker | 0.95:1 (5% commission) | 1.06% | Always bet this |
| Player | 1:1 | 1.24% | Acceptable |
| Tie | 8:1 | 14.36% | Never bet this |
Why Always Bet Banker?
Banker wins slightly more than 50% of non-tie hands due to the drawing rules. Even with the 5% commission, the house edge (1.06%) is lower than Player (1.24%). Over 1,000 hands, this difference is significant.
Third Card Rules (Automatic — You Don't Decide)
Player hand:
- 0–5: draws a third card
- 6–7: stands
- 8–9: Natural — both stand
Banker hand: Complex rules based on Banker total and Player's third card. You never need to know these — the casino applies them automatically.
Baccarat Variants
- Punto Banco: Standard version in most casinos
- Mini Baccarat: Lower table limits, faster pace
- Speed Baccarat: Evolution Gaming — 27-second rounds
- Lightning Baccarat: Random multipliers up to 512x on winning hands
Bankroll Tips for Baccarat
- Baccarat is a high-frequency game — 60–80 hands per hour at live tables
- Even a 1.06% edge adds up fast at volume. Bet 0.5%–1% of bankroll per hand.
- Scorecards (road maps) are for entertainment only. Past results do not predict future outcomes.