Baccarat looks intimidating the first time you see it – two hands, a tableau of drawing rules and a dealer moving fast. In reality, it is one of the easiest casino games to learn, because you make only one decision: which hand to bet on. The dealer handles everything else. This guide walks you through baccarat rules step by step, so you can sit at a table knowing exactly what is happening.
The Goal of Baccarat
Every round, two hands are dealt: the Player and the Banker. The hand with a total closest to 9 wins. You are not playing as the Player or the Banker – those are just names for the two hands. You simply bet on which one you think will win, or on a Tie.
Baccarat Card Values
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 |
| 2 to 9 | Face value |
| 10, Jack, Queen, King | 0 |
When a hand adds up to 10 or more, only the last digit counts. For example, 7 + 6 = 13, so the hand is worth 3. A 9 + King = 9, the best possible total. This means a hand can never “bust” in baccarat – it always lands between 0 and 9.
How a Round of Baccarat Works
- Place your bet on Player, Banker or Tie before the betting time ends.
- Two cards each are dealt to the Player and Banker hands.
- Check for a natural. If either hand totals 8 or 9, it is called a “natural” and both hands stand. The round is decided immediately.
- Apply the third-card rules if there is no natural (see below).
- Compare totals. The hand closer to 9 wins. Equal totals are a Tie.
The Third-Card Rules
This is the part that confuses beginners, but remember: the dealer applies these rules automatically. You never have to decide whether to draw.
Player hand
- Total of 0–5: Player draws a third card.
- Total of 6–7: Player stands.
Banker hand
If the Player stood, the Banker follows the same rule: draw on 0–5, stand on 6–7. If the Player drew a third card, the Banker’s action depends on its own total and the value of the Player’s third card:
| Banker total | Banker draws when Player’s third card is… |
|---|---|
| 0, 1, 2 | Always draws |
| 3 | Anything except 8 |
| 4 | 2 to 7 |
| 5 | 4 to 7 |
| 6 | 6 or 7 |
| 7 | Always stands |
A Worked Example Hand
Let’s put the rules together. You bet RM10 on Banker.
- The Player is dealt a 4 and a Jack – a total of 4. Because 4 is between 0 and 5, the Player draws a third card: a 5. Adding 4 + 5 gives the Player a final total of 9.
- The Banker is dealt a 3 and a 3 – a total of 6. The Player’s third card was a 5, and the table shows that a Banker on 6 only draws when the Player’s third card is 6 or 7. So the Banker stands on 6.
- Player 9 beats Banker 6. Your Banker bet loses, while a Player bet of RM10 would have returned RM20 (your stake plus RM10 winnings).
Had the Banker won instead, your RM10 Banker bet would have paid RM9.50 in winnings after the 5% commission. Once you have followed a few hands like this, the drawing rules quickly become second nature – and you will notice that nothing you do after placing your bet changes the outcome.
Baccarat Payouts and House Edge
| Bet | Typical payout | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Banker | 1:1 minus 5% commission | About 1.06% |
| Player | 1:1 | About 1.24% |
| Tie | 8:1 | About 14.4% |
The Banker bet wins slightly more often than the Player bet because of the way the third-card rules work, which is why casinos take a 5% commission on Banker wins. Even with that commission, Banker remains the bet with the lowest house edge. If a Tie occurs, Player and Banker bets are usually returned (a “push”).
Payouts can vary between tables. In No Commission baccarat, for example, Banker wins pay 1:1 but a Banker win on 6 pays only half. Always check the table’s paytable before betting.
Side Bets You Will See
Live baccarat tables often offer extras such as Player Pair and Banker Pair, which pay if the first two cards of that hand are a pair (commonly 11:1). They are fun, but like the Tie bet, they carry a much higher house edge than the main bets.
Popular Baccarat Variants
- Speed Baccarat – the same rules with shorter betting windows and faster rounds.
- Squeeze Baccarat – the dealer slowly reveals cards for extra suspense, a favourite with Asian players.
- No Commission Baccarat – no 5% fee on Banker, but a reduced payout on Banker 6.
Beginner Tips for Playing Baccarat
- Stick mainly to Banker and Player. They offer the best odds in the game.
- Treat Tie and pair bets as occasional extras, not your main strategy.
- Do not chase patterns on the scoreboard. Road maps show past results, but every hand is dealt independently.
- Use low-limit tables to learn the pace before you raise your stake.
- Set a session budget and stop when you reach it, win or lose.
Play Live Baccarat at Yes2win
Now that you know the rules, you can watch every card being dealt at a real table. The Yes2win live casino offers baccarat from Evolution, AllBet, Asia Gaming, Ezugi and XPG, including speed and squeeze tables, with FPX and e-wallet deposits in Ringgit. New to Yes2win? Start on the homepage.