How to Play Baccarat: Rules, Payouts and Odds

Baccarat is a straightforward casino game that’s easy to learn. This blog post covers the essential baccarat rules, betting options, payouts, and odds. Understanding how to play will help you make smarter bets and improve your chances of winning. Let’s get started!

Baccarat Rules

Baccarat is a straightforward card game where your job is to bet on who you think will win the round—the Player, the Banker, or if it’ll end in a Tie.

Each round starts with two cards dealt to both the Player and the Banker. The goal? Get as close to 9 points as possible. The way the cards are counted is easy:

• Aces are worth 1 point.
• Cards 2 through 9 are counted at face value.
• 10s, Jacks, Queens, and Kings are worth zero.

If a hand adds up to more than 9, only the last digit matters. For example, 7 + 8 = 15, but in baccarat, that hand is worth 5 points.

A “natural” win happens if either side scores an 8 or 9 with the first two cards. In that case, the game ends immediately, and the higher hand wins.

If there’s no natural win, things get a bit more detailed:

The Player draws a third card if their total is between 0 and 5. If they have 6 or 7, they stand.

The Banker’s move depends on their own total and whether the Player drew a third card. Sometimes the Banker will draw, sometimes they won’t—it follows a set of fixed rules, so there’s no guessing.

Once all cards are dealt, the hand closest to 9 wins.

How To Play Baccarat

Baccarat is usually played with eight decks of cards, all shuffled together in what's called a "shoe." When the Player hand wins, the job of dealing often moves counterclockwise to the next player at the table—keeping the game flowing and interactive.

Once everyone places their bets, the dealer hands out four cards: two for the Player side and two for the Banker side. Depending on the totals, a third card might be drawn for one or both sides, following a set of fixed rules. No guesswork is needed—the game takes care of it automatically.

The hand closest to 9 wins. After the outcome is revealed, the dealer takes all losing bets and pays out the winners. If you bet on the Banker and win, a small commission (usually 5%) is taken out before the next round begins.

Baccarat Betting and Payouts

Baccarat Odds