Baccarat Guide for Beginners: Terms & Basic Rules Explained
Baccarat is one of the oldest, most popular online casino games for real money in the world. This glamorous casino game has remained popular since its creation and keeps attracting new players thanks to its beginner-friendly rules. The classic game is also widely available online, with some of the best online baccarat casinos operating also in the United States. While the game is relatively simple, there are some aspects to the game that could make it a bit confusing.
Don’t be intimidated though – once you learn the basic terms and some of the slightly trickier parts, rules of baccarat are easy to understand. In this comprehensive and compact guide we’ll introduce everything you need to know about baccarat to start playing!
Key Baccarat Terms
The first step to learn the basics of a new game is to familiarize yourself with the terms. Baccarat terms, as the terms of any other new game, can be confusing at first. We’ve listed all the important terms of baccarat in the table:
| Bankroll: | Money set aside for playing baccarat. |
| Baccarat: | The name of the game and coincidently the worst possible hand, as baccarat means zero in Italian. |
| Banco: | Refers to the Banker, both as a bet on the Banker's hand and the dealer. Pays out 1:1, but the house takes a 5% commission from winnings. |
| Commission: | A 5% fee charged by the house on Banco profits. |
| Dealer: | Dealer's task in Baccarat is to deal out cards. Otherwise the dealer is not a participant in the game. |
| Draw: | Taking a third card to improve the Players or the Bankers baccarat hand. |
| Face Card: | Jacks, Queens, or Kings and Tens (10). All have a value of zero in baccarat. |
| House Edge: | The advantage the casino has over players. For example, when the house edge is 2%, if you wager $1 per hand over 100 rounds, the house will on average make a $2 profit over that span. However, due to short-term luck, players could turn a profit over the same period. |
| Natural: | A hand worth 8 or 9 points. A Natural is the best hand in baccarat, so it automatically wins the round for the Banker or the Player. |
| Player: | A bet on the player hand to win, pays out 1:1 with no commission. |
| Punto Banco: | One of the most popular baccarat variations, also prominent in America, invented in Argentina in the 1950s. |
| Stand: | When the Banco or Banker or Player refuses additional cards. Unlike blackjack, this action is automatically done according to game rules. |
| Tie | Betting that both the Player and Banker will get the same score. Tie pays out 8:1. |
How Are Baccarat Hands Scored?
Let’s start with number cards (2-9). These are worth face value, so if you have the 4 of diamonds, that card is worth 4 points. What about Aces then? In Baccarat, these cards are worth one point. And lastly, face cards (Jacks, Queens, Kings, and 10s) are worth zero points.
After the first two cards are dealt, add them together to get your score. If your added score is 10 or greater, drop the first digit to get your actual score. So, for example, if you have a 7 and a 5, adding up to 12, you’d subtract the “1”, giving you a score of 2.
How To Win At Baccarat?
How do you win at a game of Baccarat then? The goal of Baccarat is to predict the outcome of a round. So, to win at Baccarat either at land based or online casinos, you must pick the correct outcome from selected options. There are three options – Banco or Banker, Player, or Tie. After placing your wager on any of the bets, the dealer will deal out the Banker and the Player hands. If your horse gets the highest score (as close to 9 as possible), you win!
The amount won depends on who you choose. The Player bet pays 1:1, the Banker pays 1:1 (minus a ~5% commission), and the Tie pays 8:1.
Why Bet on the Banker in Baccarat?
The Banker bet has a better chance of a winning hand than the Player. Why is this? Because the Banker has position on the Player. By knowing the Player’s final score, the Banker can play perfectly according to a complex set of drawing rules.
Now, it’s true the house charges a commission on wins. But even when you account for these losses, this bet still has a slimmer house edge than the Player.
Baccarat Vs. Blackjack – Which Has Better Odds?
Blackjack has a friendlier house edge (as low as 0.45%) on paper. But to achieve this mark, you must find an online casino that offers single-deck Blackjack, and, even then, you must hit, stand, split, and double down correctly in every single hand.
Now, Baccarat has a house edge of 1.06% if you bet on the Banker exclusively. That may be higher than Blackjack’s theoretical house edge, but in Baccarat, decisions are non-existent.
So if you’re looking for an easy game with a low house advantage, Baccarat might be right for you.
Can Baccarat Be Beaten?
In brick-and-mortar casinos, it’s actually possible to beat baccarat. This is because, in some cases, players with enough experience and keen eyes might be able to predict coming cards in future rounds by edge sorting (examining the backs of cards for irregularities).
But in online version of Baccarat, this is not possible. And despite what boosters of Baccarat systems claim, you cannot outrun this game’s math in the long run. However, it is possible to win in the short-term.
How to Play Baccarat?
Now that we’ve reviewed the rules, key terms, and answered common questions, let’s walk through a Baccarat round together. The steps are the same regardless whether you play Baccarat online or in a brick-and-mortar casino.
- Place your bets:
After the dealer clears the Baccarat table from the previous round, place your wager. Usually, you have three options – the Banker, the Player, or the Tie bet. However, in some games, side bets on Banker/Player Pairs may be available. - Cards are dealt:
The dealer deals two cards to the Banker and the Player. The dealer then announces the value of each hand. - Third cards (when necessary) are dealt:
If neither the Banker nor the Player has a natural (an 8 or 9 point hand), the dealer deals a third card per baccarat game rules. - Showdown:
The dealer declares the winner (Banker, Player, or Tie), then pays out the winners.
