Baccarat is a French card game where you can bet on three possible outcomes. Two card hands, that are dealt face up by the dealer, are compared to each other. One hand is called Punto and the other one Banco. If Punto wins, all the players that bet on Punto wins. If Banco wins, all the players that bet on Banco wins. If both hands are of equal value, all the players that bet on the tie (Egalité) wins.

Baccarat is the ancestor of Punto Banco, a very similar card game named after the two hands in Baccarat.

Decks and point system

Baccarat is typically played with one, six or eight decks. The standard 52 card deck is used, without any jokers. No cards are wild.

Baccarat uses a special point system, where all the cards below ten are worth their numerical value and all cards from ten and upward are worth zero points.

• King 0 points
• Queen 0 points
• Jack 0 points
• Ten 0 points
• Nine 9 points
• Eight 8 points
• Seven 7 points
• Six 6 points
• Five 5 points
• Four 4 points
• Three 3 points
• Two 2 points
• Ace 1 point

How to calculate the value of a baccarat hand

You calculate the value of a baccarat hand by adding together the point value of the cards. If the sum is above 9, the rightmost digit will give your the value.

Example:

• This hand consists of an eight and a queen. 8 + 0 = 8 points. This hand is worth 8 points.
• This hand consists of an eight and a seven. 8 + 7 = 15 points. That is more than nine. The rightmost digit is 5. The value of this hand is 5 points.

Which hand is the best hand?

The best hand in Baccarat is the 9 point hand. When the Punto hand and the Banco hand are compared, the one closest to 9 wins. So, a 9 point hand wins over any other hand. An 8 point hand will lose to a 9 point hand, but win over any other hand, and so on. The least valuable hand in Baccarat is the zero point hand.

It is important to remember that a hand doesn’t need to be close to 9 points to win, only closer than the other hand.

A round of Baccarat

1. The players at the table place their bets. A player can bet on Punto, Banco or Egalité (tie).
2. The dealer gives Punto and Banco two cards each. All cards are dealt face up so everyone can see what they are.
3. In some situation, the round is over here and the dealer will take the losing bets and pay all the winning bets. In other situations, the dealer must continue to deal one or more cards.

When is the round not over after the four initial cards have been dealt?

The exact rules for this can vary from one table to the next, so it is important to check out the rules for the table you wish to play at. Below, you will find an example of commonly used rules.

When will Punto get a third card?

• If Punto’s starter hand is worth 0-5 points, Punto always gets a third card.
• If Punto’s starter hand is worth more than 5 points, Punto will not get a third card.

When will Banco get a third card?

• If Banco’s starter hand is worth 0-3 points, Banco gets a third card.
• If Banco’s starter hand is worth 4 points, Banco gets a third card only if Punto’s hand is within the 2-7 point range. If Punto’s hand is worth something outside that range, there will be no third card for Banco.
• If Banco’s starter hand is worth 5 points, Banco gets a third card only if Punto’s hand is within the 4-7 point range. If Punto’s hand is worth something outside that range, there will be no third card for Banco.
• If Banco’s starter hand is worth 6 points, Banco gets a third card only if Punto’s three-card hand is worth 6 points or 7 points.
• If Banco’s starter hand is worth 7-9 points, Banco will not get a third card.

How much can I win?

Egalité gives the best payout, since egalité (a tie between Punto and Banco) is such a rare occasion in Baccarat. Also, in most casinos, a win on Punto pays a little better than a win on Banco.

This is an example of a commonly used paytable for Baccarat: