Baccarat Rules: Card Values and the Third-Card Table
Baccarat (punto banco, the version played in casinos and online) is a card game in which you bet on which of two hands, Player or Banker, will finish closer to 9, or on a tie. Neither you nor the dealer makes any decisions: the cards are dealt by fixed rules, including the “third-card rules” that decide whether each hand draws. Your only choice is the bet. This page sets out the full rules. It is part of our baccarat guide within the casino game guides.
Card Values
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 |
| 2 to 9 | Face value |
| 10, Jack, Queen, King | 0 |
A hand’s total is the last digit of the sum of its cards. 7 + 8 = 15 counts as 5. 9 + K = 9. 5 + 5 = 10 counts as 0 (“baccarat”). Totals therefore run from 0 to 9.
The Bets and Payouts
| Bet | Wins when | Payout | Probability (8 decks) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Player total is higher | 1:1 | 44.62% |
| Banker | Banker total is higher | 1:1 less 5% commission (0.95:1) | 45.86% |
| Tie | Totals are equal | 8:1 (some tables 9:1) | 9.52% |
On a tie, Player and Banker bets push (stakes returned). Probabilities above are calculated exactly for an 8-deck shoe. Note that “Player” and “Banker” are just names for the two hands; you do not play against the other people at the table.
How a Hand Is Dealt
- Bets are placed on Player, Banker and/or Tie (plus any side bets).
- Two cards are dealt to Player and two to Banker, face up (or squeezed, in squeeze baccarat).
- If either hand totals 8 or 9 (a natural), both hands stand and the hand is settled.
- Otherwise, the Player hand follows its third-card rule.
- Then the Banker hand follows its third-card rule, which depends on whether the Player drew and what card the Player received.
- Higher total wins; equal totals tie.
Player Third-Card Rule
| Player’s first two cards total | Action |
|---|---|
| 0 to 5 | Draws a third card |
| 6 or 7 | Stands |
| 8 or 9 | Natural: stands, no one draws |
Banker Third-Card Rule
If the Player stood (6 or 7), the Banker draws on 0–5 and stands on 6–7.
If the Player drew a third card, the Banker acts according to its own total and the value of the Player’s third card:
| Banker total | Banker draws if Player’s third card is | Banker stands if Player’s third card is |
|---|---|---|
| 0, 1, 2 | Any card | — |
| 3 | 0–7, 9 | 8 |
| 4 | 2–7 | 0, 1, 8, 9 |
| 5 | 4–7 | 0–3, 8, 9 |
| 6 | 6, 7 | 0–5, 8, 9 |
| 7 | — | Any card (always stands) |
A 10 or face card counts as 0 in this table. These rules are fixed; the dealer applies them automatically, and online software does it for you.
Worked Hands
Hand 1. Player: 4 + 2 = 6. Banker: K + 3 = 3. Player stands on 6. Player did not draw, so the Banker draws on 3: receives a 5, total 8. Banker wins.
Hand 2. Player: 9 + 4 = 3. Banker: 6 + Q = 6. Player draws: receives a 7, total 0. Banker has 6 and the Player’s third card is a 7, so the Banker draws: receives a 2, total 8. Banker wins.
Hand 3. Player: A + 3 = 4. Banker: 5 + 9 = 4. Player draws: receives an 8, total 2. Banker has 4 and Player’s third card is 8, so the Banker stands. Banker 4 beats Player 2.
Hand 4. Player: 8 + K = 8 (natural). Banker: 7 + A = 8 (natural). Both stand. Tie: Tie bets pay 8:1, Player and Banker bets push.
Commission on Banker Wins
Banker wins more often than Player (45.86% vs 44.62%) because the Banker acts second and its drawing rules respond to the Player’s third card. To offset this, a standard table takes 5% commission on Banker wins: a A$20 Banker win pays A$19. With commission the house edge is 1.06% on Banker and 1.24% on Player.
Some tables are no-commission: Banker wins pay 1:1 except a Banker win with a total of 6, which pays 1:2 (half). That raises the Banker edge to 1.46%. Details on the odds and house edge page.
Versions You Will See Online
| Version | Difference from standard punto banco |
|---|---|
| Mini / Midi baccarat | Smaller table, same rules |
| Speed baccarat | Faster dealing, same rules (speed baccarat) |
| Squeeze baccarat | Cards are bent and revealed slowly, same rules (squeeze baccarat) |
| No-commission | Banker 6 pays 1:2 |
| Lightning-style | Fee on bets, random multipliers on winning hands |
The traditional naming and history of the game are on our punto banco page.
Scoreboards (“Roads”)
Live and many RNG baccarat tables display scoreboards of previous results, known as the Big Road, Bead Plate, Big Eye Boy, Small Road and Cockroach Pig. They record Player wins, Banker wins, ties and pairs in grids. They are a record, not a forecast: each hand is dealt from the remaining shoe by the fixed rules, and the patterns in the grids do not change the probability of the next result in any usable way. Strategy based on roads is discussed on our baccarat strategy page.
Before Playing
- Check the Tie payout (8:1 or 9:1) and whether the table is commission or no-commission.
- Check side-bet paytables; most carry high house edges (baccarat side bets).
- Check bonus terms: many casinos exclude baccarat or count it at 0%–10% towards wagering, and some restrict betting on both Player and Banker (see game weighting).
- Casinos with baccarat tables are compared on our baccarat sites list.
Frequently Asked Questions
9. A two-card 8 or 9 is a natural and ends the hand immediately.
No. The dealer or software applies them automatically. Knowing them helps you follow the game, but they never require a decision.
Banker wins slightly more often (45.86% vs 44.62% in 8 decks). The 5% commission keeps the house edge at 1.06%.
They push: the stake is returned.
Zero, as are 10s. Aces are worth 1.
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