Online Baccarat Rules and Tips

The card game of Baccarat is one of the most popular of all online casino table games. It has evolved onto the desktop (Windows), and tablet/smartphone (iOS, Android) from its physical origins as a card game played involving two sides: the player and the banker.

A dispute exists as to when Baccarat ('baccara' in French) was created. One side argues that the game began in the 19th century, while others say that it originated during the Franco-Italian War. You might know it as the Great Wars of Italy or the Habsburg–Valois Wars.

Regardless, Baccarat has enjoyed popularity among the French aristocracy from the 19th century. It was not uncommon for French inhabitants to play an early, three-player version of the game, before the modern and extremely popular house-banked iteration developed in the 1940s Havana, Cuba called Punto Banco. In this variant of Baccarat, the croupier follows the rules of fixed drawings ('tableau'). The game Baccarat is played with between six and eight card decks.

We've put together our general online casino games guide and tips for Baccarat, which we hope will help you see how easy the game is. We include Baccarat rules and strategies and answer some of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs).

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About Punto Banco Baccarat

Punto Banco Baccarat is likely the most common form of Baccarat that you'll find in many countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland and Macau. It is so common that this variant is often implied and so the 'Punto Banco' is often left out. In Punto Banco. The 'punto' refers to the player, and the 'banco' refers to the bank. You decide which hand you are putting money on.

Playing Baccarat [Punto Banco]

We begin with the Baccarat table itself, marked into three possible betting outcomes. One outcome favours the bank, one for the player and one for a tie (also called 'push'). Don't be misled by these. You are not the player, and the bank does not refer to the house. Before the croupier (dealer) has dealt out the cards, you must predict the outcome by putting your money down.

The croupier (dealer) then deals two cards to the player and two to the bank. The value of cards ranging from 1-9 is its face value. Any face cards (i.e. King/Queen/Jack) and the number 10 card have no value (i.e. 0). When the total of cards is 10 or over, then 10 is deducted from the total. We've listed some examples of a hand next.

The objective of Baccarat is to have a card total that comes closest to 9 compared to the other hand. A player's or banker's hand that holds an 8 or 9 is called a 'natural.' When two hands are the same, then a tie results. We've listed some examples of two hands next.

If your prediction of the player winning was correct, then your payout is 1:1. Likewise, if your prediction of the banker winning is right, you earn 1:0.95. The reason that is not 1:1 like a player win is that it includes a 5% commission to the house. These wins are called even money.

A tie can have a payout of 8:1 or 9:1 your original bet.

Where the sum of the player's two cards is less than six, a third card may be dealt to a player except where the bank's total is 8 or 9. The player will otherwise stand pat. The sum of the 3 cards is then compared to the banker's 2 cards.

When the player receives a third card, the bank may also receive a third card. Whether it does or not depends on what the bank is holding and what the player is holding.

We've summarised the scenario under which the bank will draw a third card.

Punto Banco House Edge

The house edge in Punto Banco varies depending on whether you're betting on the banco, the punto or ties (8:1/9:1). We've summarised these in the following table:

Baccarat Variants

There are several variants of Baccarat which we'll briefly run through next.

EZ Baccarat

EZ Baccarat is a relatively new variant from 2004 in which a win by the banker on a total hand of 7 leads to a push on banker bets. This variant has two options called Dragon 7 and Panda 8. The first option is a banker win with three cards that total 7, which pays 40:1. The latter is a win by the player with three cards totalling 8, which pays 25:1.

Mini-Baccarat

Mini-Baccarat is a smaller version of the original, including a smaller table and smaller minimum/maximum bet sizes. A Mini Punto involves one croupier who deals cards from a standard shoe.

Super 6 or Punto 2000

The Baccarat variant goes under the name of Super 6 or Punto 2000. Here, winning banker bets will payout 1:1 (no 5% commission). However, only 50% of the bet is paid out when the banker wins with 6. This will effectively increase the house edge to 1.46% from 1.06%. It's faster than Punto Banco since there is no 5% commission to take off on banker wins outside of those with a number 6.

Chemin de fer

Most popular in France, Chemin de fer, meaning railway, is a six-deck variant involving a banker (played by a player) and punters (players). Each round starts with the banker who places the wagers. One player can decide whether to match against the entire bank, called 'go bank.' Players that don't 'go bank' can make their own wager. Observers on the side can choose to wager on the bank if its bet is higher than the players or vice versa.

The bank then deals two cards to itself and two to remaining players. The player with the biggest wager, or first in order of play in the event of a tie, represents the group.

Both sides must then announce whether they are holding an 8 or 9. If not, the player has the option of taking a third card that is dealt facing upwards, followed by the banker who must decide the same thing. The hands are then revealed and compared. If the player has a higher hand then all players that wagered collect 2x their total bet. If the banker wins then, the players lose their wager. Wagers remain in place in the event of a tie for the next round.

Macao

Macao began in Europe in the late 1700s and uses two decks of cards. Punters place down bets against the banker. Each player is dealt one card to each player in a clockwise direction. The goal of the punters is to defeat the banker's card value. The hand with the least number of cards wins in the event of a tie. The bank wins in the scenario of both a tie in amount and number of cards. Punters with a natural 9 receive 3x their bet assuming the banker does not have a natural 9 also. Winning with a natural 8 awards 2x, and with a 7 receive the value of their bet back.

Players can also request more cards, rejecting 10s or face cards. You can win your bet back by beating the banker with two cards.

Online Baccarat: Why play?

As you can see, the rules of Baccarat online are relatively straight forward, so it won't take you long to be up and running. Given Baccarat's lack of complexity, it stands to reason that there would not be much in the way of strategies to apply. You'll find many versions of online Baccarat by many leading developers including Scientific Gaming, Netent, iSoftBet, IGT, Red Tiger Gaming, RTG and more.

Baccarat: Why Play Live?

In addition to mobile online Baccarat, there is also Live Baccarat from developers such as Evolution Gaming and Netent. There are a few reasons to play live casino.
First, not all players have access to a real-life, land-based casino when they are in the mood for playing a little Baccarat. This is because Live Baccarat is streamed in real-time, using state of the art video technology, from the developer's studio. This means that you can interact with a real-life dealer and maybe even other players. The cameras allow you to see everything that's happening, which puts the Baccarat table in your living room.

Baccarat FAQ