Want To Know How To Play Baccarat? Here Are The Rules
In terms of the basic rules of Baccarat, the game starts with both the player and house being dealt two cards. Players will then bet upon who they believe holds the highest card total. Betting options are the Player, the Banker, or you can choose to bet on a Tie.
Each card has a different score, which is a crucial decidign factor to which hand wins. With tens and picture cards counting as zero and Aces as 1 point, the two cards are added together, with the aim being to finish with a score as close to nine as possible.
The basic flow of the game from start to end
After placing your bet, the dealer will place two cards on either side of the table. One pair is for the Player and the other pair is for the Banker. Now, the scores of both hands can be calculated to see what needs to happen next.
When doing the scoring, it’s important to remember that all the 10s and the face cards are worth zero points. The other cards are worth their face value and the Ace is worth one point.
Also, keep in mind that, if the value of your hand is a double-digit number, only the second digit of the double-digit number counts.
Here is an example of how a basic round can play out:
- Let’s say that the Player gets a 7 of Hearts and a 10 of Spades.
- Then, the Banker receives a 9 of Spades and a 4 of Hearts.
In this example hand of Baccarat, the victory goes to the Banker. Let’s find out why by doing the math: A 7 of Hearts plus a 10 of Spades equals seven because the ten is worth zero in the game.
When it comes to the Player, who had a 9 of Spades and a 4 of Hearts, the score was 12 points. So, since only the second digit is used for the final score, that leaves the Player with a measly two points.
Which option did you bet on? That will determine whether you had a successful round.
Baccarat Bet Types
When playing Baccarat online, a number of bet types will be available to customers. The
best casino to play with real money
will also make the house edge and commission for each bet type clear to you before you begin playing. The following bet types are the most common:
Banker Bet
The banker bet is often considered to be the best option for players when it comes to Baccarat, simply because of the fact that it offers the lowest house edge when compared to other bet types. However, online casinos offering Baccarat are likely to take a percentage of winnings due to this bet type favouring players, with players being advised to look into this before staking funds.
Player Bet
The next best option for players is to bet the player being the one with the best hand, with the house edge being better than tie bets, however less beneficial in comparison to banker bets. No commission must be paid on winnings here.
Tie Bet
A tie bet means players staking on the possibility of both the banker and player having hands totalling identical values. The fact that this is an unlikely outcome means that tie bets bring about significant winnings when successful, making them appealing to high rollers in particular. While not many will place tie bets on a regular basis when playing online Baccarat, it is one that is still available on all casino sites.
How to play Baccarat: Card values
So, if winning depends on placing your bet on the winning hand, it’s crucial to understand what a winning hand is in Baccarat. Both the banker and the player are initially dealt two cards. Cards that are numbered between 1 and 9 are worth that numerical value. For Jacks, Queens, and Kings, the value is 10, and the Ace has a value of one. When combining the value of the cards you were dealt, you can have a combined maximum score of 9. If the score surpasses this number, it starts at zero again.
For example, if the first card received is a seven and the second card is a four, the score from both cards will be one. A useful way to think of it is that, as soon as the score from both cards reaches 10, it goes back to zero.
The Natural Win
A hit happens when the player or banker reaches a combined score of eight to nine with their cards. When this happens, no more cards are dealt and the bets that were placed at the beginning of the round are eligible for cashout.
Drawing the third card
While many hands will end with both components having two cards, it can also happen that either the player or banker receives a third card. A third card is usually dealt when the Banker or Player has an initial score below 5. For example, if the Player received a 2 of spades and a 2 of clubs, making the total score 4, a third card can be added to the game.
When a tie is a win
If the Banker and the Player have the same total score at the end of a round, the hand is tied. If you bet on a tie, your bet wins, and you'll receive the payout. Betting on a tie usually has a higher payout than opting for the Player or Banker.
There are some versions of Baccarat that will see a Tie outcome as a loss if you didn't bet on either hand. However, there are also version of the game that, if the outcome is a tie while you placed a bet on the Player or Banker, your stake will be returned as it is seen as a pushed bet.
Advanced Rules of Baccarat: Introducing Side Bets
Side bets is an important component to understand if you want to learn how to play Baccarat and win. As with most table games, there are some side bets that you can identify in certain games. These side bets can differ, along with some online Baccarat operators not allowing side bets at all.
The interesting thing about side bets is that you can place one without actually placing a main bet on the Player, Banker, or Tie. If you fancy learning more about side bets, go straight ahead.
The Player Pair is one of your side bet options in Baccarat. You win this side bet if the player’s hand contains a matching pair. In this case, a match doesn’t refer to the suits — only the card values. As you can imagine, you should have a very good reason to place a Player Pair side bet as the Player getting a match is not that likely. The Player Pair side bet has an average RTP of 88.46%, making this option the least generous.
This option is basically the same in the method as the Player Pair, except that the focus is not on the Banker’s cards. With a similar RTP, the prospects of winning this bet are also the same.
Feeling lucky, are you? If so, the Perfect Pair is the side bet for you. You cash in on this side bet if both the Player’s and the Banker’s cards make the perfect pair. In this side bet, you’re betting on both the suit and the score matching on each side, so think carefully! With another low RTP, this side bet is best considered carefully.
An Either Pair side bet is won when either of the two hands will have a pair after the first two cards are dealt for each side. There is definitely a better chance of this happening than with any of the above side bets, but despite having a higher RTP, the payout is still quite low at 5:1.
The Big Bet focuses on the number of cards being dealt, and as can be assumed from the name of the bet, it will be a larger number of cards — between five and six to be exact. Thus, if either the Banker or the Player receives a third card, you win the bet.
A Small side bet, on the other hand, is won when neither the Banker nor the Player receives a third card. Looking at basic game stats, a Small side bet is actually less likely than a Big side bet, which is valuable information for strategic players.
Different Types of Online Baccarat
Finding out the different game types is another great way to learn how to play Baccarat. Those playing online at the best online casino for Baccarat in UK are likely to be in a position to take advantage of a variety of formats of the game, which is another reason why it's important how to learn to play Baccarat. The most common types of Baccarat include the following:
Chemin de fer
- Also known as the European version of Baccarat, Chemin de fer involves six decks, with the dealer rotating around the table.
Punto banco
- Likely to be the most common form of Baccarat which players find on casino sites today, Punto banco is when there is the possibility of betting on both the player and banker.
Baccarat en banque
- Played with three decks, banque is when the banker position is handed to the highest bidder.
Other Guides and Strategies Found at Betting.co.uk
As well as providing this guide to discuss how Baccarat is played and the live Baccarat online options, we at Betting.co.uk are also able to offer a range of other guides. In this section you'll find everything you need to enhance your online casino experience including how to find the
best slots, a
guide to playing blackjack, a
roulette player's guide
and a complete guide to all the other
table games
you're likely to find at an online casino.
Conclusion: Learn How To Play Baccarat To Win
Baccarat is undoubtedly one of the
best casino games
and it has never been so popular. A huge number of online casinos are now offering plenty of variations, including live Baccarat online, and as it has relatively simple rules, it's a great option if you want to learn how to play Baccarat.
Those looking to bet on the exciting comparison card game have a host of platforms to choose from in the UK, with the best online casinos for Baccarat scoring highly when it comes to factors including security, bonuses and bet limits, with the leading platforms being outlined at the top of the page. So, whether you are new to Baccarat or looking to continue your journey, sign up with one of our suggested online casino Baccarat sites today.
