How to Play Baccarat

How to Play Baccarat
How to Play Baccarat

Between 12 and 14 players can sit on a Baccarat table. All the seats on the Baccarat table are numbered. However, the number 13 does not exist. That’s because 13 is an unlucky number. The game is played with a deck of 52 cards. Also, 6 or 8 cards are shuffled and placed in a shoe.

16 cards from the end of the shoe, a cut-card is placed. When the cut-card is drawn, it will show the last hand of the shoe. The players will them wager. The “player” is dealt up a 2-card hand after that. The “banker” will then spot one card at a time.

Always, the banker starts with the player. Afterwards, all wagers at the table will rest on the outcome of these 2 hands that are dealt.

Totals are compared next. There are specific drawing rules which determine if a player should be dealt up a third card. Also, the value of the third card dealt to the player determines if the banker should also receive a third card. Comparing the totals will then determine the outcome.

Baccarat Card Values

  1. An Ace is a 1
  2. 10, J, Q and K are all 0s
  3. Cards 2 to 9 are worth their pip value

Total hand values are 0-9. That’s because 10 is subtracted from any total of more than 9. For example, if a player has 4-9-3, then the total becomes 6. This is after dropping the first digit.

Object of Baccarat

The aim of the game is to choose the winning hand, banker or player. On the other hand, the aim of the player or the banker is to get a hand closest to a total of 9.

Player’s Hand

Initially, the player’s hand is what’s acted upon. The player turns over his 2 cards and the dealer calls out the total of the 2 cards. Next, the banker exposes his cards. No cards are drawn and player stands if the player has a total of between 6 and 9. A total of 8 or 9 is called a ‘natural’. This makes the player a winner against the banker’s hand. However, the player is not a winner if the banker’s hand is an 8 or 9 as well.

If this happens, then it’s a tie or a ‘push’. However, the banker wins if he gets a total hand of 9 while the player has 8 and also vice-versa.

The player stands if his first 2 cards are 6, 7, 8 or 9. The player can hit and receive another card if their total is 5 or less.

Banker’s Hand

  1. The player gets to stand if they have a total of 7, 8 and 9
  2. The banker hits on a total of 0, 1, 2 or 3

Also, the banker will hit on totals of 4, 5, or 6, all dependent on the player’s total:

  1. Hit with a 4 against a Player total of 2 to 7
  2. Also, hit with a 5 against a Player total of 4 to 7
  3. Lastly, hit with a 6 against a Player total of 6 or 7

When playing Baccarat, all you do is place your bets. The dealer will do the hitting.