Baccarat: the elegant card game of chance

• Player: the Player hand finishes closer to nine.
• Banker: the Banker hand finishes closer to nine. Wins usually pay even money minus a 5% commission.
• Tie: both hands finish level. It pays more but lands rarely.

Aces count as one, two to nine count at face value, and tens and picture cards count as zero. If a hand adds up to more than nine, only the last digit counts, so a seven and an eight make 15, which counts as five.

Each hand starts with two cards. A third card is dealt according to fixed rules, and the dealer handles it. You never decide whether to draw.

Check the table's minimum, maximum and commission. Previous results on the scoreboard don't affect the next hand, so patterns in the history aren't a reason to change your bet.

If either hand has a natural (eight or nine) on two cards, the round ends. Otherwise the Player draws on 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7. The Banker then follows its own table:

• If the Player stood, the Banker draws on 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7.
• Banker 0 to 2: always draws.
• Banker 3: draws unless the Player's third card was an 8.
• Banker 4: draws if the Player's third card was 2 to 7.
• Banker 5: draws if the Player's third card was 4 to 7.
• Banker 6: draws if the Player's third card was 6 or 7.
• Banker 7: stands.

On a standard eight-deck game, the Banker bet's edge is about 1.06% after commission, the Player bet's about 1.24%, and a Tie paying 8 to 1 about 14.4%. The Tie looks tempting but costs much more over time. If a hand ties while you've bet Player or Banker, your stake is usually returned.

Some tables drop the Banker commission and instead pay less when the Banker wins with six, often half the stake. The edge ends up similar, so read the table's rule.