Baccarat has a reputation as a high-roller game played behind velvet ropes, but the version you find online is one of the simplest games in any casino. You make one choice, Player, Banker or Tie, and the cards are dealt by fixed rules. No skill, no strategy decisions after the bet. What makes baccarat interesting is the maths: the Banker bet carries one of the lowest house edges available, while the Tie bet carries one of the highest. This guide explains how a hand works, the drawing rules, the true cost of each bet, and the variants you will see on live and digital tables.
The basics
Two hands are dealt: one called Player and one called Banker. These are just names; you are not the player, and the house is not the banker. You bet on which hand will finish closer to 9, or on a tie.
- Cards 2 to 9 count at face value.
- Tens and picture cards count as 0.
- Aces count as 1.
- If a hand totals 10 or more, only the last digit counts. A 7 and an 8 make 15, which counts as 5.
Each hand starts with two cards. A total of 8 or 9 on the first two cards is a “natural”, and the round ends immediately. Otherwise, a third card may be drawn according to fixed rules.
The drawing rules
You never decide whether to draw. The dealer follows the rules below, which are the same in standard Punto Banco worldwide. You do not need to memorise them to play, but knowing them takes the mystery out of the game.
Player hand
| Player’s first two cards total | Action |
|---|---|
| 0 to 5 | Draws a third card |
| 6 or 7 | Stands |
| 8 or 9 | Natural, no more cards for either hand |
Banker hand
If Player stood, Banker draws on 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7. If Player drew a third card, Banker’s action depends on its own total and the value of Player’s third card.
| Banker total | Banker draws if Player’s third card is |
|---|---|
| 0, 1 or 2 | Any card |
| 3 | Anything except 8 |
| 4 | 2 to 7 |
| 5 | 4 to 7 |
| 6 | 6 or 7 |
| 7 | Banker stands |
These rules give the Banker hand a small advantage, because Banker acts with knowledge of Player’s third card. That is why a winning Banker bet usually pays even money minus a 5% commission.
What each bet really costs
Figures below are for an eight-deck shoe, the standard in most online and live games.
| Bet | Payout | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Banker | 1:1 minus 5% commission | 1.06% |
| Player | 1:1 | 1.24% |
| Tie | 8:1 | 14.36% |
| Tie (where paid at 9:1) | 9:1 | 4.84% |
| Player Pair or Banker Pair side bet | 11:1 | Around 10.4% |
The Banker bet wins slightly more often than Player, which is why it carries a commission. Even after paying 5%, it remains the cheapest bet on the table. The Tie bet looks tempting at 8:1, but ties happen less than one round in ten, so at 8:1 the payout falls well short of the true odds.
The simplest baccarat strategy: bet Banker, skip the Tie, skip the side bets. That approach keeps the house edge as low as the game allows. Nothing else you do changes the odds.
No-commission baccarat
Many tables offer a no-commission version. Instead of taking 5% from every Banker win, the casino changes one payout: a Banker win with a total of 6 pays only half your stake. It is easier to follow because there is no commission to track, but the house edge on Banker is usually a little higher than on the standard game. Check the table’s help screen for the exact rule and published return.
Variants you will see
| Variant | What changes | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Punto Banco (standard) | Nothing; this is the base game | Banker 1.06%, Player 1.24% |
| No commission | Banker win on 6 pays half | Simpler, slightly costlier Banker bet |
| Speed baccarat | Shorter betting windows, faster rounds | Same edge per hand, but more hands per hour |
| Squeeze baccarat | Cards revealed slowly by the dealer | Same odds, slower and more theatrical |
| Multiplier versions | Random multipliers on some outcomes, often with a fee per round | Read the payout and RTP details carefully |
Pace: the hidden cost
A low house edge does not mean cheap play if the game is fast. Speed baccarat can deal far more hands per hour than a standard table. At $10 a hand on Banker, the expected cost per hand is about 10.6 cents. Multiply that by the number of hands you play in a session and it adds up. Doubling the pace doubles the hourly cost even though the edge is the same.
Scorecards and patterns
Live baccarat tables show “roads”, grids that record the history of the shoe. They are part of the tradition of the game and fun to follow, but they do not predict anything. Each hand depends on the cards remaining in the shoe, and with eight decks the effect of past cards on the next result is far too small to give a practical edge. Treat the roads as decoration.
Betting systems
Progressions such as doubling after a loss apply to baccarat exactly as they do to roulette. They change the size of your bets, not the house edge. A long streak of Banker losses can take a doubling system to the table maximum very quickly. Flat betting, the same stake every hand, is the simplest way to keep your session within budget.
Planning a session with real numbers
Suppose you sit down with $100 and bet $5 on Banker each hand. The expected cost per hand is about 5.3 cents. Over 50 hands, that is around $2.65 on average. In practice, your result after 50 hands will usually be well above or below that figure, because each hand is close to a coin flip. Long runs of Player wins happen, and so do long runs of Banker wins.
What the numbers tell you is that baccarat on Banker is one of the slower ways to lose money in a casino, not that it is a way to win. If you want the session to last, keep the stake small relative to your budget. A $5 stake on a $100 budget gives you room for swings. A $25 stake on the same budget can end the night in four hands.
Baccarat terms you will hear
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Natural | A two-card total of 8 or 9; the round ends straight away |
| Commission | The 5% taken from Banker wins in the standard game |
| Shoe | The box holding the shuffled decks, usually eight |
| Burn cards | Cards discarded at the start of a shoe |
| Roads | Scoreboards showing the history of results in the shoe |
| Squeeze | Revealing a card slowly, edge by edge |
| Punto Banco | The standard house-banked version played in most casinos |
A short checklist before you play
- Check the licence. From 1 December 2026, only DIA-licensed operators may offer online casino games in New Zealand.
- Read the table rules. Commission or no-commission, Tie payout, side bet pay tables.
- Choose a table minimum that is a small share of your budget.
- Set your limits before you sit down.
- Bet Banker or Player, skip the rest.
For more on live tables in general, see our live dealer casino guide.
Baccarat is quick to learn and quick to lose at. If gambling is costing you more than you want, call the Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 655, free and 24/7, or visit gamblinghelpline.co.nz.