Baccarat Rules

Baccarat is a simple card game that is played in casinos. The name of baccarat means “zero” in Italy and France, where it was invented.

There are three baccarat variants: punto banco (or North American baccarat), baccarat banque (or à deux tableaux), and baccarat chemin de fer.

Punto banco is a pure game of chance as player's moves are forced by the cards that are dealt to them. Baccarat chemin de fer and baccarat banque provide the player some options and, therefore, involve skill.

Baccarat rules

In baccarat, there are only three possible outcomes - Player, Banker and Tie. The terms Player and Banker do not refer to the customer and the casino, accordingly. They are just sides, on which the customer can bet.

Card values

In baccarat, cards from 2 to 9 have their face value, e.g. 2 is worth 2 points, 3 is worth 3 points, and so on. 10, jack, queen, and king are worth zero. Aces are worth 1 point.

The total score is calculated by adding the values of all cards and leaving the last digit of the sum. For example, a hand composed of 2 and 4 is worth 6 (2 + 4 = 6). Whenever the hand value exceeds 10 points, its first digit is stripped so a hand consisting of 7 and 9 is worth 6 (7 + 9 = 16 = 6).

A hand consisting of 2 and 8 is worth zero, or Baccarat (2 + 8 = 10 = 0), and is considered the worst hand. The best hand is one with the score of 9 points.

Baccarat payout rate

The payout rate in baccarat is very high, despite the simplicity of the game. Depending on the bet type, the payout rates in the punto banco variant are as follows:

 player bet – 98.76%
 banker bet – 98.94%
 tie bet – 85.56% (when using six decks)

It means that, in the long run, you can expect to win back up to 98.76% of the wagers in a single baccarat game.

Baccarat history

The exact origins of baccarat are unknown. The most probable version says that the game was invented by an Italian gambler Felix Falguierein during the middle ages. It was initially played using Tarot cards.

Baccarat was introduced from Italy to France during the reign of Charles VIII (king of France) sometime at the end of the fifteenth age. It remained an exclusive game for the French nobility.

The game was brought to casinos in the United States in 1950 by Tommy Renzoni at Dunes casino in Las Vegas and quickly spread to other countries. Today baccarat is one of the most popular casino card games.

Where to play online baccarat?

You can find baccarat at every casino we present in the online casino reviews section. In our opinion, Supro Casino is the best place to play baccarat. With their generous 100% up to £/€/$1200 welcome bonus, you can actually beat the casino in the short run.

More casino articles:

 Quick start
 Blackjack rules
 Craps rules
 Roulette rules
 Slots rules
 Betting systems
 Basic blackjack strategy

Go back to the Online Poker Strategy.