Playing tips and house edge considerations
Standard Baccarat rules
Standard Baccarat, Mini Baccarat, Multi-player Baccarat, Commission Baccarat, Punto Banco or simply ‘Baccarat‘ are all terms used to refer essentially to the same game (particularly live baccarat tables offered by casinos listed on this site).
It’s a very simple game that involves a bet being placed at the deal outset on either ‘Player’, ‘Banker’ or ‘Tie’ positions and letting the dealer do the rest.
For the benefit of newcomers to the game, the rules of baccarat can be summarised as follows:
- The dealer deals 2 hands – one to the ‘Banker‘ and one to the ‘Player‘ (these refer to bet options not participants in the game);
- Players (ie you) bet on the deal outcome – 3 bets are possible; either Banker win, Player win or a Tie;
- Once bets are placed, 2 cards are dealt to both the ‘Player‘ and ‘Banker‘ positions;
- A third card may be dealt to either position in accordance with third card rules (below);
- The winning hand is the hand closest to 9;
- Equal value results in a Tie.
- Cards values are as follows: Aces = 1 | 10s, pictures = 0 | others = face value;
- The best hand is a 2 card total of 9 (“Natural”). Second best is a 2 card total of 8 (“Natural 8”);
Third Card Rules
A third card will be dealt to the Banker and/or Player positions under the following conditions:
For the ‘Player’:
Point value of first two cards | |
0-1-2-3-4-5 | Draws a third card |
6-7 | No more cards |
8-9 | Natural, no more cards |
For the ‘Banker’:
Point value of first two cards: | Draw when the Player’s third card is: | Does not draw when the Player’s third card is: |
0-1-2 | Always draws a card | – |
3 | 0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-9 | 8 |
4 | 2-3-4-5-6-7 | 0-1-8-9 |
5 | 4-5-6-7 | 0-1-2-3-8-9 |
6 | 6-7 | 0-1-2-3-4-5-8-9 |
7 | Always stands | – |
8-9 | Player cannot draw |
Player cannot draw |
Payouts
Winning hand | Payout |
Banker | 0.95:1 (even money less 5% ‘Vigorish’) |
Player | 1:1 |
Tie | 8:1 (9:1 at some live casinos) |
No Commission Baccarat
What is it?
No Commission baccarat scraps the 5% commission (or vigorish) that is deducted from the 1:1 payout on ‘Banker’ wins. Hence the name No Commission.
In all other respects (deal, card values, closest to 9 win condition, third card rules etc) the game is the same. It is simply the payout structure that is different:
Winning hand | Payout |
Banker | 1:1 (unless Banker value 6, then 0.5:1) |
Player | 1:1 |
Tie | 8:1 |
The 5% Vigorish has been replaced with a trimmed 0.5:1 payout when the Banker wins with a value 6. That is to say – a different way of framing the house commission.
Where can I play it?
No Commission Baccarat has become very popular in the last few years and now all major providers offer it.
A growing trend is to offer No Commission and Commission (ie regular baccarat) payout structures on the same table. You simply swap back and forth by clicking a button.
Super 6 Baccarat
What is it?
No Commission baccarat tables will often offer a Super 6 side bet. When you take this bet, you are betting on a Banker win value 6. It’s a side bet that compliments the No Commission payout structure.
Some casinos/providers have chosen to title these tables Super 6 Baccarat. Others (eg Evolution and Playtech) simply stick with the title No Commission Baccarat.
Payouts: | Banker win pays | Super 6 side bet |
Regular (Commission) baccarat | 0.95:1 | not offered |
Super 6 baccarat | 1:1 unless Banker wins on 6 (0.5:1) | 12:1 at Playtech baccarat 15:1 at Evolution baccarat |
Where can I play it?
Click the ‘No Commission’ or ‘Super 6’ selectors on the live baccarat summary page to view a range of platforms offering these tables, and where you can play them. Alternatively, below are a few options.
Casino offering: | Link to game review page: | Link to casino: |
888 | Evolution baccarat review | Visit |
William Hill | Evolution baccarat review | Visit |
Bet365 | Playtech baccarat review | Visit |
Paddy Power | Playtech baccarat review | Visit |
Playing tips and house edge considerations
If you read the above you are now aware that baccarat is a pretty simple game. Irrespective of whether you are playing a Commission or No Commission payout structure you make a bet choice, of which there are only 3 (on the main game), and wait for the deal outcome and hopefully the payout.
But with 3 bet choices the obvious question frugal players will be wondering is whether there is a difference in returns attributable to the different bet options, and if so, which is the best paying bet?
Here are the house edges, by bet type for both payout structures.
Bet | Commission Baccarat | No Commission Baccarat |
Banker | 1.06% | 1.46% |
Player | 1.24% | 1.24% |
Tie (for 8:1 payout) | 14.36% | 14.36% |
If your main aim is to maximise gains (or minimise losses), then your best bet is to stick with the Banker bet on the Commission Baccarat table.
If you like the sound of No Commission, stick to Player bets.
You should really avoid Tie bets, but if you can’t here’s a tip that will save to a lot of money. Play Playtech’s live baccarat tables which now apply random payout multipliers to Tie bets, reducing the house edge substantially to 4.7% (still worse than Player or Banker bets).
Above all, stick to the main game (ie Banker or Player) and avoid side bets. More on these below.
Baccarat deal variations
A standard baccarat deal goes like this…
- 1st card face up to Player position, then
- 1st card face up to Banker position, then
- 2nd card face up to Player position, then
- 2nd card face up to Player position, then
- 3rd cards to either/both positions as required
With ample time between bet rounds to place your bets.
In an effort to cater to every possible player preference, plenty of other deal options are available in live dealer format.
6 Cards Out deals
6 cards out, or 6 scanner deals have the dealer drawing 6 cards out, face down at the deal outset. The order follows a regular deal.
- 1st card face down to Player position, then
- 1st card face down to Banker position, then
- 2nd card face down to Player position, then
- 2nd card face down to Player position, then
- 5th and 6th cards (the third cards if required) face down alongside the shoe.
Once bets close, the Banker and Player cards are flipped, and 3rd cards if required, allocated from the 5th and 6th cards already drawn. If the 5th and 6th cards are not required, they are allocated to the following bet round in the correct order, so outcomes each round are identical to what they would be with a regular deal.
Speed Baccarat deals
On these tables, betting time is significantly reduced making for faster bet rounds. A 10 to 12 seconds limit to get your bets down is the norm on most speed deal baccarat tables.
Speed deals with a regular or 6 cards out deal are available.
Squeeze deal baccarat
Players who like to squeeze or peek at cards during a game of baccarat, will be happy to know that this is possible playing live baccarat.
There are quite a few tables where the dealer controls the squeeze – slowing revealing cards.
What’s more, you can also play tables where you the player gets to reveal the cards. Evolution’s Player controlled squeeze baccarat is the notable example of this.
The dealer deals the cards face down to the Banker and Player positions , and you are given time to remotely squeeze virtual replicas of those cards before they are flipped.
It’s important to note once again, that dealer or player controlled squeeze deals do not change the game outcomes (from a regular deal) at all. It is simply theatre.
Baccarat side bets
In addition to the main game, most live baccarat tables now offer a large, and ever growing range of optional side bets. In most, but not all cases, you must have a bet on the main game before you can take one of the side bets.
Side bets commonly offered, across a range of providers include:
Pairs side bets
- Banker Pair (unsuited): Here you are betting that a pair is dealt to the Banker position. Payout is usually 11 to 1.
- Player Pair (unsuited): Here you are betting that a pair is dealt to the Player position. Payout is usually 11 to 1.
- Either Pair (Banker or Player unsuited): Pairs dealt to Player or Banker…5 to 1
- Perfect Pair (Banker or Player suited): 25 to 1
Big/Small side bets
Betting on total number of cards drawn for the round…
- Small (only 4 cards in total dealt): 1.5 to 1
- Big (5 or 6 cards in total dealt): 0.54 to 1
Egalite side bets
Here you are betting on the value of a Tie outcome. Payouts of up to 220:1 (Tie value 2) are paid. You can read more about Egalite side bets here.
Bonus (or Dragon Bonus) side bets
Here you are betting on how much your chosen hand wins by. If for example you take the ‘Banker’ bonus side bet and the Banker hand draws a Non Natural 9 and beats the ‘Player hand by 9 points, your side bet pays 30:1.
Below is the full payout table applicable to side-bets:
Hand Combination | Payout Odds | Description |
Non-natural hand win by 9 Points | 30:1 | You place a Bonus side bet on a hand. Your hand wins by nine points with three cards. You win 30x your original bet amount and your original bet amount is returned to you. |
Non-natural hand win by 8 Points | 10:1 | You place a Bonus side bet on a hand. Your hand wins by eight points with three cards. You win 10x your original bet amount and your original bet amount is returned to you. |
Non-natural hand win by 7 Points | 6:1 | You place a Bonus side bet on a hand. Your hand wins by seven points with three cards. You win 6x your original bet amount and your original bet amount is returned to you. |
Non-natural hand win by 6 Points | 4:1 | You place a Bonus side bet on a hand. Your hand wins by six points with three cards. You win 4x your original bet amount and your original bet amount is returned to you. |
Non-natural hand win by 5 Points | 2:1 | You place a Bonus side bet on a hand. Your hand wins by five points with three cards. You win 2x your original bet amount and your original bet amount is returned to you. |
Non-natural hand win by 4 Points | 1:1 | You place a Bonus side bet on a hand. Your hand wins by four points with three cards. You win 1x your original bet amount and your original bet amount is returned to you. |
Natural hand Winner | 1:1 | You place a Bonus side bet on a hand. Your hand wins with a natural hand. You win 1x your original bet amount and your original bet amount is returned to you. |
Natural hand Tie | Push | You place a Bonus side bet on a hand. The Banker and Player hands are dealt two cards. The hands tie with a point count of eight or nine. Your original bet amount is returned to you. |
Return to Player rates on baccarat side bets
Word of warning. Without exception, baccarat side bets are a bad bet, returning substantially less than Banker and Player bets.
Expressed another way, the house takes a big chunk of your wagers with these bets. They should be avoided.
Here’s a comparison of the theoretical returns of baccarat main game bets, versus select side bets.
In Running Baccarat
What is it?
This may well be the most complicated live baccarat variation to completely understand. The good news is it’s no longer offered, so you don’t need to. It was pulled by Playtech a few years ago.
It offers players the option of betting at a number of stages during the deal – hence the name In-Running.
The game begins with the dealer opening the betting round and you may bet on ‘Banker’ or ‘Player’ or ‘Tie’ just as you would playing standard baccarat – and if you place no further bets during the course of the deal, your payouts will be as if you paid the standard version.
After the dealer deals a single card to the ‘Player’ hand, a second betting round is opened. Depending on the card dealt, game odds and handicap values for the Player and Banker positions are calculated and will apply to any bets placed. Then the Banker card is dealt, and again a betting round is opened with odds and handicap values applying based on the cards dealt – and so on until the deal concludes in accordance with the standard baccarat deal convention.
The handicapping system used is loosely based on the Asian double handicaps commonly applied in sports betting. At the conclusion of the deal, players are paid out according to all bets placed and attributed handicap odds applied.
Progressive Baccarat
Progressive baccarat is another relic of the past. In case it returns, we’ll keep the explanation.
OK this is a really simple one. Think plain old standard baccarat with an optional side bet that gives you a buy-in to possibly win a progressive jackpot, or other amounts according to a payout table. The win condition for the progressive jackpot is a particular Tie being dealt.
Payout table is as follows:
Tie type | Pays |
Player suited Ace+8, Banker matches | Progressive Jackpot |
Player suited Ace+8, Banker suited Ace+8 | 10000 x side bet |
Player & Banker Ace+8 | 1000 x side bet |
Natural 9 | 25 x side bet |
Natural 8 | 20 x side bet |
Natural 7 | 15 x side bet |
Natural 6 | 10 x side bet |
Dragon Tiger
What is it?
Dragon Tiger isn’t a form of baccarat, but because of certain similarities between the two games we have included it here. This is actually an easier game to play than Baccarat, and it works as follows:
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- Choose from 3 bet options…”Dragon”, “Tiger” or “Tie”.
- The dealer will then deal 1 card to the Dragon and 1 card to the Tiger.
- Highest card wins and cards are ordered as follows:
Highest – K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A – Lowest (suits don’t matter) - Payouts:
– Dragon 1:1. If Tie, 50% of Dragon bet deducted as commission charge, remainder returned. If Tiger wins, bet is lost.
– Tiger 1:1. If Tie, 50% of Tiger bet deducted as commission charge, remainder returned. If Dragon wins, bet is lost.
– Tie 8:1, 10:1 or 11:1 depending on platform. If Dragon or Tiger win, bet is lost.
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Where can I play it?
All the major providers and casinos carry Dragon Tiger tables now. The below table, from Evolution was played at 888.
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