Baccarat Rules

This article dealing with the common Baccarat rules is primarily intended for the Punto Banco version of the game, although many of the conventions mentioned here may be applicable to other versions of the game as well.

Before we go into the common Baccarat rules, it would be helpful to mention that if you are in search of a surefire way to win at the tables; your quest is likely to end in disappointment. For one thing, techniques such as card counting–which aren't explicitly against Baccarat rules (although many casinos do frown upon this practice)–aren't really all that effective unless done when the shoe is almost depleted. Even then, the results that you may get would be marginal at best. Accept the fact that the Baccarat Card Game is a game of chance just like every other game in the casino, and you will have a more enjoyable time.

When you play baccarat it is important to keep in mind when playing the game effectively is down to a few Baccarat rules, and here are some of the more important ones.

Baccarat Betting

One of the most essential Baccarat rules to consider has to do with betting. Betting on your own hand–in what is known as the Player bet–effectively means that you are going up against a house advantage of 1.24%. If you choose to bet on the Banker's hand however, the house edge becomes 0.6% for casinos with a 4% cut, or 1.06% for casinos with a cut of 5%.

According to Baccarat rules, the object of the game is to beat out the banker by getting a hand that is as close to 9 as possible. Each hand will be comprised of either two or three cards.

Baccarat Card Values

The value of the cards is another one of the more important Baccarat rules, and the 10, J, K, and Q cards have absolutely no value whatsoever. All the other number cards in the game are taken at face value, and the Ace is equivalent to 1.

Unlike Blackjack, there is no such thing as a "bust" under Baccarat rules. If you somehow end up with a hand that totals more than 10, you simply deduct the 10 from the total. For a hand comprised of an 8 and a 7 for instance, the value will be counted as 5 instead of the expected 15.

Baccarat rules dictate that the banker and the player draw two cards each. In the event that the player or the banker gets a hand with a total of 8 or 9, they both will have to stand. In case of a player total of 6 or 7, the player will then have to stand.

Its action by the player will have a number of effects on the banker’s actions as well. If he is faced with a player that stands and he has a hand of 5 or less he will have to "hit" according to Baccarat rules. This goes for the player as well, for whom a similarly valued hand will require a hit as well. Once all the cards have been dealt out, the player with the hand closest to 9 is declared the winner.