Baccarat Guide

Baccarat is a simple table game to play, but hard to master. Cards are dealt to two hands, named Player and Banker. The object of the game is to correctly pick which hand will have the highest score. Choose whether you want to bet on the Dealer, Player, Tie, or any combination of the three. Betting on a Tie pays 9:1. Think you have what it takes to play like 007? Try it and see.

How to Play Baccarat

Bet by clicking on Player, Banker, or Tie, then click the chips you want to bet, and they will be added to the betting area. Click on chips in the betting area to remove them. Press Deal to begin the game once your wager is placed.

Valuation of Baccarat Hands

Cards between 2 and 9 are worth their face value, Tens and face cards (Kings, Queens, and Jacks) are worth zero, and Aces are worth 1 point each. To calculate the score for each hand, add the values of all the cards in the hand and drop the ten’s digit. For example, a hand with two Sevens is valued as 7 + 7 = 14 minus the ten’s digit = 4. A hand with 3 sevens is valued as 7 + 7 + 7 = 21 minus the ten’s digit = 1. The highest score that can ever be achieved is a 9, from hands such as 4 + 5 = 9, or 10 + 9 = 19 minus the ten’s digit = 9.

Player’s Turn

The Player always goes first. The Player’s hand draws a third card if its total is 0-5 and the bank’s total is 0-7. If the Player’s total is greater than 5 or the bank’s total is greater than 7, the player does not draw another card. Play now proceeds to the banker.

Dealer’s Turn

If the Banker hand totals 7, 8 or 9, the Banker does not get another card. Banker automatically draws cards or stands based on the “house way”:

Banker’s Score	Players 3rd Card
	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
0	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
1	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
2	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
3	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	S	H
4	S	S	H	H	H	H	H	H	S	S
5	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	S	S
6	S	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	S	S
7	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S

You Win When

• You win if the hand you bet on has the higher total. If you bet on the Player to win, you win even money. A $5 wager pays back your $5, plus an additional $5. If you bet on the Banker and win, you win even money minus a 5% commission*. A $5 wager pays back your $5, plus an additional $4.75.
• You win if you bet on a Tie, and the Banker and Player totals are the same. If you bet on a Tie and it wins, you win nine times your wager. A $5 wager pays back your $5, plus an additional $45.

*Note: The commission is 5% of the bet and is rounded up to the next quarter. For example, a minimum bet of $6 would be a commission of 50 cents. (5% of $6 = 30 cents, but since the commission is rounded up to the next 25 cents; the commission is actually 50 cents. 5% of $11 = 55 cents, which makes the actual commission 75 cents.)

Additional Rules

At Silver Oak Casino, Baccarat is played with six decks with the cards reshuffled after each hand. Minimum bet is $2.00. Maximum bet is $250.

Strategy & Tips

Baccarat is strictly a game of chance. There is little you can do to strategically to improve your odds. The smart player, however, will bet on the banker every time.

History

The name of Baccarat comes from the Italian word for zero (the worst hand you can make in the game) because most of cards in the deck are worth zero points. Baccarat was invented by an Italian gambler in 1480. Within a few years, it was introduced into France during the reign of Charles VIII who ruled from 1483 to 1498. French Baccarat was called Chemin de Fer. It was considered a game for the nobility because Baccarat tended to feature high stakes to play.

It is still considered a very exclusive game in land-based casinos, available only to the very wealthy, due to high minimums to play. The area in which Baccarat is played in these casinos is usually roped off from the main room. Due to the internet, however, players can now experience for themselves the fun and excitement of Baccarat without the high buy-ins still found at land-based casinos.

Glossary

The enjoyment of playing Baccarat is far more superior when you are aware and familiar all the terms used in the game. Below are common terms that you will come across while playing Baccarat.

Baccarat: The worst hand value in Baccarat — zero. Italian for the word “zero”.

Baccarat en Banque: A variation of Baccarat that features two player positions.

Banker Bet: One of the three possible bets available in a Baccarat game. The Banker bet has a lower payout due to the 5% commission taken by the casino. The payout is 1:1, minus the commission.

Bankroll: The amount of money you have to gamble.

Coup: A round of Baccarat.

Croupier: The Dealer. Not to be confused with the Banker.

Chemin-de-fer: The original French version of Baccarat where one player plays the bank, deals all the cards, and takes all the bets. It is not common in online baccarat.

Face Cards: Jacks, Queens and Kings of any suit.

House Edge: The casino’s advantage over the player.

House Way: The rules regarding when a third card is dealt to either hand.

Le Grande: The best hand in Baccarat, a 9. See Natural.

Natural Hand: When the two cards in the hand total an 8 or 9.

Petite Hand: When the card total is 8. See Natural.

Player Bet: One of the three possible bets available in a Baccarat game. It’s payout is 1:1.

Shoe: The container from which the cards are dealt. At Silver Oak Casino, the shoe contains six decks of cards.

Standoff: When the banker and the player tie.

Super Pan Nine: A variation of Baccarat.

Tie Bet: Betting on a tie between the Player and the Banker. At Silver Oak Casino, the payout on a Tie Bet is 9:1.

Play free Baccarat at any time, any place: straight from the web with no downloads or commitments whatsoever. Play the classic table game of Baccarat at Silver Oak Casino completely free of cost and refresh your skills or simply learn how to master this game from scratch.