- Bet on a result
- Deal the hands
- Know the worth of the cards
- How to win
- Playing side bets online
Bet on a result
Recapping, baccarat features three possible results per hand: victories for either the banker or player, or a challenging tie bet.
Different payouts align with these outcomes: a player's win pays 1-1, a banker's triumph yields 19-20, and a tie collects 8-1. Be aware of the varying house edges: 1.1% for player wins, 1.3% for banker wins, and a substantial 14.4% on ties.
The hands are dealt
Bets must conclude before card distribution. Live online casinos often employ a multi-deck shoe of six or eight decks, preventing effective card counting and maintaining game fairness.
Unlike many other casino card games, baccarat cards are dealt face-up, offering transparency. Each side—player and banker—receives two cards, with a third added if their totals warrant another draw.
The value of the cards
In baccarat, number cards from two to nine hold their face value, while tens and face cards carry a worth of zero, and aces count as one. This rule may be perplexing to beginners, accustomed to the higher value of face cards in poker or blackjack.
How the game is won
The objective in baccarat is achieving a hand total as near to nine as possible. When totals exceed nine, only the rightmost digit matters—being dealt nines, for example, results in a hand value of eight.
Hands are addressed sequentially: the player's hands resolve first, followed by the banker’s. Players draw a third card when their value falls between zero and five; they stand at six and beyond unless the banker possesses an eight or nine, at which point the banker wins outright.
A natural win—eight or nine points—immediately concludes a hand. It’s possible for one to win with an eight unless the opponent’s natural nine takes precedence. If tied, the hand concludes as a draw.
Baccarat rules dictate when bankers draw a third card, especially after players have acted.
If the player's third card is a nine, ten, face card, or ace, the banker will draw unless holding four to seven points already.
An eight-draw from the player compels the banker to draw between zero and two points, with stances from three to seven.
Six or seven drawn by the player means bankers draw till six points—the banker stands only at seven.
With player’s third card four or five, the banker will draw at zero to five points, standing on six or seven.
Playing side bets online
Complex at first glance, the rules simplify with practice. Easy access to these rules, whether open on a secondary device tab, complements your initial ventures into online baccarat.
Certain casinos offer heightened excitement via side bets with much larger odds. Predicting specific card appearances challenges but potentially rewards players.
- Perfect Pair 25-1
- Player/banker pair 11-1
- Either pair 5-1
- Big 2-1
- Small 3-2
Here you find common side bets and their respective odds, though research can reveal additional variants not listed.
A perfect pair entails a matching value and suit—drawing double eights of clubs secures this bet. Converging perfect pairs in the same round offer a staggering 250-1 payout.
Banker or player pairs yield 11-1 payouts for any matching number pair. A 5-1 reward lies in pairs formed in initial card deals.
The ‘big’ and ‘small’ bets focus on combined hand totals. A total of five or six secures a win for big, while four takes the small prize.
