Welcome to BaccaratRules.net

Baccarat Rules was developed in 2011 as guide for playing baccarat online. If you came here looking for the rules of baccarat or want to know when third cards are dealt, you can find that and more on our page How To Play Baccarat. As you navigate other pages of our website you’ll learn tips, tricks and strategy that can help you win more money online. I’ll use the rest of this home page to cover some general information about the game Baccarat.

About Baccarat

The history of baccarat is a long one as it is believed to have been introduced in France around 1500, with similarities to Faro and Basset. Similarly to blackjack, players play against the dealer (known as the banker), not against each other.

The name “baccarat” is the French spelling of “baccara” – or zero – which is the point value of face cards in this game.

Baccarat offers one of the lowest house edges of all casino games at about 1.17 percent, yet until recently it was relatively unknown. This is probably because baccarat remained a game for the high rollers. However, recently casinos have begun to cater to the everyday player, offering “mini-baccarat” – with smaller minimum bets and simplified rules.

Rules of Baccarat

In modern Baccarat, 6 or 8 decks are played at a time, and between 12-14 players are seated at each table. At the start of the hand, players bet on either “banco” – the banker, or “punto” – the player – depending on who they think will be dealt the higher hand. There is a third bet – “tie” or “standoff,” but it is rarely used, as ties are very uncommon.

Each hand consists of two cards to start, with a maximum of three cards dealt. Cards 2-9 are worth face value, face cards and 10s are worth zero, and aces are worth 1 point. Suits are not important. If a player’s cards total 8 or 9, that is considered a “natural” and no more cards are dealt. A 9 is the best possible hand. If a player’s cards total more than 9, the cards are added up and only the right hand digit is counted. For example – if a player is holding a 7 and an 8, the total is 15, but his hand is counted as 5. A hand that totals zero (for example, 3, 7 and 10) is considered a baccarat.

Variations of Baccarat

There are three basic variations of Baccarat – Punto Banco (a.k.a. North American Baccarat), Chemin de Fer, and Banque.

Punto Banco is different from the other two variations in that it is strictly a game of chance. Hands are played according to a predetermined system. For example, if the player’s initial hand is 0-5, he must draw a third card. Rules for the banker are a little more complicated and will be covered in the next article.

Chemin de Fer is the version of baccarat closest to what was originally introduced in France, and remains the most popular variant there. One player is designated as the “banker” and deals. He continues to deal until the banker loses. In the Banque variation, the dealer continues to deal until all cards have been dealt. In both of these variations, players have a bit more discretion in the matter of being dealt a third card, although common sense and social sanctions dictate actual plays.
These are the basic rules, but for more information, including further clarification on the different baccarat variations, please view our guide on how to play baccarat.

To find out more about the best places to play baccarat, you can read our reviews on Las Vegas Baccarat as well as Macau baccarat.