Definition
Baccarat
Also known as Punto Banco, Baccara, Mini-Baccarat
By Abhinav VasudevanReviewed Editorial policy
In short
Baccarat is a card game where you bet on which of two hands, Player or Banker, will score closer to nine. The Banker bet has a 1.06% house edge, among the lowest in any casino, and no decisions are involved.
Baccarat is the largest casino game in the world by turnover, driven overwhelmingly by Asian high-roller play. It is also almost entirely decision-free. You choose which side to back, and everything else follows fixed rules.
The game
Two hands are dealt: Player and Banker. These are just names for the two sides; you can bet on either.
Cards score at face value, 10s and face cards count zero, aces count one. Totals are taken modulo 10, so a 7 and an 8 make 15, which scores 5. The hand closer to 9 wins.
Whether a third card is drawn is determined by a fixed table of rules that neither the dealer nor the player influences. There is no strategy because there are no decisions.
The three bets
| Bet | House edge | Pays |
|---|---|---|
| Banker | 1.06% | 1:1 less 5% commission |
| Player | 1.24% | 1:1 |
| Tie | 14.4% | 8:1 |
Always bet Banker. It wins slightly more often than Player because of the drawing rules, and even after the 5% commission it is the better bet. The difference is small but consistent.
Never bet Tie. A 14.4% house edge is worse than most slots and far worse than the main game sitting beside it.
Commission
The 5% commission on winning Banker bets exists because Banker wins about 50.7% of decided hands. Without it the casino would lose money on the bet.
Some tables offer no-commission baccarat, which compensates by paying only 1:2 when Banker wins with a 6. This typically raises the house edge to around 1.46%. Worse than the standard game, despite appearing cheaper.
Patterns and roads
Baccarat tables display elaborate scorecards, the Big Road, Bead Plate, Big Eye Boy, tracking past results, and players study them intently for streaks.
Each hand is independent. The shoe has a slight memory in the sense that cards are removed, but the effect is far too small to exploit, and the patterns have no predictive value whatsoever. The displays exist because players want them, and because a player engaged in reading patterns is a player continuing to bet.
Side bets
Perfect Pair, Dragon Bonus, Panda 8 and similar carry edges between 2.5% and 10%. As with blackjack, the side bets exist to recover the margin the main game gives away.
Common questions
Which baccarat bet should I make?
Banker, always. It carries a 1.06% house edge even after the 5% commission, against 1.24% for player. Never bet the tie, which carries 14.4% and is worse than most slot machines.
Do baccarat patterns and roads predict anything?
No. Each hand is effectively independent, and the elaborate scorecards exist because players want them. A player studying patterns is a player continuing to bet, which is the actual function of the display.
Is no-commission baccarat better?
Usually worse. It compensates by paying only 1:2 when banker wins with a 6, which typically raises the house edge to around 1.46%, higher than the standard game despite appearing cheaper.