How to play baccarat

How to play baccarat: the basics in one minute

Baccarat as played in UK casinos and online is punto banco. Two hands are dealt, one called Player and one called Banker. Neither belongs to you or the dealer; they are just the two sides you can back. Before the cards come out you place a chip on Player, Banker or Tie. The dealer then gives each hand two cards, possibly a third under a fixed table of rules, and the hand closest to 9 wins.

That is genuinely all the decision-making there is. Unlike blackjack, there's no hitting, standing or doubling, so there is no strategy chart to learn. What you can control is which bet you choose and how much you stake, and those two choices decide what the game costs you.

Baccarat card values and how hands are scored

According to Wizard of Odds' baccarat rules (opens in a new tab), punto banco usually uses eight decks shuffled together. Aces count 1, cards 2 to 9 count their face value, and tens, jacks, queens and kings count 0. A hand's score is the last digit of its total, so the highest possible score is 9.

You'll never "bust" in baccarat. If a total goes past 9, you simply drop the tens digit. A two-card 8 or 9 is called a natural, and it ends the drawing straight away. Our page on how baccarat cards are counted has more examples.

Baccarat rules for drawing a third card

After two cards each, the drawing follows a set order. If either hand has a natural 8 or 9, both stand and the hand is settled. Otherwise the Player hand acts first: it draws a third card on 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7. If Player stands, Banker uses the same simple rule, drawing on 0 to 5 and standing on 6 or 7.

If Player does draw, Banker's decision depends on its own total and the value of Player's third card, which is the part that looks complicated. You don't need to memorise it, because the dealer or software applies it for you, but it explains why Banker wins slightly more often. The full table, with worked hands, is on our baccarat third card rule page.

Every hand is resolved by these rules, so you can't make a mistake that costs money once your bet is down. The only choices that matter are made before the deal.

Baccarat bets, payouts and odds

There are three main bets. Winning Player bets pay even money; winning Banker bets pay 19 to 20, which is even money minus a 5% commission; and the Tie usually pays 8 to 1, although some tables pay 9 to 1. If the hands tie, Player and Banker bets are returned, which you can confirm from the arithmetic in the next section.

The payout question on the Tie matters. Wizard of Odds says 8 to 1 is paid at almost all casinos, while Wikipedia's baccarat article (opens in a new tab) says most UK casinos pay 9 to 1. Online and live tables vary, so read the payout on the layout or help screen. With six decks the figures are almost the same: Banker 1.06%, Player 1.24%, and Tie 14.44% at 8 to 1 or 4.931% at 9 to 1. See our pages on the Banker bet, the Player bet and the Tie bet.

Baccarat odds in pounds: why Banker is cheapest

With eight decks, Banker wins 45.8597% of hands, Player 44.6247% and a tie happens 9.5156% of the time. Here's how those turn into house edges on a £10 bet:

• Banker: win £9.50 (after commission) 45.86% of the time, lose £10 44.62% of the time, push on ties. Average: 0.4586 × £9.50 − 0.4462 × £10 ≈ −10.6p, or 1.06%.
• Player: win £10 44.62% of the time, lose £10 45.86% of the time. Average ≈ −12.4p, or 1.24%.
• Tie at 8 to 1: win £80 9.52% of the time, lose £10 the other 90.48%. Average ≈ −£1.44, or 14.36%.

So the commission doesn't make Banker a bad bet; it trims a hand that would otherwise favour you. Banker wins more often because it acts second, after seeing whether Player drew. Our baccarat house edge page breaks this down further, and why casinos charge commission explains the logic.

What a baccarat session costs

Evolution says its standard live Baccarat takes about 48 seconds a round, or about 75 rounds an hour if every round is played. At £10 a hand, that's an average cost of about £7.95 an hour on Banker, £9.30 on Player and £107.70 on an 8 to 1 Tie. Evolution's Speed Baccarat (opens in a new tab) cuts a round to 27 seconds, about 133 rounds an hour, which pushes the Banker cost to roughly £14.13 an hour at the same stake. Faster games aren't worse odds, but they cost more per hour.

How to play baccarat online, step by step

1. Open a baccarat table in a UK-licensed casino's table or live lobby, and check the minimum and maximum stakes.
2. Read the help screen: number of decks, commission or no-commission rules, and whether the Tie pays 8 to 1 or 9 to 1.
3. Decide your session budget and stake per hand before betting; at £5 a hand on Banker the average cost is about 5.3p a hand.
4. Place your chip on Banker, Player or Tie (and side bets only if you accept their higher edges) before betting closes.
5. Watch the deal: two cards each, naturals stand, then any third cards under the fixed rules.
6. Collect or lose: Player pays 1 to 1, Banker 19 to 20, Tie 8 or 9 to 1; Player and Banker bets are returned on a tie.
7. Repeat at your chosen stake, and stop when your budget or time limit is reached.

Baccarat variants and how their rules change the odds

The core game stays the same across variants, but payout tweaks move the edge. The figures below come from Wizard of Odds and from Evolution's game pages.

Wizard of Odds' commission-free analysis (opens in a new tab) says Player and Tie edges in the Super 6 version match regular baccarat, so only the Banker bet gets dearer. Explore the formats on our no commission baccarat, EZ Baccarat, Speed Baccarat and Lightning Baccarat pages.

Baccarat side bets: higher edges

Many tables add side bets on pairs or on the margin of victory. They pay more but usually cost much more than the main bets.

Side-bet rules and pay tables vary by game, so check the help screen. Our guide to baccarat side bets covers the pair bets and Dragon Bonus in detail.

Common baccarat mistakes and myths

• Backing the Tie because it pays most: at 8 to 1 it costs more than 13 times as much as Banker per pound staked.
• Avoiding Banker because of commission: the commission is already counted in its 1.06% edge, still the lowest of the three.
• Following scorecards or "trends": many tables display a history of past results, but a run of Banker or Player wins doesn't tell you which side wins next, and the edges above apply whatever the scorecard shows.
• Using a staking system: raising bets after losses can't change the edge, as our page on roulette betting systems shows with the same maths.
• Thinking baccarat is a skill game: there are no playing decisions; see is baccarat a game of skill.

Live baccarat vs RNG baccarat in the UK

RNG baccarat deals virtual cards from a shuffled shoe in software, while live baccarat streams a real dealer and real cards. Evolution's live baccarat range (opens in a new tab) includes standard, speed, squeeze and no-commission tables, among others. In Squeeze tables the cards are dealt face down and revealed slowly on camera, which adds theatre but not a different edge.

UK rules apply to both. Since 17 January 2025, autoplay is banned on all online casino games, including live casino, and non-slot games must allow at least 5 seconds per game cycle. Online slot stake limits don't apply to baccarat, so maximum bets are set by each table. Age and identity checks happen before you can deposit, and you'll be prompted to set a financial limit before your first deposit.

Where to play baccarat and how our offers relate

Our partners' welcome offers are built around slots, not baccarat. Casumo gives a 50% bonus up to £100 on a first deposit of at least £20 (opt in, 10x wagering within 7 days, £5 maximum bet), but game restrictions apply and table games are often excluded or count for less. 10bet's 100% match up to £25 must be wagered 10x on slots within 3 days, with a £1,000 cap on bonus winnings and Skrill and Neteller deposits excluded. Coral's 100 free spins come after a £10 slots bet, at 10p each on selected games, with 48 hours to accept, 7 days to use and no wagering on winnings.

To play baccarat, look in each casino's live and table lobbies and read the table rules first. 18+, and terms apply to every offer.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.