Baccarat Rules Explained
Why baccarat's rules are worth learning even though you never apply them
Every card dealt in a hand of baccarat follows a fixed sequence, and every third card drawn follows a fixed chart — none of it is left to a player's judgment. That's unusual among casino table games, and it means "learning the rules" here isn't about learning what to do, since there's nothing to do beyond placing a bet. It's about understanding what happens after you place it, so a hand's outcome makes sense rather than feeling arbitrary. This page collects the complete rule set in one place: the deal sequence, how totals are calculated, the full third-card chart, how payouts settle, and where different casinos vary their house rules. For a gentler, narrative walkthrough aimed at complete newcomers, start with the baccarat guide for beginners. If you want the math behind why these rules produce the house edge they do, see baccarat house edge explained.
Objective of the game
Baccarat is a comparison game between two dealt hands, Player and Banker, with three possible outcomes on every round: Banker wins, Player wins, or the two hands tie. You aren't dealt a hand yourself and you don't control either side — you're wagering on which of the three outcomes will occur, and the cards are dealt and drawn according to fixed rules regardless of which side (or whether) you bet on. This is the core structural fact that every other rule in this guide builds on.
Card values recap
Baccarat uses a card-value system that differs from most other card games at the casino:
- Ace = 1
- 2 through 9 = face value
- 10, Jack, Queen, King = 0
Suits carry no meaning whatsoever — a King of spades and a King of hearts are identical in value (zero), and nothing about a card's suit affects a hand's outcome. For the full breakdown with worked examples, see baccarat card values explained.
The deal sequence
Once the betting window closes, the dealer (or the software, at an RNG table) deals four cards total, in a fixed order: Player's first card, Banker's first card, Player's second card, Banker's second card. Each hand ends up with two cards before anything else is evaluated.
At this point, the game checks for a natural. If either hand's two-card total is 8 or 9, that hand — and the round — is settled immediately. No third cards are drawn for either side under any circumstances once a natural has appeared. If both hands are naturals, the higher of the two wins; if both hands show the same natural total, the round is a tie.
If neither hand shows a natural, the round moves into the third-card phase, which is covered in full below.
Calculating hand totals and naturals
A hand's total is the sum of its cards' values, with the tens digit dropped whenever that sum reaches 10 or higher. A hand of 7 and 8 sums to 15, which becomes a total of 5. A hand of 9 and 9 sums to 18, which becomes a total of 8. This single rule keeps every possible hand total between 0 and 9, and it's why 9 — the highest reachable total — can be tied but never beaten by a higher number.
A two-card total of 8 or 9 is a natural, and as noted above, it ends the hand immediately. Totals of 0 through 7 are not naturals and proceed to the third-card rule. For a full walkthrough of the scoring mechanics with additional worked hands, see baccarat scoring explained.
The third-card rule, summarized
If neither hand is a natural, the game applies a fixed drawing chart to determine whether either hand receives one additional card. The Player hand acts first, then the Banker hand's decision is calculated — partly based on the Player's total, and partly (if the Player drew) based on the specific value of the Player's third card.
Player's rule: the Player hand draws a third card on any total of 0 through 5, and stands on 6 or 7.
Banker's rule: if the Player stood, Banker draws on 0–5 and stands on 6–7, following the same pattern as Player's own rule. If the Player drew a third card, Banker's decision depends on Banker's own total and the Player's third-card value, per the chart below:
| Banker's total | Draws a third card when Player's third card is | Stands when Player's third card is |
|---|---|---|
| 0–2 | Always draws | — |
| 3 | 0–7, 9 | 8 |
| 4 | 2–7 | 0, 1, 8, 9 |
| 5 | 4–7 | 0–3, 8, 9 |
| 6 | 6–7 | 0–5, 8, 9 |
| 7 | Always stands | — |
Every online table — whether RNG-dealt or live-streamed — applies this chart automatically and instantly. You'll never be asked to make a drawing decision, and the dealer at a live table isn't making a judgment call either; they're following the same fixed chart every table uses. For the complete rule with every scenario worked through in detail, see baccarat third-card rule explained.
How bets settle: commission recap
Once both hands are final — whether that happened at the natural stage or after third cards were drawn — the two totals are compared and every bet on the table settles in the same instant:
| Bet | Payout | Commission | Triggering outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banker | 1:1 | 5% (typical) | Banker's total is higher |
| Player | 1:1 | None | Player's total is higher |
| Tie | 8:1 (some tables 9:1) | None | Both totals are equal |
The commission on winning Banker bets exists because the Banker hand's drawing rule reacts to what the Player hand already did, which gives Banker a slightly better chance of winning than Player. Charging a small commission on Banker wins brings its net value back in line with Player's, rather than leaving Banker as an obviously superior bet. On a tie, Tie bets are paid at their posted rate, and Banker/Player bets are typically pushed — returned to the player — rather than lost, though a small number of house rule sets treat a tie as a loss for Banker and Player instead. It's worth confirming this detail on any table you haven't played before. For the full breakdown of what these numbers mean for value, see baccarat betting options explained.
Standard vs. house-specific rule variations
The core mechanics above — card values, the natural rule, the third-card chart — are effectively universal; you won't find a legitimate baccarat table anywhere that alters how a hand total is calculated or when a natural triggers. Where tables do differ is around the edges:
Deck count. Most baccarat tables, live or RNG, deal from a shoe of six or eight decks. A smaller number of specialty or single/double-deck variants exist, and deck count has a very small effect on the precise house edge figures, though the differences are marginal enough that they rarely change which bet is the better value.
Tie payout. The two payout rates you'll commonly see posted are 8:1 and 9:1. This is the single most consequential rule variation on the table, because it meaningfully changes Tie's house edge — worse at 8:1, still poor but noticeably better at 9:1. Always check the posted payout table before betting Tie.
Push vs. loss on ties for Banker/Player. As mentioned above, the standard treatment is a push (stake returned, no win or loss) for Banker and Player bets when a tie occurs. A minority of rule sets instead settle ties as a loss for both bets. This is a meaningful difference in expected value and is worth checking in a table's rules or paytable before you sit down, particularly on unfamiliar or specialty variants.
None of these variations change the fundamental order of value among the three bets — Banker remains the strongest, Player a close second, and Tie the weakest — but they can shift the exact numbers by a fraction of a percent, which matters if you're comparing tables closely.
Rules glossary
Natural — a two-card total of 8 or 9, which ends the hand immediately.
Push — a bet that's returned to the player without a win or loss, typically applied to Banker and Player bets when a tie occurs.
Shoe — the container holding the multiple decks (commonly six or eight) that cards are dealt from.
Stand — a hand that does not draw a third card, either because its total qualifies it to stand under the third-card rule or because it's already a natural.
Tableau — another term for the fixed third-card drawing chart.
Commission — the fee, typically 5%, deducted from winning Banker bets to offset Banker's structural edge over Player.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to memorize the third-card chart to play baccarat? No. Every online table — RNG or live — applies the chart automatically. It's useful to understand so hand outcomes make sense, but you'll never be asked to apply it yourself.
What happens if both hands are naturals? The higher natural wins. If both hands show the same natural total (both 8, or both 9), the round is a tie.
Can I bet on more than one outcome in the same round? Yes. Banker, Player, and Tie aren't mutually exclusive — you can place chips on more than one betting area in the same round if you choose to.
Is the third-card rule the same at every casino? Yes, for the core three bets — it's a standardized part of the game. What can vary between tables is the tie payout rate and, less commonly, whether ties push or lose for Banker/Player bets.
Why does Banker have a commission but Player doesn't? Because the third-card rule structurally favors Banker — it reacts to what Player's hand already did — the commission offsets that edge so the two bets land close in value rather than Banker being an obviously stronger choice.
What's the difference between a 6-deck and 8-deck shoe? Mostly a very small shift in the precise odds and house edge figures. It doesn't change which bet is the best value, and the difference is too small to be noticeable over a normal session.
Does the dealer ever get to choose whether a hand draws a third card? No. Even at live-dealer tables, the drawing decision is fixed by the chart, not the dealer's judgment — the dealer is executing the rule, not interpreting it.
What does it mean if a table's Tie pays 9:1 instead of 8:1? It means Tie's house edge is meaningfully lower than the standard 8:1 payout, though still far higher than Banker or Player. Always check the posted paytable, since this is the most common rule variation between tables.
If I bet Banker and the round ties, do I lose my bet? Under standard rules, no — Banker and Player bets are pushed (returned) on a tie. Some house rule variants treat a tie as a loss instead, so it's worth confirming this on any table you're unfamiliar with.
Is there any point in the hand where I make a decision? Only one: choosing which bet (or bets) to place before the cards are dealt. Everything that happens afterward — the deal, the natural check, and any third cards — is automatic.
Where to go next
For the full beginner walkthrough with worked examples and payout mechanics, return to the baccarat guide for beginners. To go deeper on any single piece of the rule set, see baccarat card values explained, baccarat scoring explained, baccarat third-card rule explained, or baccarat house edge explained.
