You’ve probably seen it in movies. James Bond sits across from a villain in a tuxedo, tosses some plaques onto a green felt table, and somehow wins a fortune. It looks incredibly complicated. It looks like you need a PhD in probability and a wardrobe from Savile Row just to sit down. But honestly? That is the biggest lie in the casino.
If you’ve ever wondered how is baccarat played, the answer is almost embarrassingly simple. You don't actually "play" the hand in the way you play Blackjack or Poker. You aren't making decisions about hitting or standing once the cards are out. You’re basically just betting on a coin flip that happens to have some very specific, slightly weird rules attached to it.
The game is a battle between two sides: the "Player" and the "Banker." Forget the labels. They don't represent you or the house. They’re just two different hands. You can bet on either one.
The Core Mechanics of the Deal
At its heart, the goal is to get a hand total as close to nine as possible. That’s it. If you get a nine, you’re king of the hill. If you get an eight, you’re doing pretty well.
The card values are where people usually get tripped up for a second. Tens, Jacks, Queens, and Kings are worth zero. Aces are worth one. Everything else is face value. If you get a 7 and a Queen, your total is seven.
But what happens if you go over nine? In Blackjack, you bust. In Baccarat, you just drop the first digit. So, if you’re dealt a 7 and an 8, which equals 15, your actual score is 5. You can never "bust" in this game. You just cycle back around. It's a loop.
Most games use six or eight decks shuffled together in a "shoe." The dealer slides out two cards for the Player hand and two for the Banker hand. Sometimes, a third card is dealt to one or both sides, but that isn't up to you. It’s dictated by a set of rigid, pre-determined rules called "The Tableau."
Why the Banker Bet is Actually Better
If you look at the table, you’ll see people obsessively tracking patterns on little scorecards. They’re looking for "dragons" or "streaks." Honestly, it’s mostly superstition. But there is a mathematical reality to the game that experts like Frank Scoblete or Wizard of Odds (Michael Shackleford) have proven over and over.
The Banker hand wins slightly more often than the Player hand.
Because of this tiny edge, the casino takes a 5% commission on Banker wins. Even with that commission, the house edge on the Banker bet is roughly 1.06%. The Player bet sits at about 1.24%.
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Then there’s the Tie bet.
Avoid it. Just... don't do it.
The Tie pays 8:1 or sometimes 9:1, which sounds juicy. But the house edge on a Tie bet is upwards of 14%. It’s a sucker bet. People play it because they’re bored or feeling "lucky," but if you want to know how is baccarat played at a professional level, you’ll notice the high rollers almost never touch the Tie. They stick to the Banker. It’s boring, but it’s the smart move.
Understanding the Third Card Rule (The Tableau)
This is the part that makes beginners panic. The dealer starts pulling third cards, and it feels like they’re making it up as they go. They aren't.
If either the Player or Banker has a total of 8 or 9 from the first two cards, it’s a "Natural." The round is over immediately. No more cards are drawn.
If nobody has a natural, the Player hand goes first.
- If the Player has 0-5, they draw a third card.
- If the Player has 6 or 7, they stand.
Then it gets weird for the Banker. The Banker’s decision to draw depends not just on their own total, but also on what the Player’s third card was. For example, if the Banker has a 3, they draw a third card unless the Player's third card was an 8.
You don't need to memorize this.
The dealer handles it all. You can literally sit there with your brain turned off and just watch. That’s why Baccarat is the favorite of the highest-stakes gamblers in Macau and Vegas. You can bet $100,000 a hand and the only "skill" involved is managing your bankroll and choosing which side to back.
Variations You’ll See in the Wild
Not all Baccarat tables are the same. In the high-limit rooms, you’ll see "Big Table Baccarat" or "Chemin de Fer." In these versions, players actually take turns holding the shoe and dealing the cards. It’s slow. It’s ritualistic. It’s where the "squeeze" happens—where players slowly peel up the corners of the cards to build tension.
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On the main floor, you’ll find "Mini-Baccarat."
It’s faster. The dealer handles everything. The stakes are lower.
There is also "EZ Baccarat." This version gets rid of that annoying 5% commission on Banker wins. Instead, if the Banker wins with a specific total (usually a three-card 7), the bet is a push. It’s a trade-off that keeps the game moving faster because the dealer doesn't have to calculate 5% change every two minutes.
Actionable Steps for Your First Session
If you're walking up to a table tonight, do these things:
- Check the minimums. Baccarat tables often have higher minimums than Blackjack. Don't sit down at a $100 table with a $200 bankroll.
- Bet the Banker. Always. It’s the lowest house edge in the building besides perfect-strategy Craps or Blackjack.
- Ignore the "Roadmaps." The digital screens showing past wins are there to make you think there's a pattern. There isn't. Every hand is an independent event.
- Set a "Win Goal." Because the house edge is so low, you can go on long runs. Decide ahead of time that if you double your money, you walk away.
- Watch the commission. In a standard game, the dealer tracks your 5% commissions in a little box. You don't pay them every hand; you pay them when you leave the table or when the shoe ends. Keep enough cash on hand to cover your "debt" to the house at the end of the session.
Baccarat is a game of vibes and math. The math stays the same, and the vibes are whatever you make them. It’s the easiest game to play, even if it looks like the most intimidating one in the room. Just pick a side, sit back, and let the cards fall.