Learning Center / Baccarat
How to play baccaratClosest to 9 wins
Baccarat is one of the easiest casino games to learn. You bet on which hand will finish closest to 9, and the dealer does the rest. Here are the baccarat rules as they are dealt in Las Vegas, including the third-card rules most guides skip. Then play free baccarat online on real No Commission and Mini Baccarat tables.
How a round of baccarat works
- Make your bet
Before the deal, bet on Banker, Player or Tie. You are not playing either hand. You are betting on which one wins.
- Know the card values
Aces count 1, cards 2 through 9 count face value, and tens and face cards count 0. Only the last digit counts, so 7 and 8 make 15, which is a 5. The best total is 9.
- The deal
Player and Banker each get two cards. A total of 8 or 9 is a natural, and the hand ends right there.
- The Player's third card
With no natural, the Player hand draws a third card on a total of 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7.
- The Banker's third card
If the Player stood, the Banker draws on 0 to 5. If the Player drew, the Banker follows the tableau below, based on the Player's third card.
- Settle the bets
The hand closest to 9 wins. Player pays 1 to 1. Banker pays 1 to 1 less a 5% commission on commission tables. Tie pays 8 to 1, and Banker and Player bets push on a tie.
The Banker drawing rules (tableau)
Use this when the Player hand has drawn a third card.
| Banker total | Banker draws when the Player's third card is |
|---|---|
| 0, 1 or 2 | Always draws |
| 3 | Anything except an 8 |
| 4 | 2 through 7 |
| 5 | 4 through 7 |
| 6 | 6 or 7 |
| 7 | Always stands |
Commission and No Commission baccarat
Mini Baccarat (commission)
The classic game. Banker wins pay 1 to 1 less 5% commission, and our Nexus Baccarat table pays that commission hand by hand, just like the numbered commission boxes on a real layout.
Dragon Six50 (no commission)
No commission on Banker wins, except a Banker win with a total of 6 pays half. Panda 8 and Dragon 7 side bets at every spot.
Lucky 7 Baccarat (no commission)
No commission on Banker wins, but a Banker win with a three-card 7 is a push. Panda 8 and Dragon 7 side bets at every spot.
Baccarat etiquette
The unwritten rules every dealer knows. Follow these and you'll play like a regular from your first visit.
- Buy in between hands
Lay your cash on the layout while no hand is in play. The dealer exchanges it for chips.
- Bet before the call
Get your bets down before the dealer says no more bets, and leave your chips alone once the cards come out.
- Hands off the cards on mini baccarat
At a mini baccarat table the dealer handles and turns every card. Players squeeze the cards only at big baccarat tables in the high-limit room.
- Wait for the pay
Let the dealer take losing bets and pay winners before you touch your chips or bet the next hand.
- Scorecards are welcome
Many players track the shoe on paper or on the scoreboard. Keep your notes to your own spot.
- Know how commission is paid
Some tables take the 5% on every Banker win. Others track it in a commission box and settle up at the shuffle or when you leave. CQ Nexus pays it hand by hand.
- Tip with a bet or a chip
Place a bet for the dealer next to yours, or hand a chip to the dealer between hands.
Baccarat terms
The words you'll hear at a baccarat table, in plain English.
- Banker
- One of the two hands dealt. You can bet on it whether or not you are the bank.
- Player
- The other hand dealt. Like Banker, it is just a bet; you don't play it.
- Tie
- A bet that both hands finish on the same total. Usually pays 8 to 1.
- Natural
- A two-card 8 or 9. The hand ends immediately.
- Tableau
- The fixed drawing rules that decide when Player and Banker take a third card.
- Commission
- The 5% the house takes from Banker wins on a standard table. Also called the vig.
- No Commission
- A version that pays Banker at even money and changes one Banker result instead, like a 6 paying half.
- Mini baccarat
- The low-limit version on a blackjack-size table, where the dealer handles every card.
- Punto banco
- The traditional name for the game, from Player (punto) and Banker (banco).
- Shoe
- The box the cards are dealt from, usually holding 8 decks.
- Burn card
- Cards discarded at the start of a shoe, as set by the first card turned.
- Squeeze
- Slowly bending a card up to reveal it. Done by players at big baccarat.
- Bead Plate
- The road that records every result in order.
- Big Road
- The main road. A new column starts each time the winner changes.
- Derived roads
- Big Eye Boy, Small Road and Cockroach Pig. They read patterns in the Big Road.
- Dragon
- A long streak of one result running down the Big Road. Also the Dragon 7 side bet.
- Panda 8
- A side bet that the Player wins with a three-card 8.
Baccarat questions
Can I play baccarat online for free?
Yes. Play baccarat free in your browser at games.cqnexus.com/baccarat with play money, or open the Early Access tab in the app. A 7-day free trial unlocks every table, custom tables and your Nexus Pro features. CQ Nexus is a training app, so there is never any real-money wagering.
What is the best bet in baccarat?
The Banker bet. On a standard 5% commission table it carries a house edge of about 1.06%, compared with about 1.24% on Player. The Tie bet at 8 to 1 is the worst bet on the table, with a house edge of about 14.4%.
When does the Banker draw a third card?
If the Player stands, the Banker draws on 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7. If the Player draws, the Banker always draws on 0 to 2, draws on 3 unless the Player's third card is an 8, on 4 against a 2 through 7, on 5 against a 4 through 7, on 6 against a 6 or 7, and always stands on 7.
What is no commission baccarat?
No commission baccarat pays Banker wins at even money with no 5% commission. To keep its edge, the house changes one result: on Dragon Six50 a Banker win with 6 pays half, and on Lucky 7 Baccarat a Banker win with a three-card 7 is a push.
What is a natural in baccarat?
A natural is a two-card total of 8 or 9 for either hand. When either the Player or the Banker has a natural, no more cards are drawn and the hand is settled immediately.
How do you read baccarat roads?
Roads are the scoreboard of a baccarat shoe. The Bead Plate lists every result in order, the Big Road starts a new column each time the winner changes, and the Big Eye Boy, Small Road and Cockroach Pig track how regular or choppy the shoe has been. CQ Nexus shows all five roads with a plain-English guide under each one. Each hand is still dealt fresh from the shoe.
Ready to practice?
Video lessons for baccarat, narrated by the Casino Quest team, are coming to the Learning Center.