Baccarat

Rules and help

How to play Baccarat

Choose a chip and tap Player, Tie, or Banker. You may bet one spot or several. Then press Deal. The cards play themselves.

Card values

An ace counts as 1. Cards from 2 to 9 count at face value. Tens, jacks, queens, and kings count as 0. Add the cards and keep only the last digit, so 7 and 8 make 5, and 9 and 9 make 8. The hand closer to 9 wins. Equal totals tie.

The draw

Each hand is dealt two cards, player first, then banker, then player, then banker. If either hand totals 8 or 9, it is a natural and neither hand takes another card.

Otherwise the player draws a third card on 0 through 5, and stands on 6 or 7.

If the player stood, the banker draws on 0 through 5 and stands on 6 or 7. If the player took a third card, the banker uses that card’s value:

• 0, 1, or 2 — the banker always draws.
• 3 — draws unless the player’s third card is worth 8.
• 4 — draws when that card is worth 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7.
• 5 — draws when that card is worth 4, 5, 6, or 7.
• 6 — draws when that card is worth 6 or 7.
• 7 — the banker always stands.

The bets

• Player pays 1 to 1. A 100 credit bet that wins returns 200.
• Banker pays 1 to 1, and the house keeps 5% of the win. Chips are multiples of 20, so the commission is exact: 1 credit for each 20 you win. A 100 credit banker bet that wins returns 195 — the stake, plus 95.
• Tie pays 8 to 1. A 20 credit tie bet that wins returns 180. When the hands tie, player and banker bets are returned.

Each spot is settled on its own. A winning bet is paid even when another bet on the same hand loses.

Chips, limits, and the shoe

Chip values are 20, 100, 500, and 1,000 play credits. You may put up to 10,000 on Player, up to 10,000 on Banker, and up to 2,000 on Tie.

Undo lifts the last chip. Clear takes every chip back. Rebet repeats the bets from the previous hand. Double matches what is already down, when the limits and your balance allow it.

Eight decks are shuffled together. A cut card sits partway through the shoe. The hand that reaches it is finished, and the next hand starts a fresh shoe. Cards are dealt face up.

Tips

• The banker hand wins a little more often than the player hand. The 5% commission is what keeps that bet in the house’s favor.
• The tie is the long shot. Eight to one is less than a price that matched how rarely the two hands finish equal.
• Nothing you do changes the third card. Decide the bet, then let the table draw.

Playing on a phone or tablet

Choose a chip, tap Player, Tie, or Banker, then Deal. The cards, the three bets, and the buttons stay in place from one hand to the next.

Frequently asked questions

Is this real-money baccarat?

No. Wagers use play credits (Ʉ) stored on your device. You cannot deposit, win cash, or withdraw.

Do I decide whether to take a third card?

No. Player and banker both draw from a fixed table. A two-card total of 8 or 9 is a natural, and the hand stops there.

What does the banker commission mean?

A winning banker bet pays even money, then the house keeps 5% of the win. A 100 credit win pays 95, so 195 comes back. A 20 credit win pays 19, so 39 comes back.

What happens on a tie?

A bet on Tie pays 8 to 1. Bets on Player and Banker are returned. A 20 credit tie bet returns 180: the stake, plus 160.

What are the table limits?

The smallest chip is 20 credits. The most on Player or Banker is 10,000. The most on Tie is 2,000.

Do I decide when to draw?

No. Third-card rules are fixed. You only choose which bet to place.

Is Banker really better?

Banker wins slightly more often in the long run, which is why wins pay 19:20 after commission. This remains play-money practice only.