Baccarat Rules &
Comprehensive Analysis of Winning Strategies

What is Baccarat?

Baccarat, the national treasure of casinos, is also known as the 'flower of casinos'. You know it's a very popular game in Korea, and it's one of the most popular games in casinos around the world. In Gangwon Land alone, there are a staggering 93 baccarat tables. Why are so many people drawn to the game?

First, baccarat is known for being a 'gentle game for beginners'. Once you know the basic rules of baccarat, you'll be able to play without any difficulty, even if you're a beginner! Of course, you shouldn't play, but you know what I mean.

Secondly, there's no pressure to play - the dealer does most of the work for you, so all you have to do is decide where to place your bets and then sit back and watch the game unfold. It's like ordering at a restaurant and waiting for your food - you make your choices and the dealer does the rest.

Finally, Baccarat has one of the fastest tempos of any casino game. A single game is usually over in 1-5 minutes, so you can play several hands in a short amount of time. However, it's important to note that the pace of the game can vary depending on the number of people in the room.

Today, we're going to take a closer look at the rules of baccarat:

The rules are not difficult!

The rules of baccarat are easy to learn, even for beginners.

• The banker and player are dealt 2 ~ 3 cards each.
• The main objective is to make a total of 9 or a number close to 9 If the total of the cards is 10 or higher, only the tens digit is taken into account.
• For example, if the total is 12, the actual score would be 2.
• The winner is the one whose tens digit is closest to 9.

Let’s look at some easy examples? (A 'hand' can also be called a 'hand deck'—they’re the same thing, so keep that in mind.)

• Banker's hand: 7, 4 (total 11->score 1)
• Player's hand: 5, 3 (total 8->score 8)

In the above situation, the player's hand wins. Because 8 is much closer to 9 than 1. Easy, right?

These simple rules are how the game is played. As you experience real-life games and learn more strategies and tips, you'll find that baccarat has a deeper appeal!

Baccarat card dealing rules: 'Natural' and 'One More Card'

The rules of dealing cards in baccarat have a lot to do with the strategy of the game, so understanding them is essential for strategic play.

I.Natural

• At the start, the player and the banker are dealt 2 cards each
• If the player's or banker's card total is 8 or 9 it is called a Natural, especially if the total is 9 it is called 'Natural 9'
• When a natural is dealt, no additional cards are dealt and the hand is decided immediately.
• So, what are the odds of getting a natural in baccarat? The specific odds depend on a variety of mathematical calculations and strategies. We recommend referring to resources based on in-depth research and statistics.

II.One More Card

• If both hands are not natural, you will be dealt an extra card. The extra card in this situation is called a “one-more card”.
• The rules for whether or not to take a one-of-a-kind card and when to do so can be somewhat complicated, but here are the rules for each situation

• Player's one-of-a-kind rule: The player receives a one-of-a-kind when their hand total is 5 or less.
• Banker's one-card rule: The banker's rules for taking a card are a bit more complicated. They vary depending on the player's third card and the banker's card total.

The game is played based on these rules.Of course, memorizing all of these rules is not enough to win a game. Experience, strategy, and situational judgment are the keys to success in baccarat.

In baccarat, a player's fate is determined by the sum of their first two cards. Check out the table below to learn the rules in detail.

Player's First 2 Card Sum	Rule	Result
0, 1, 2	One More Card Rule	The player receives one additional card.
3, 4, 5	One More Card Rule	The player receives one additional card.
6, 7	STAND	Players no longer receive cards; instead, they compete against the Banker.
8, 9	Natural	Neither the player nor the banker receives an extra card. Instead, they play immediately.

So, let's recap. If the sum of a player's first two cards is 0-5, they receive an extra card, and if it's 6 or 7, they stand. If it's an 8 or 9, it's considered a 'natural' and the hand is decided immediately.

These rules add to the strategic aspect of the game of baccarat. It's important to have a solid understanding of these basic rules before you get into the game.

The rules for the banker's acceptance of an additional card in baccarat are complex. It's based on the sum of the player's third card and the banker's first two cards. Check out the table below for a breakdown of the rules.

I'm not sure if I've explained it in enough ways to make it clear, so please take a look at the table below and familiarize yourself with it.

Banker's first 2 cards sum	Player's 3rd card	Rules
0, 1, 2	Regardless	The banker receives an additional card.
3	0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9	The banker receives an additional card.
3	8	The banker receives no cards.
4	2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7	The banker receives an additional card.
4	0, 1, 8, 9	The banker receives no cards.
5	4, 5, 6, 7	The banker receives an additional card.
5	0, 1, 2, 3, 8, 9	The banker receives no cards.
6	6, 7	The banker receives an additional card.
6	0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9	The banker receives no cards.
7	-	The banker receives no cards.
8, 9	-	'Natural', where neither the banker nor the player receives any additional cards.

The banker's rules for receiving cards change depending on the player's third card and the sum of his first two cards. The behavior of both the banker and the player in a baccarat game is based on these rules.

Thebanker's basic strategy: Basically, if the sum of the banker's first two cards is 5 or less, he will be dealt an additional card. This simple strategy alone can slightly increase the banker's odds of winning.

Why was this rule created? These rules were introduced to give the banker a slightly better chance of winning. It's not like they're trying to make a living, is it? In baccarat, the banker has a slightly higher chance of winning than the player, and this is a way for the casino to ensure a certain profit from running the game.

The rationale behind the strategy: As you can see from the table above, when the sum of the banker's first two cards exceeds the player's sum, the banker is usually not dealt any additional cards. This is a strategy to stabilize the banker's odds.

Special rules for Banker 6: If the banker's first two cards sum to 6, the banker must receive an extra card unless the player's third card sum is 7. This rule was introduced to stabilize the odds of a betting option called “Banker 6” in baccarat, which pays 1.5x if the banker wins.

Baccarat is one of the most popular games in casinos, and nowadays, online baccarat has exploded in popularity. There are so many variations of the game nowadays that there are a lot of different stops, and they rarely deviate from the traditional baccarat rules, so it doesn't really matter if you're playing Evolution Baccarat, Speed Baccarat, or Lotus Baccarat, as long as you familiarize yourself with what we've provided here, you'll be fine.

As you can see, baccarat is all about the confrontation between the player and the banker. However, the complexity of baccarat doesn't end there, as additional betting options called side bets make the game more interesting and varied. Here are some of the most common side betting rules in baccarat.

Baccarat Tie (TIE/Draw) Rules

Rule: A tie is a bet when the player and banker have the same outcome.

• Natural Tie: When the first two cards have the same total.
• Third Card Tie: When the sum is the same after the third card is drawn.
• Note: The first two cards alone do not break the tie, the result of the third card must also be considered.

Player	Banker	Third Card	Result
5	5	Player 8	Not a tie

Baccarat Pair Rules

Rule: A bet when the player's or banker's first two cards are the same number or letter.

• Player Pair: Player's first two cards are identical
• Banker Pair: Banker's first two cards are identical

Note: Matches with the third card and matches between the player and banker's cards are not considered.

Type	First card	Second card	Third card	Result
Player's pair	Q	Q	7	hit
Banker's pair	K	3	-	No hit

Baccarat Big/Small Rules

Rule: Bets are placed based on the total number of cards dealt.

• Big: Three of a kind are drawn by either side.
• Small: When a hand is won with only two cards, either naturally or in exceptional cases (6:6, 6:7, 7:6, 7:7)

Caution: The odds are different because the probability of a Big is higher.

Type	Card Count	Result
Big	3	Hit
Small	2	Miss

Baccarat Betting Strategy Guide

Although the rules of baccarat are simple, you can increase your chances of winning with a betting strategy.

Here are the main betting methods:

• Description: Betting on the player you expect to win.
• Odds: 2.00
• Features: Intuitive, if the player wins, you will receive 2x your bet.

• Description: Betting on the banker to win.
• Odds: 1.95 in real terms (after accounting for a 5% commission)
• Features:
  • The banker's win rate is 51%, which is slightly higher than the player's win rate of 49%, so mathematically, it is more profitable to bet on the banker.
  • However, if you bet on the banker and win, you will have to pay 5% of the payout as a commission.
  • If the banker wins with a sum of six, you will only receive half of your winnings, which is known as the “banker six commission”.

The importance of betting strategy in baccarat, the choice of whether to bet on the banker or the player is important. Although the banker has a higher win rate, the actual profit is similar after fees and banker six commissions are taken into account, so the house edge (the casino's profit margin) doesn't make much difference in the long-term outcome of the game no matter which side you bet on.

FAQ: Baccarat Rules Frequently Asked Questions

• What does 'natural' mean in baccarat?

  A natural is when the player's or banker's first two cards dealt a total 8 or 9. In this case, no additional cards are dealt and the hand is decided immediately.

• Who receives cards first, the player or the banker?

  Both the player and the banker are dealt 2 cards initially, but the player always receives a card first.

• When can a player receive additional cards?

  If the player's first 2 cards total 0-5, they receive one extra card, and if they total 6 or 7, they receive no extra cards.

• When does the banker receive an extra card?

  The rules are a little more complicated for the banker, and are determined by either the player's third card or the sum of the banker's first two cards.

• What are the odds if the banker wins?

  If the Banker wins, the payout rate is 1.95, which is normally 2.00, but is subject to a 5% commission.