Beginner
Baccarat Rules: Player, Banker & Tie Bets
Baccarat is one of the simplest games at the casino: pick Player, Banker, or Tie, and let the cards play themselves out.
House Edge
1.06% (Banker)
Best For
Low-effort play
Read Time
5 min
How to play
Two hands, Player and Banker, are dealt two cards each. Hand values are the sum of the cards' points (face cards and 10s count as zero), with only the last digit counting. Whichever hand is closer to 9 wins; a third card is drawn automatically under fixed rules.
- Bet on Player, Banker, or Tie before cards are dealt.
- Cards 2-9 count at face value, 10s and face cards count as zero, aces count as one.
- If either hand totals 8 or 9 (a natural), no further cards are drawn.
- A fixed drawing table determines whether a third card is dealt to either hand.
💡 Pro tip
The Banker bet has the lowest house edge in the game, even after the standard 5% commission taken on Banker wins. It's the mathematically best bet at the table.
Odds & house edge
The Banker bet carries a house edge of about 1.06%, the Player bet about 1.24%, and the Tie bet a much steeper 14.4% despite its tempting payout.
Strategy tips
- Bet Banker as your default it has the best odds over time, commission included.
- Avoid the Tie bet entirely; its payout doesn't come close to compensating for the house edge.
- Ignore scorecards and patterns each hand is independent of the last.
Common mistakes
Chasing the Tie bet for its 8:1 payout is the biggest baccarat mistake the house edge is more than ten times higher than Banker or Player.