Ace
Counts as 1
One point — always. The Ace is the only court-or-A card that doesn't count zero.
A Beginner's Field Guide on
Baccarat
the simplest game in the casino
An introduction to the rules, odds, and discipline. No strategy, no skill — you wager on which of two hands finishes closer to nine.
Scroll to deal
Section 01 · Start Here
Baccarat in three minutes.
Baccarat is the simplest card game in the casino. You don't play the cards — you bet on which of two hands will win. The dealer does everything. No strategy, no decisions, no skill required.
01
What is the game?
Two hands are dealt: one called Player, the other called Banker. They have nothing to do with you — they're just labels for two stacks of cards. Whichever hand ends up closer to a total of 9 wins. Your only job is to bet on which one.
Bet on
Player
pays 1 : 1
Bet on
Banker
pays 0.95 : 1
Bet on
Tie
pays 8 : 1
02
What do the cards count?
Forget Blackjack. In baccarat the math is simpler than it looks: count up the cards, drop the tens digit. A hand is always worth 0–9. That's it.
= 1
= 7
= 0
Aces = 1 · 2 through 9 = face value · 10 / J / Q / K = 0 · Suits don't matter.
7 + 8 = 15
→
drop the 1, hand is worth 5
03
What happens at the table?
- Place your bet on Player, Banker, or Tie.
- The dealer deals two cards each to Player and Banker, face up.
- Sometimes a third card is drawn — but you don't decide. The dealer follows a fixed rule called the tableau.
- Whichever hand is closest to 9 wins. Winning bets get paid; losing bets are collected. Next hand.
Section 06 · The Shoe
What's in the shoe?
A baccarat shoe holds 6 or 8 standard 52-card decks, shuffled together — 312 to 416 cards. Suits are ignored; only the rank matters. Every draw follows a fixed table called the tableau, so the dealer never decides.
The dealer places a cut cardThe Cut CardA coloured marker slipped near the back of the shoe before play begins. When it surfaces during a coup, the current hand is finished and the shoe is then re-shuffled. near the back of the shoe. When it appears, the current hand finishes and the shoe is re-shuffled. Before the first hand, the first card is turned face-up; its value tells the dealer how many cards to burnThe BurnTo discard cards face-down from the top of the shoe before the first hand. The first card is flipped face-up and its value sets how many cards follow it into the discard tray.. The burn has no effect on odds — it's tradition.
A note on names
"Baccarat" (bah-cah-RAH) is Italian for zero — the worst possible total. In Chinese casinos it is 百家樂 (bǎijiālè), literally "hundred-family happiness." The game's Macau monopoly is absolute: over 90% of all Macau casino revenue flows through baccarat tables.
Section 02 · The Cards
How do cards count?
Baccarat uses the modulo-10 rule. Every card has a value, totals are added, and only the last digit of the sum counts. A hand is always worth zero through nine — never more.
Number Cards · 2–9
Worth their face value
A 7 is worth seven, a 5 is worth five. Suits never matter — only the rank.
Tens & Courts
All count as 0
10, Jack, Queen, King — every face card adds nothing. This is what makes baccarat math feel odd at first.
The modulo-10 rule, in four hands
Each tab works through one example — when totals double up, what court cards add (zero), and when a hand ends on the spot.
Player
例一 · Example one
Drop the tens digit
A 6 and an 8 add to 14. Drop the leading "1" and the hand is worth 4. Any total of ten or more loses its first digit — that's the entire modulo-10 rule, in one move.
=
4
Hand value
Player
例二 · Example two
Court cards count zero
A King is worth ten — and ten is the same as zero in this game. So a King and a 5 is just 0 + 5 = 5. Tens, Jacks, Queens, Kings: every face-card adds nothing.
=
5
Hand value
Player
例三 · Example three
Two nines is an 8 — not 18
9 + 9 = 18. Drop the 1 and you're left with 8. It looks like a monster hand at first glance, but a natural nine on the other side will still beat it.
=
8
Hand value
Natural · stand
例四 · Example four
A natural ends the hand
Any two-card total of 8 or 9 is called a natural. The coup ends right there — no third card is drawn for either side, no further plays. Closest to nine wins outright.
=
8
Hand value
Section 03 · The Table
Your seat at the salon.
Scroll through the six steps below to walk a single coup — one complete hand, from wager to payout.
Section 04 · One Full Coup
Anatomy of a single hand.
Every baccarat hand (a coup) runs the same way: four cards face-up, totals compared, a possible third card — all on fixed rules, never player choice.
The initial deal · four cards, face-up
The dealer burns the top card, then deals two cards to Player and two to Banker, alternating — Player first. In Punto Banco, all cards land face-up immediately.
punto · player
Total—
vs
banco · banker
Total—
Check for a Natural · 8 or 9 ends it
If either hand totals 8 or 9 on the first two cards, that's a natural. No more cards are drawn; whichever total is higher wins. Ties push. A 9 always beats an 8.
punto · player
Natural—
vs
banco · banker
Total—
The Natural
In this deal, Player shows a 9 — the strongest natural. Both hands stand. No third card. Player wins unless Banker also shows a 9 (tie).
Player acts first · draw on 0–5, stand on 6–7
No natural? Then Player's rule is simple. With a two-card total of 0–5, draw a third card. With 6 or 7, stand. No choice — the tableau does the thinking.
punto · player
Total—
vs
banco · banker
Total—
Banker's rule is · more elaborate
Banker's draw depends on both Banker's total and Player's third card. This is the famous tableau — detailed in the next section — but the short version is below.
punto · player
Total—
vs
banco · banker
Total—
Settle the bets · closest to 9 wins
Both hands revealed. Highest total wins. Player pays 1:1. Banker pays 1:1 minus a 5% commission (so really 0.95:1). Tie pays 8:1. Losing side loses the full bet. A tie pushes Player and Banker bets — they're returned.
punto · player
Total—
vs
banco · banker
Winner—
Section 05 · The Drawing Rules
When does a third card come out?
You don't need to memorize any of this. The dealer applies these rules automatically — this section just explains whyWhy it's so asymmetricBecause Banker acts after Player, the house gets to react to Player's third card. That tiny informational edge is the root reason Banker wins ~50.68% of resolved hands — and why the casino charges a 5% commission on Banker wins to bleed that advantage back. the cards came out the way they did.
Player's rule — always goes first
Punto · Player Hand
Based only on first two cards
| Two-card total | Action | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 0 · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 | Draw a third | Low total — improve the hand. |
| 6 · 7 | Stand | Strong enough. Don't risk busting. |
| 8 · 9 | Natural — coup ends | Highest totals. No more cards. |
Banker's rule — reacts to Player's third card
If Player stood (6 or 7), Banker follows the same rule as Player: draw on 0–5, stand on 6–7. If Player drew, use the table below.
Banco · Banker Hand
When Player drew a third card
| Banker | Draw if Player's 3rd is… | Stand if… |
|---|---|---|
| 0 · 1 · 2 | Always draw | Never |
| 3 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 | Only 8 |
| 4 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 | 0, 1, 8, 9 |
| 5 | 4, 5, 6, 7 | 0, 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 |
| 6 | 6, 7 | 0–5, 8, 9 |
| 7 | Always stand | Always |
| 8 · 9 | Natural — hand ended before Player drew | |
Section 09 · Reading the Roads
The roads — baccarat's scoreboard.
The grids on every baccarat table are called roads (路 lù). They record which hand has been winning. Each hand is independent, so roads don't predict anything — but in Macau they're a cultural staple.
大路 · The main scoreboard
Big Road
A new column starts whenever the winner switches from Player to Banker. Long vertical columns are streaks — the famous "dragon." Frequent switches are choppy. This is the only road that records the actual results; everything else is derived from it.
大眼仔 · Pattern of the pattern
Big Eye Boy
Derived from the Big Road. Tracks whether the columns are regular (similar lengths — red dot) or irregular (changing lengths — blue dot). Pure pattern analysis on top of pattern analysis.
小路 · Finer rhythm
Small Road
Like Big Eye Boy but skips one more column back when comparing. Used alongside the others to triangulate perceived trends in the shoe.
蟑螂路 · Three columns back
Cockroach Pig
Named for the chaotic zigzag it produces. Skips three columns for its comparison. Almost nobody outside Macau understands it fully — and it's no more predictive than a coin toss.
Roads don't predict anything. Each hand is independent. Watch them; don't bet on them.
Section 07 · Bets & House Edge
Three bets. One is a trap.
Punto Banco offers three main wagers. Their house edges are very different — knowing which is which is the most useful thing on this page.
Banker 45.86% win
1.06%
Player 44.62% win
1.24%
Tie 9.52% win
14.36%
Banker wins slightly more than Player because Banker acts second and can react to Player's draw. The casino offsets this with a 5% commission on Banker wins, which leaves a house edge of just 1.06% — one of the lowest in any casino game.
Tie pays 8:1, which sounds huge, but the true odds are closer to 9.5:1. That gap is where the house hides a monstrous 14.36% edge — more than ten times the Banker bet. At some UK casinos tie pays 9:1, trimming the edge to ~4.85%, still far worse than Banker or Player.
Side bets — the sucker's garden
Casinos have invented dozens of side bets: Pair, Big/Small, Dragon Bonus, Perfect Pair, Egalité (specific tie totals). House edges range from 4% to over 30%. They make the game feel livelier. Ignore them.
The math, in one sentence
If you bet at all, bet Banker — and never the tie. (Exception: commission-free tables where Banker wins with 6 pay only 0.5:1 shift the edge. Check the posted rules first.)
Section 08 · Betting Systems
Systems are for your head, not your odds.
None of these will beat the casino. What they give you is a rule for how much to bet next. A betting system is a discipline tool, not a winning formula.
The truth
No betting system changes the fact that the house extracts its edge over enough hands. The only real winning strategy is discipline: fixed bankroll, strict loss limit, pre-decided walk-away point for wins. The mathematics doesn't move.
Section 12 · Live Simulator
Sit down. Play a shoe.
Everything you've just read, in a live deck. Pick a chip size, choose Player, Banker, or Tie, and deal. The tableau runs automatically. Bankroll, streaks, and stats are tracked live.
Punto Banco · Live
8-deck shoe · Banker wins pay 0.95:1 · Tie pays 8:1
Bankroll
$1,000
How it plays
Two cards are dealt to Player and Banker. Cards 2–9 count face value, 10s and courts count zero, Aces count 1. Hand totals drop the tens digit (so 7 + 8 = 15 → 5). A third card may be drawn for either side following a fixed tableau the dealer handles for you. Closest to 9 wins.
百家樂
Punto · Player
Banco · Banker
Your shoe · Big Road
Player
Banker
Tie
No hands yet. Deal a few and your road fills in left-to-right.
Hands
0
Player Wins
0
Banker Wins
0
Ties
0
Net
$0
—Place a bet and deal to begin the shoe.
Section 10 · Focus
Before you sit down.
Rules and odds tell you how the game works. These five habits decide how long your bankroll lasts and what you walk away with.
- Math Bet Banker by default. House edge is 1.06%, the lowest of any main bet in the casino. Player sits at 1.24%, close enough not to matter in practice. Tie carries a 14.36% edge. The 8:1 payout does not make up for how rarely it hits.
- Sizing Keep your base bet at 2% of bankroll or less. A $500 session means $5 to $10 chips. Lower minimums are not worse. They give you runway to survive a cold stretch without rebuying.
- Avoid Skip the side bets. Pair, Dragon Bonus, Perfect Pair, Egalité all carry house edges between 4% and 30%. That is up to thirty times the cost of a Banker bet. Stick to the three main wagers.
- Mindset Roads don't predict anything. Every coup is independent. The shoe has no memory. A streak on the big road is fine to watch. It is not a signal to bet.
- The rule Set a loss limit and a win target before you sit. When you hit either, you leave. Walking away up 30% while your gut says "one more shoe" is the hardest habit in baccarat, and the one that keeps your winnings.
Bonne chance.
— La maison salue ses joueurs