Baccarat

Overview

Baccarat is a casino card game in which two hands, Player and Banker, are dealt and the hand closest to 9 wins. You only bet on which hand will win, or on a tie, and the cards are dealt by fixed rules, so there are no decisions to make. In an eight-deck game the house edge is 1.06% on the Banker bet, 1.24% on the Player bet and 14.36% on the Tie bet.

Baccarat, in the form played in most casinos (often called punto banco), is one of the simplest table games. Two hands are dealt: the Player hand and the Banker hand. These names are only labels. Neither is you, and neither is the casino. You place a bet on Player, on Banker or on a Tie before the cards are dealt, and the game then plays out automatically according to fixed drawing rules. There are no choices about taking another card, so the result depends only on the cards.

Cards are counted by their last digit. Cards 2 to 9 are worth their face value, 10, J, Q and K are worth zero and an ace is worth 1. A hand's value is the last digit of the total, so a hand of 7 and 8 is worth 5 (15 becomes 5). The hand closest to 9 wins. A first two-card total of 8 or 9 is called a natural and ends the round immediately.

On winzap.vip, at the time of writing, the casino lists Baccarat among its table games and live-dealer games. In a live version the dealer deals real cards in a studio, while automated versions use software. Rules, side bets and limits differ by provider. In an eight-deck game, the Banker hand wins slightly more often than the Player hand, so winning Banker bets usually have a commission of 5% taken from the winnings. Even so, Banker has the lowest house edge of the three bets, at 1.06%, and Tie has by far the highest, at 14.36%.

Everything on this page is information only. This site (Winzap AI) does not run any game, take any bets or hold any money. Real-money online gaming is restricted in India, and the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 prohibits online money games: see our legal guide (/guides/is-online-gambling-legal-in-india) first, and you must be 18 or older.

Goal

Bet on which hand, Player or Banker, will be closest to 9, or on a Tie

Card values

Cards 2 to 9 count at face value, 10, J, Q and K count as zero and an ace counts as 1. A hand's value is the last digit of the total

Naturals

A two-card total of 8 or 9. When either hand has a natural, no more cards are drawn

Outcome frequencies (8 decks)

Banker wins about 45.86% of rounds, Player about 44.62% and Tie about 9.52%

House edge (8 decks)

Banker 1.06% (with 5% commission), Player 1.24%, Tie 14.36%

On winzap.vip

Baccarat is listed in the casino and live dealer games at the time of writing; side bets and limits are set by each provider

How to play Baccarat

1. 1Open the table and read the rules: the payouts for Player, Banker and Tie, the commission on Banker (usually 5%) and the table limits.
2. 2While the betting window is open, place your chips on Player, Banker or Tie. You can bet on more than one, though the main bets are usually Player or Banker.
3. 3The dealer deals two cards each to the Player and Banker hands. Cards 2 to 9 are worth face value, 10 and the face cards are worth zero, and an ace is worth 1.
4. 4Each hand is totalled and only the last digit counts, so 7 and 8 make 5. A hand of 8 or 9 on the first two cards is a natural and the round ends immediately.
5. 5If neither hand has a natural, the third-card rules say automatically whether the Player and then the Banker draw one more card. You do not make any choice.
6. 6The hand closest to 9 wins. A winning Player bet pays 1 to 1, a winning Banker bet pays 1 to 1 less the commission and a winning Tie bet pays 8 to 1. If the result is a tie, Player and Banker bets are normally returned.
7. 7A new round starts. Each round is independent of earlier ones.

Rules

• Card values: 2 to 9 are worth face value, 10, J, Q and K are worth zero and an ace is worth 1. Only the last digit of a hand's total counts.
• Two cards are dealt to each of Player and Banker. If either hand totals 8 or 9 (a natural) no more cards are drawn, and the higher natural wins.
• Player draws a third card on a total of 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7.
• If Player stands, Banker draws on a total of 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7. If Player draws a third card, Banker's decision depends on Banker's own total and on the value of Player's third card, following a fixed table: Banker always draws on 0 to 2, always stands on 7 and decides according to the table on 3 to 6.
• Winning Player bets pay 1 to 1. Winning Banker bets pay 1 to 1 less a commission, typically 5% of the win. A winning Tie bet usually pays 8 to 1.
• If the round is a tie, bets on Player and Banker are normally returned (a push).
• Some providers offer side bets, such as bets on a pair, and some offer commission-free versions with different rules. Always read the rules inside the game.

Bets, payouts & house edge

Payouts, commissions and side bets differ between providers and casinos. Always read the rules shown at the table or in the game before anything else. Playing among friends has no house, so none of this applies there.

Tips for playing sensibly

Common myths

Variants

Glossary

Player

One of the two hands. It is only a label, not the person betting.

Banker

The other hand. It is only a label, not the casino.

Tie

A round in which Player and Banker have the same total. A separate Tie bet pays 8 to 1.

Natural

A hand of 8 or 9 on the first two cards. It ends the round immediately.

Commission

A percentage, usually 5%, taken from the winnings of a Banker bet.

Shoe

The box that holds the shuffled cards, usually eight decks, from which the dealer deals.

Punto banco

The standard version of baccarat in which the drawing rules are fixed and players only bet.

Push

A bet that is returned unchanged, such as a Banker or Player bet when the round is a tie.

Baccarat FAQ