Objective of Baccarat

In baccarat, you (the player) and the dealer (the banker) have the same objective. Your goal (and the dealer’s) is to have a hand that totals as close to 9 as possible.

You are not limited to betting on yourself to win. You can bet on yourself, the banker, or a tie. When you’re first learning how to play baccarat, remember that you are betting on a winner, not your own hand. If your hand doesn’t beat the banker’s you can still win as long as you’ve placed the right bet!

Card Values in Baccarat

The first step to understanding baccarat is familiarizing yourself with the points system. Each card has a specific value. You add the values together to determine how many points your hand (or the banker’s) is worth.

Here are the point values for each type of card in baccarat:

How to Add Up Points

In baccarat, you add up the values for each card in your hand to determine your total. Each player (including the banker) is given two cards to begin the hand. If your cards add up to a double-digit total, you only use the second digit to determine the score. For example:

Now that you’re familiar with the objective and scoring, you can learn how to play baccarat. Below are the basic rules of baccarat. Once you are familiar with them, you’ll be ready for some of the more complex rules included later in this guide.

When you’re first learning how to play baccarat, this can be one of the more complex ideas to understand. The point value of the first two cards in your hand determine whether you stand (meaning you do not receive a third card). You cannot choose whether you stand or draw a card. This is always determined by the rules of the game.

? When the Player Stands

— The player always “plays” first. In other words, you will always stand or draw before the dealer takes his turn.

— If your first 2 cards total 6 or 7, you stand. With a total of 8 or 9, you do not draw because this is a natural win. However, if you have a 6, 7, 8, or 9, the dealer moves on to his hand.

? When the Dealer Stands

— The dealer stands on a 7, 8, or 9.

When Is a Third Card Drawn?

During your first few games playing baccarat, you’ll see that sometimes there is no immediate winner and third card must be drawn. There are very specific scenarios that dictate when a third card is needed and who must draw it. Here’s a breakdown:

? When the Player Draws a Third Card

— If the dealer doesn’t hit a natural win and your 2-card hand totals 0-5, you will receive a third card.

— A player hand totaling 6 or 7 means the dealer must then draw a third card, and that’s where things get a bit more complex.

? When the Dealer Draws a Third Card

The player always goes first. This means that unless you draw a natural win, you’ll either stand or draw a third card before the dealer takes his turn:

— If the player doesn’t draw a third card, the banker stays on a 6 or 7.

— If the player doesn’t draw a third card, the banker draws on a total of 0-5.

If you draw a third card, the banker acts according to the chart below: