How to Play Baccarat: Player, Banker, Tie and Payouts
How to play baccarat: Player, Banker and Tie bets, card values, the third-card rule in one simple table, the 5% commission and the house edge on each bet.
In this guide
- How does baccarat work?
- Baccarat card values
- Player, Banker and Tie: payouts and house edge
- What is a natural in baccarat?
- The third-card rule, simplified
- Baccarat side bets
- No Commission baccarat
- Speed Baccarat
- How does XXXtreme Lightning Baccarat work?
- Do baccarat roads predict anything?
- Smart habits for baccarat
- Where to play baccarat on ChampBet
To play baccarat, you bet on which of two hands, Player or Banker, will finish closer to 9, or that they will tie. After you bet, you make no more decisions: the dealer deals two or three cards to each hand by fixed rules. Cards 2 to 9 count at face value, 10s and picture cards count 0, Aces count 1, and only the last digit of the total matters. This guide covers how to play baccarat, the payouts, the third-card rule and the house edge on every bet.
How does baccarat work?
Baccarat is a card game where you back one of two hands. Despite the names, Player and Banker are just labels: you are not the player and the casino is not the banker. You can bet on either hand, or on a tie. The hand closest to 9 wins, and winning bets are paid at fixed odds.
A round runs like this:
- Bet on Player, Banker or Tie (plus any side bets) before the timer closes.
- Two cards each. The dealer deals two cards to Player and two to Banker.
- Naturals. If either hand totals 8 or 9, both stand and the round is settled.
- Third cards. Otherwise, each hand may draw one more card under the third-card rule below.
- Settlement. The higher total wins. Equal totals are a tie.
Baccarat card values
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 |
| 2 to 9 | Face value |
| 10, Jack, Queen, King | 0 |
When a hand goes past 9, drop the first digit. A 7 and an 8 make 15, which counts as 5. A King and a 9 make 9. So the highest possible total is 9 and no hand can bust.
Player, Banker and Tie: payouts and house edge
The three main bets are Player, Banker and Tie. Player pays 1:1. Banker pays 1:1 minus a 5% commission on winnings in standard games. Tie pays 8 to 1. The house edge is lowest on Banker, about 1.06%, then Player at about 1.24%, while Tie carries about 14.36%.
| Bet | Pays | ₦1,000 winning bet | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | 1:1 | Win ₦1,000 | about 1.24% |
| Banker | 1:1 less 5% commission (0.95:1) | Win ₦950 | about 1.06% |
| Tie | 8:1 | Win ₦8,000 | about 14.36% |
These figures come from PlaySmart, the responsible gambling site of Ontario’s lottery corporation, which lists baccarat’s house edge for each bet. PlaySmart also notes that ties happen only about 9.6% of the time. That is why 8 to 1 looks generous but costs so much: a tie would need to pay more than 9 to 1 to be fair.
On a tie, Player and Banker bets push and your stake comes back.
What is a natural in baccarat?
A natural is a two-card total of 8 or 9. If the Player or the Banker hand has one, nobody draws again and the round ends there. A natural 9 beats a natural 8, and two equal naturals are a tie.
The third-card rule, simplified
If neither hand has a natural, the dealer applies the third-card rule. You never need to act on it, since the dealer and the game software apply it for you, but knowing it helps you follow the round.
Player’s hand goes first:
| Player’s first two cards total | Player… |
|---|---|
| 0 to 5 | Draws a third card |
| 6 or 7 | Stands |
| 8 or 9 | Natural, round over |
Then the Banker’s hand. If Player stood on 6 or 7, Banker draws on 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7. If Player drew a third card, Banker follows this table, where “0” means the Player’s third card was a 10 or a picture card:
| Banker’s total | Banker draws if Player’s third card is | Banker stands if Player’s third card is |
|---|---|---|
| 0, 1 or 2 | Any card | None, always draws |
| 3 | Anything except 8 | 8 |
| 4 | 2 to 7 | 0, 1, 8 or 9 |
| 5 | 4 to 7 | 0 to 3, 8 or 9 |
| 6 | 6 or 7 | Anything else |
| 7 | None, always stands | Any card |
An example round. Player gets 2 and 3, a total of 5, so Player draws: a 7, making 12, which counts as 2. Banker has 6 and a King, a total of 6. Player’s third card was a 7, so Banker on 6 draws. Banker gets a 3, making 9. Banker wins 9 to 2, and a ₦1,000 Banker bet wins ₦950.
Baccarat side bets
Most live tables offer side bets on top of the main three. Common ones are Player Pair and Banker Pair (the first two cards of a hand form a pair) and Perfect Pair (a pair of the same suit). Evolution lists side bets with odds of up to 200 to 1 on its baccarat tables. CREEDROOMZ Speed Baccarat adds Sum Bonus and Tie Bonus bets paying up to 50x.
Side bets pay more because they win far less often, and most carry a higher house edge than Player or Banker. Check the RTP for each side bet in the table’s help screen before you add one.
No Commission baccarat
Some tables drop the 5% commission. In Evolution’s No Commission Baccarat, Banker wins pay 1:1, except when Banker wins with a total of 6, which pays only half your stake (0.5:1). The house still has its edge; it has just moved from every Banker win to that one result.
Speed Baccarat
Speed Baccarat plays by the normal rules, but the cards are dealt face up and pauses are kept short. Evolution says its Speed Baccarat rounds last about 27 seconds, against about 48 for its standard game.
The Speed Baccarat tables at ChampBet come from CREEDROOMZ. The CREEDROOMZ Speed Baccarat page lists face-up dealing, the Sum Bonus and Tie Bonus side bets, and roadmaps that track past results. Faster rounds mean more bets per hour from the same stake size, so set your budget by time as well as by money.
How does XXXtreme Lightning Baccarat work?
XXXtreme Lightning Baccarat is an Evolution variant that adds random multipliers to winning hands. In each round, four to eight Lightning Cards are drawn from a virtual 52-card deck and given multipliers of 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 8x or 10x. If your winning hand includes matching Lightning Cards, your winnings are multiplied.
The cost is a 50% fee added to your total bet, shown in the game screen. A ₦1,000 bet therefore costs ₦1,500 in total. Evolution’s XXXtreme Lightning Baccarat page says three matching Lightning Cards can multiply winnings up to 1,000x. Wins like that are very rare, while the fee is paid on every round, so most rounds simply cost more than a standard table.
Do baccarat roads predict anything?
No. Live baccarat tables show roads, such as the Bead Road and the Big Road, which record the results of past rounds. They are a history, not a forecast. Whatever the road shows, the house edge on Player, Banker and Tie stays the same, so betting on a “streak” changes nothing.
Smart habits for baccarat
- Stick to Player or Banker if you want the lowest house edge.
- Treat Tie and side bets as expensive extras, if you play them at all.
- Set a budget and a fixed stake. Our bankroll management guide shows a simple way to size your bets.
- Ignore the roads when choosing a bet.
Where to play baccarat on ChampBet
Open the Baccarat tab of the ChampBet live casino, or type Speed Baccarat or XXXtreme Lightning Baccarat into Game Search. Live baccarat counts towards the Daily Live Casino Cash Rebate, full terms apply. New to live tables? Start with how live casino works, then compare how to play blackjack and how to play roulette. For account questions, see the ChampBet casino help page.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to bet on Banker or Player in baccarat?
On the numbers, Banker. Its house edge is about 1.06% even after the 5% commission, against about 1.24% for Player. The gap is small and neither bet beats the house over time. The Tie bet is the one to avoid, with a house edge of about 14.36% at 8 to 1.
Why is there a 5% commission on Banker bets?
The drawing rules make the Banker hand win slightly more often than the Player hand. If Banker paid a full 1:1, the bet would favour players. The 5% commission on Banker wins brings the payout to 0.95:1, so a winning ₦1,000 Banker bet pays ₦950.
What is a natural in baccarat?
A natural is a two-card total of 8 or 9 for the Player or the Banker hand. When either hand has a natural, no more cards are drawn and the round is settled straight away. A natural 9 beats a natural 8, and two equal naturals are a tie.
What happens to Player and Banker bets on a tie?
In standard baccarat, Player and Banker bets push on a tie, so your stake comes back and nobody wins or loses on those bets. Only the Tie bet wins, usually at 8 to 1. Some variants change payouts, so check the table's help screen.
What is Speed Baccarat?
Speed Baccarat uses the normal rules but deals the cards face up with minimal pauses, so rounds finish much faster. Evolution says its Speed Baccarat rounds take about 27 seconds against about 48 for its standard game. More rounds per hour also means more money staked, so set a budget.
