Handbook · 5 min read
Baccarat in plain English
Baccarat has a grand reputation and very simple rules. At Lumen Baccarat you never play a hand yourself. Two hands are dealt, called Player and Banker, and you put chips on the one you think will finish closer to nine, or on a tie.
Counting a hand
Aces count one, two to nine count their face value, and tens and picture cards count nothing. Only the last digit of the total matters: a seven and an eight make 15, which counts as five. The highest possible total is nine.
Naturals
If either hand totals eight or nine with its first two cards, that is a natural and both hands stop. Otherwise the third-card rules decide whether each hand draws one more card.
The third-card rules
Player goes first. With a total of five or less, Player draws a third card; with six or seven, Player stands. Banker's rule then depends on Banker's own total and on the card Player drew:
| Banker total | Banker draws when |
|---|---|
| 0, 1 or 2 | always |
| 3 | Player's third card is anything but an 8 |
| 4 | Player's third card is 2 to 7 |
| 5 | Player's third card is 4 to 7 |
| 6 | Player's third card is 6 or 7 |
| 7 | never |
| Player stood | Banker draws on 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7 |
You never need to remember this: the table applies it for you. It is here because people like to check.
What each bet returns
Player returns twice your chips. Banker returns 1.95 times, a little less, because the drawing rules let Banker finish ahead slightly more often. Tie returns nine times your chips, and on a tie any chips on Player or Banker come back to you. Over a long run Banker and Player both give back almost everything; Tie gives back noticeably less, which is the price of its large return.
Patterns and streaks
Long runs of Banker or Player look meaningful, and they are not. The shoe is shuffled properly and the next hand does not depend on the last. Enjoy the rhythm, keep an eye on the clock, and remember that points have no cash value and playing here does not imply future success at real-money gambling.