Baccarat Basics: Rules, Payouts and House Edge
How to play baccarat and understand card values
This guide covers how to play baccarat: card values, third card rules, payouts, house edge and variants.
Baccarat is a comparing card game played between two hands, the Player and the Banker, and each round has three possible outcomes: Player, Banker or Tie.
In baccarat, aces count as 1, cards 2 to 9 count at face value, and 10s and face cards count as zero. A baccarat hand value is the units digit of the sum of its cards, so the highest possible total is 9.
In punto banco on a live casino Malaysia table, the casino banks the game at all times, and the player bets on which hand will win rather than playing a hand.
Punto banco is purely a game of chance, unlike chemin de fer, which includes an element of player skill. For slot titles instead of card games, see the slot Malaysia section of the lobby.
Baccarat rules for third card draws
If either the Player or the Banker totals 8 or 9 on the first two cards, it is a natural and no third card is drawn.
The Player hand draws a third card on a total of 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7.
If the Player stands, the Banker follows the same rule and draws on 0 to 5; if the Player drew, the Banker's decision depends on its own total and the Player's third card.
The Banker always draws on a total of 0 to 2 and always stands on 7, while totals of 3 to 6 depend on the value of the Player's third card.
Baccarat payouts and banker commission rates
A winning Player bet in punto banco pays 1 to 1, meaning even money.
A winning Banker bet pays 19 to 20, which is even money less a 5% commission charged by the casino on the win.
A Tie bet pays 8 to 1 in the standard game, which is also expressed as 9 for 1. The phrase 9 for 1 includes the return of the original wager within the total amount collected by the bettor.
Some casinos pay 9 to 1 on the Tie bet, as is the case at some UK casinos.
Baccarat house edge across different bet types
With an 8-deck shoe the house edge is 1.06% on the Banker bet in punto banco. With an 8-deck shoe the house edge is 1.24% on the Player bet.
With an 8-deck shoe the house edge on the Tie bet at 8 to 1 is 14.36%. If a casino pays 9 to 1 on the Tie bet, the edge on that bet falls to 4.85% on an 8-deck shoe.
With a 6-deck shoe the Tie bet edge is 14.44%, and with a single deck the three edges are 1.01% (Banker), 1.29% (Player) and 15.75% (Tie).
Baccarat variants and side bets
Evolution's Speed Baccarat plays a round in 27 seconds, against 48 seconds for a standard live Baccarat round.
In Evolution's No Commission Baccarat there is no 5% commission on Banker wins, except when the Banker wins with a total of 6, which pays 0.5 to 1. The Super 6 side bet in No Commission Baccarat pays 15 to 1 if the Banker scores 6.
Lightning Baccarat draws 1 to 5 Lightning Cards each round with random multipliers of 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x or 8x, and adds a 20% Lightning Fee to each player's total bet.
In EZ Baccarat, winning Banker and Player bets pay even money, and the Dragon 7 side bet pays 40 to 1 instead of pushing. A push describes a betting outcome where the wager is neither won nor lost. Chemin de fer emerged later as a two-player version of baccarat banque, named for being quicker than the original game.
Baccarat history, roads and scorecards
The most common version of baccarat today is of Cuban origin, and punto banco developed into a house-banked game in Havana in the 1940s.
Common baccarat roads include the Bead Plate Road, the Big Road, the Big Eye Boy, the Small Road and the Cockroach Road.
Modern baccarat tables often display previous results from the current shoe on scoreboards or road recording forms.
Baccarat side bets and their edges
The Dragon Bonus side bet on the Player hand pays 30 to 1 for a win by 9 points and 1 to 1 for a win by 4, carrying a 2.65% edge. The same Dragon Bonus paytable applied to the Banker hand carries a 9.37% house edge on 8 decks.
The Perfect Pair side bet pays 25 to 1 and carries a 17.07% house edge on 6 decks and 13.03% on 8 decks. The Either Pair side bet pays 5 to 1 and carries a 14.54% house edge on 6 decks and 13.71% on 8 decks.
The Panda 8 side bet in EZ Baccarat pays 25 to 1 with a 10.19% house edge. The Dragon 7 side bet in EZ Baccarat pays 40 to 1 with a 7.61% house edge. The Super 6 side bet at 12 to 1 carries a 29.98% house edge, while at 15 to 1 the edge falls to 13.82%.
Commission-free baccarat variants
In Nepal baccarat, a commission-free version, a Banker win on a total of 6 pays 1 to 2 and the Banker bet carries a 1.46% house edge on 8 decks. In Nepal baccarat the Player and Tie bets carry the same house edge as in regular baccarat.
The 3-Card 6 side bet in a commission-free game pays 100 to 1 for 2 3-card 6s and 8 to 1 for 1, with a 13.37% house edge.
Baccarat odds and probabilities
On 8 decks a baccarat round ends in a tie in about 9.52% of cases. On 8 decks the Banker hand wins about 45.86% of rounds, which is why the Banker bet carries a lower house edge even after the 5% commission.
On 8 decks a baccarat round uses 4 cards 0.378868 of the time, 5 cards 0.303444 of the time and 6 cards 0.317687 of the time.
Evolution live baccarat game variants
In Golden Wealth Baccarat each round has 5 Golden Cards with multipliers of 2x, 3x, 5x or 8x, and a 20% Golden card fee applies. In Peek Baccarat the player can peek at 1 to 4 cards and then double or triple the bet, and a 20% fee applies to Player and Banker bets.
Evolution's Live Baccarat Squeeze uses more than 15 cameras, with close-ups as the dealer squeezes the cards. In Live Baccarat Control Squeeze players peel back an overlay mask on each card, and 2 under-table cameras show the card faces.
Bac Bo is a baccarat-style dice game with 4 dice, 2 for Player and 2 for Banker, and Evolution says its Tie bet pays up to 88 to 1. The Red Envelope feature in Evolution's baccarat tables can raise payouts on Tie and Pair bets up to 88x, with 1 to 3 envelopes per round.
Baccarat Malaysia live tables on Winbox
On Winbox, live tables include Baccarat, Blackjack, Roulette, Sic Bo, dragon tiger, Fan Tan and Poker, dealt by real dealers in real time.
Before taking a seat at a baccarat table, a returning player signs in through the Winbox login page on the app or on Winbox Web.
At Winbox88 Malaysia, Evolution was founded in 2006, featuring a minimum bet of RM0.50 and a maximum of RM100,000 per bet, with titles that include Lightning Baccarat, Lightning Roulette, Lightning Dice, Super Sic Bo and Crazy Time.
Adult participants who learn how to register Winbox can select AE Sexy tables, which provide a minimum bet of RM10 and a maximum of RM100,000 per bet. Table participation is restricted to individuals aged 18+ and requires playing within a budget.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best bet in baccarat based on house edge?
In punto banco baccarat, the Banker bet provides the lowest casino advantage at 1.06% when played with an 8-deck shoe. The Player bet carries a slightly higher house edge of 1.24%, while the standard Tie bet paying 8 to 1 holds an edge of 14.36%.
How do card values and hand totals work in baccarat?
Card calculations assign aces as 1 point, cards from 2 to 9 at face value, and 10s along with picture cards as zero. When summing card points, only the rightmost units digit represents the hand score, establishing 9 as the maximum possible total.
When does the Player or Banker draw a third card?
A total of 8 or 9 on the opening two cards forms a natural, stopping further draws. Otherwise, the Player draws on 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7. The Banker draws on 0 to 2, stands on 7, or draws according to the Player's third card.
How does No Commission Baccarat handle Banker wins?
No Commission Baccarat removes the customary 5% deduction on standard Banker payouts. However, if the Banker prevails with a total of 6, the payout reduces to 0.5 to 1, while the optional Super 6 side wager pays 15 to 1.
What betting limits are available on Winbox baccarat tables?
Winbox lists live dealer studios with their own wagering limits. Evolution, established in 2006, provides table limits ranging from RM0.50 up to RM100,000 per bet on titles like Lightning Baccarat. AE Sexy offers table action with betting limits between RM10 and RM100,000 per bet.