Baccarat: the elegant card game of chance

What can you bet on?

• Player: the Player hand finishes closer to nine.
• Banker: the Banker hand finishes closer to nine. Wins usually pay even money minus a commission, often 5 percent.
• Tie: both hands finish on the same total. It pays more but lands rarely.

How are the cards counted?

Aces count as one, cards two to nine count at face value, and tens and picture cards count as zero. If a hand adds up to more than nine, only the last digit counts, so a seven and an eight make 15, which counts as five.

When is a third card drawn?

Each hand starts with two cards. A third card is dealt according to fixed rules based on the totals, and the dealer handles this automatically. You never have to decide whether to draw.

What should you know before playing?

Check the table's minimum, maximum and commission before you sit down. Previous results shown on the scoreboard don't affect the next hand, so patterns in the history aren't a reason to change your bet.