The game’s winner is chosen by the strength of their hand. Baccarat’s card value rules are rather simple to remember:
- 2 to 9: These are all valid at face value.
- The tens and face cards: These are pointless.
- This earns you one point.
- In baccarat, suits are immaterial, and no joker cards are utilized.
- A natural is a hand worth eight or nine points, and it results in an automatic win.
- The score is the final digit of the card total. Thus, a 9 and a 5 adding up to 14 will receive a score of 4 – the sum’s right-most digit.
When the game begins, both the Banker and the Player are dealt a two-card hand. These are dealt face down in regular baccarat, but face up in various variations. This has no bearing on further gaming.
Depending on the worth of such cards, the player has two options: hit/draw or stand. Because the player’s actions will dictate what the Banker does next, let’s begin there.
Hand of the player
Once their cards are dealt, the player has two options. To hit or draw means to seek the addition of another card, bringing the total to three. To stand signifies that the player continues with their hand’s current value, which is two cards.
If a player obtains a natural, the game is over and the player is declared the winner. If a player’s hand total is 6 or 7, he or she must stand. If the player’s overall score is less than five, they hit/draw. Simple!
Hand of the banker
The Banker’s regulations are significantly more complicated, since they are contingent upon the Player’s actions and the value of their third card. Let us dissect it:
If either the Player or the Banker receives a natural, both stand. This rule takes precedence over all other rules.
If the Player folds, the Banker strikes when he or she has a total of five or fewer. If the Banker’s total is greater, they retain their position.
When the Player hits, the sum of the Banker’s cards and the value of the player’s third card decide what occurs next. The following conditions must exist for the Banker to draw a third card:
Banker possesses a total of zero, one, or two
The banker has three cards, whereas the player’s third card is either a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 9 or a 0. (not 8)
The banker has four cards, while the player’s third card is either a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7.
The banker has a total of five cards, while the player’s third card is either a four, five, six, or seven.
The banker has a total of six cards, while the player’s third card is either a six or a seven.
They always stand if the Banker has a total of seven.