The rules in this guide apply for the standard game of Live Baccarat at casinos online. Note that some of sites might implement different set of rules. Generally, these are pretty much the same, no matter where you play baccarat. Note that Punto Banco has slightly different game rules.
The objective of the player in the casino game Live Baccarat is to predict whose hand will win, by having the value closest to nine.
The game is hosted by a dealer and is played with eight standard 52-card decks. Card values are as follows:
- Aces are the lowest cards and are worth 1 point each.
- Cards from 2 to 9 are worth their numerical face values.
- 10s and face cards (jacks, queens and kings) are each worth 0.
Live Baccarat Rules
The rules of this popular casino game are simple to learn. Only the numeric value of each card is relevant in the main Live Baccarat game. The card’s suit – hearts, spades, clubs or diamonds – is irrelevant.
Before you get the cards dealt, you have to place your live baccarat bet. You bet on whether the Player or the Banker wins the game round by having the baccarat hand with a value closest to nine. The Player has another betting option – that the game will end up in a Tie. This happens when both the Player and Banker get baccarat hands of exactly equal value.
The casino dealer starts with dealing 2 cards to the Player and 2 to the Banker.
In total two hands are dealt in the game of Baccarat:
- one to the Player
- one to the Banker.
If both of them hold hands of equal value, the game ends in a tie. The Tie bet wins, and bets on the Player and Banker push, which means that the bet is being returned to the casino player.
The value of each hand is calculated by dropping the 10s digit in a baccarat hand, if it is worth 11 or more. This means that an 8 and a 9 together as card combo are only worth 7 in the game of Baccarat, as 17 less 10 is 7.
If anyone – Player or the Banker – gets an initial two-card hand worth 8 or a 9, this is called a natural eight or nine. No extra cards will be dealt to either hand.
If both the Player and Banker get the value of 0-7 as their first two-card hands, the so called Third Card Rule applies. This happens in order to decide, whether one more card has to be dealt to either Player or Banker or both.
Baccarat Player Hand
Player’s initial 2-card hand
0-5: Player draws one more card.
6-7: Player stands.
8-9: Is called a natural. No more cards to either hand.
Player pays 1 : 1
Baccarat Banker Hand
D stands for Draw; S stands for Stand
Live Baccarat Banker pays 1 : 0.95, as 5 per cent commission is charged
If the hand of the Player stands on a 6-7, then a Banker hand of 3-5 must draw, while that of 6 must stand.
Whoever gets the hand closest to a total of nine wins the Baccarat round.
Tie bets pay 8 to 1.
Baccarat Side Bets
- Player Pair – Pays if the first two cards dealt to the Player constitute a pair.
- Banker Pair – Pays if the first two cards dealt to the Banker constitute a pair.
- Perfect Pair – Pays 25:1 if 2 identical cards in terms of value and suit have been dealt as the first 2 cards to the Banker or the Player. Perfect pair can also give the casino player as much as 200 to 1. This happens only in case 2 identical cards – of the value and suit – are dealt as the first 2 cards to both.
- Either – that one pays 5 to 1 if the first 2 cards that were handed out to either the Banker or the Player are of equal value or are of the same suit.
- Player Bonus – Pays when the Player wins the round on a natural 8 or 9 or by at least four points.
- Banker Bonus – Pays when the Banker wins the round on a natural 8 or 9 or by at least four points.
Player/Banker Bonus Payouts
Hand Combination Odds
- Non-Natural hand wins by 9 points, 30:1
- Non-Natural hand wins by 8 points, 10:1
- Non-Natural hand wins by 7 points, 6:1
- Non-Natural hand wins by 6 points, 4:1
- Non-Natural hand wins by 5 points, 2:1
- Non-Natural hand wins by 4 points, 1:1
- Natural win, 1:1
- Natural tie, Push
Please note that any malfunction voids the game round and all eventual payouts for the round. Bets will be returned.
Live Baccarat Return to Player
The optimal theoretical return to player percentage for Live Baccarat is 98.94%. RTP fo optional Side Bets in Live Baccarat are as follows:
- Banker Pair 89.64 per cent
- Player Pair 89.64 per cent
- Perfect Pair 91.95 per cent
- Either Pair 86.29 per cent
- Player Bonus 97.35 per cent
- Banker Bonus 90.63 per cent