You’ll find everything you need to know about how to play baccarat, which includes baccarat rules, as well as which online casinos are the best for online baccarat betting.
Baccarat Basic Rules
Each hand begins with 2 cards, and a third card can be dealt optionally. The total value of the cards is calculated, and the hand closest to 9 wins. If the sum goes on to exceed 9, it resets to 0 instead of reaching 10. For example, a pair of cards showing 6 and 8 has a value of 4 (not 14), while three cards showing 9, 6, and 9 have a value of 4.
How to play Baccarat
At the start of a baccarat game, you’ll be required to place your bet on one of the three different outcomes which can occur in this card game. You can bet on the player to win, banker to win, or for it to be a tie. You’ll be betting on whether you think the player or banker will get closest to nine without going over that value.
Once you’ve played your bet on who you think will win the hand, the dealer will then deal four cards onto the table. Two of those cards will be for the player, and two will be for the banker.
Unlike blackjack, these cards will be visible to all of those at the table. Whoever gets closer to nine without going over that amount will be the winner of the hand. If you’ve placed your bet on the winner of that hand, then your bet will be settled as a winning one.
However, there’s additional rules that you should know about baccarat! If the player’s hand is below the value of five, a third card is then drawn by the dealer to add to the player’s hand.
Below, you’ll find a table which will show you what the dealer must then do with the banker’s hand based on the different outcomes of the player’s hand once a third card is drawn.
| Banker’s Total Value | Player’s 3rd Card | Banker Must Then… |
| 0 | Any | Draw a card |
| 1 | Any | Draw a card |
| 2 | Any | Draw a card |
| 3 | Any card except 8 | Draw a card |
| 4 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 | Draw a card |
| 5 | 4, 5, 6, 7 | Draw a card |
| 6 | 6 or 7 | Draw a card |
| 7 | Any | Stand (No further cards drawn) |
| 8 | Any | Stand (No further cards drawn) |
| 9 | Any | Stand (No further cards drawn) |
Baccarat Card Values
The card values in baccarat are different to that of what they are in blackjack, so it’s important that you’re aware of this before playing baccarat, especially if you’re relatively new to this popular card game which features across online casinos.
Below, you’ll find a breakdown of the value of each card in baccarat.
- Cards 2-9: These cards are all taken at face value, so they hold the same value that is pictured on the card.
- 10, Jack, Queen, King: These cards hold no value in baccarat. They’re worth zero to both the banker and player.
- Ace: This card is worth one in baccarat.
Best Online Casinos for Baccarat
There’s plenty of different online casinos that you can play baccarat on, with some being more popular than others due to potentially having an enticing sign up offer for their casino area.
Below, we’ll take you through our top-three best online casinos for baccarat.
Sky Casino
Sky Casino are a popular choice when it comes to baccarat, and with their glowing reputation in the casino industry, they’re one of our top recommended baccarat sites to use in the UK.
They make it easy for bettors that are playing baccarat for the first time as well, as they have a useful guide at the bottom of their baccarat live casino area. There’s not as much coverage in terms of the depth of baccarat games on Sky Casino compared to bet365 Casino, but they’re still more than worthy of a mention here as a great baccarat betting site to use.
Ladbrokes Casino
Ladbrokes Casino have plenty of positives to shout about, and on their baccarat coverage, they’re deserving of praise. Their site is easy to navigate around, which includes their live casino area, which features plenty of baccarat-related games.
- Great daily cash games
- Easy to find games suited to your style
bet365 Casino
They’re one of the most reputable betting and casino operators in the UK, and bet365 set the bar high when it comes to their baccarat coverage. They have dealers which are on hand to answer any questions you might have whilst playing this card game.
They’ve also got plenty of different baccarat-based games in their live casino area, which includes XXXtreme Lightning Baccarat, Speed Baccarat, and Live Mega Baccarat to name a few.
This operator has a strong sign up offer for new customers as well, and they’re offering up to 200 free spins through ten days of free spins, so they’re well worth looking into if you haven’t done so already.
How to play Baccarat FAQs
The basic rules of baccarat is to get as close to nine as possible with the two cards dealt on the table. The value of cards isn’t always what the cards are, so be sure to check out the table we’ve provided on this page, which covers the value of cards in baccarat in more detail.
You’ll choose to place your bet on either the banker or the player. This means you’re backing one to beat the other based on the value of the cards dealt. The aim of baccarat is to get as close to nine as possible.
No. There isn’t any skill when it comes to baccarat. It’s all a game of chance, and there isn’t any skill or strategy needed, which makes it a popular card game to play for both beginners and more experienced bettors.
