Despite its reputation as an intimidating, elite game played only in private VIP salons, Baccarat is actually incredibly simple.

In fact, Baccarat is arguably the easiest table game in the entire casino, functioning almost exactly like a simple coin flip.

The Basics of Baccarat Scoring

In Baccarat, there are only two hands dealt on the table: the 'Banker' hand and the 'Player' hand.

Cards 2 through 9 are worth their face value, Aces are worth 1, and 10s and Face cards (Jacks, Queens, Kings) are worth absolutely zero.

• The dealer distributes two cards to the Player hand and two cards to the Banker hand
• Depending on the exact totals, a complex set of casino rules determines if a third card is drawn for either side
• You do not need to memorize the third-card drawing rules; the dealer executes them automatically

From Chemin de Fer to Punto Banco

While the core math remains the same, casinos offer several variations to speed up the game or cater to different budgets.

In Mini-Baccarat, the dealer handles all the cards quickly, players cannot touch them, and the minimum bets are much lower.

If you want a low-stress game with fantastic mathematical odds, Baccarat should be your primary destination on the floor.