Drawing Cards in Baccarat

The rules of Baccarat are pretty simple, but the drawing rules for Baccarat can get quite complicated. All bets are placed before the cards are dealt, and no other bets are placed until the just before the next hand is dealt. Although the rules for drawing can get complicated, the croupier is not required to consult players regarding additional bets before the cards are dealt. The goal of Baccarat is to choose the winning bet. The winning bet is the hand that is closest to the number 9. Two cards are dealt to the banker and the player, and if they are dealt the same hands then neither hand wins.

The rules for drawing the first two cards are fairly simple, but drawing rules get complicated when and if a third card is required. The rules for this don’t change and to make it easy we’ve listed the drawing rules for both banker and player.

  • If the banker or player’s hand totals 8 or 9, both stand.
  • Players with a total of 6 or 7 must stand
  • When the player stands, the banker must hit if cards total 5 or less.
  • When the player’s hand totals 5 or less the player must hit and is dealt a third card

Some rules for the banker depend on whether the player received a third card. These rules are listed below:

  • Banker will always draw third card with a total of 0, 1, or 2.
  • If the banker’s total is 3 and the player’s third card is 1-7, 9, and 0, the banker must draw a third card.
  • Banker’s total is 4 and player’s third card is 2-7; banker must draw third card.
  • Banker’s total is 5 and player’s third card is 4-7; banker draws third card
  • Banker’s total is 6 and player’s third card is 6 or 7; banker must draw third card.
  • If the Banker’s hand totals 7, the Banker will stand.

These rules govern whether either the player or banker will draw a third card, but because the 10 value cards receive an automatic zero this is a common occurrence. Normal Baccarat play requires that the player and banker are each dealt two cards to get closest to nine, but certain combinations make that difficult and that’s when the third card is required. Players cannot change their bets in the event that at third card is required, and the need for a third card can greatly increase the chances of winning or losing, depending on which hand you bet.

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