Free Virtual Casino
Open the free baccarat simulator alongside this guide if you want to follow the examples. Start with its default eight-deck, 5% Banker commission table and an 8:1 Tie payout. All stakes below are virtual credits.
What are you actually betting on?
The two hands are called Player and Banker. These are labels on the table: you can back either hand, and choosing Banker does not make you the dealer. A third option, Tie, predicts that both hands will finish with the same total.
This guide covers Punto Banco, the version used by our simulator. You place your bet before any cards appear. From that point, the rules control the deal. There is no hit, stand or double decision to make as there is in blackjack.
The aim: the hand with the higher final total wins. Nine is the highest possible total. A natural nine beats a natural eight; equal totals produce a tie.
Card values: keep only the last digit
| Cards | Value |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 |
| 2 through 9 | The number on the card |
| 10, Jack, Queen, King | 0 |
Add the values, then keep the final digit. A seven and a six make 13, so the hand is worth 3. A king and an eight make 8. If a hand containing a two and a three receives a ten, that ten adds zero and the total stays at 5. Suits do not affect the main result.
An eight or nine on the first two cards is a natural. If either hand has one, both hands stop immediately and their totals are compared. A nine reached with three cards is still a nine, but it is not called a natural.
Player, Banker and Tie: what gets paid?
The table below uses the simulator's standard commission rules. “Profit” means the amount won on top of the stake. “Total returned” includes the original stake. Losing bets return nothing.
| Bet | Profit payout | Profit | Total returned |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | 1:1 | 100 | 200 |
| Banker, 5% commission | 0.95:1 | 95 | 195 |
| Tie, default setting | 8:1 | 800 | 900 |
| Tie, optional setting | 9:1 | 900 | 1,000 |
| Player Pair or Banker Pair | 11:1 | 1,100 | 1,200 |
If the round ties, Player and Banker bets push: a 100-credit stake comes back as 100, with no profit and no commission. You do not need a Tie bet to get that stake back.
Pair bets are separate. Player Pair checks whether the first two Player cards have the same rank; Banker Pair checks the first two Banker cards. Their outcome does not depend on which hand wins the round, and the third card cannot create a winning pair bet.
What changes on the no-commission table?
Our simulator also offers No commission / Super 6. A winning Banker bet normally pays 1:1, but a Banker win with a final total of six pays only 0.5:1. A 100-credit bet then earns 50 profit and returns 150 in total. “No commission” describes how the payout is structured; it does not automatically mean better odds.
The third-card rules, in the right order
The order matters. Check for a natural first, then resolve Player's drawing rule, then Banker's. Each hand receives at most one extra card.
- Natural check: if either initial two-card total is 8 or 9, both hands stand.
- Player: otherwise, draw on 0–5 and stand on 6–7.
- Banker when Player stands: draw on 0–5 and stand on 6–7.
- Banker when Player draws: use the table below.
| Banker's two-card total | Draw when Player's third-card value is… |
|---|---|
| 0, 1 or 2 | Any value |
| 3 | Any value except 8 |
| 4 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 |
| 5 | 4, 5, 6 or 7 |
| 6 | 6 or 7 |
| 7 | Never; Banker stands |
Use the value of Player's third card, not Player's final total. A ten or face card has value zero for this table. The same drawing sequence is described in MGM's baccarat rules guide.
Follow a complete round
Example round
A third card changes both hands
- Player receives 7 + 6: 13 becomes a total of 3.
- Banker receives 2 + 3: a total of 5. Neither hand has a natural.
- Player draws a 4. The new total is 17, which counts as 7.
- Banker has 5 and Player's third card is 4. The table says Banker must draw. A 2 makes Banker's total 7.
- The result is Tie, 7–7. Player and Banker bets are returned; an 8:1 Tie bet of 100 returns 900.
Notice that Banker's draw was compulsory. Even though drawing could improve or weaken a hand, neither the player nor the simulator chooses based on preference.
Why Banker wins more often, but still has a house edge
Banker acts under a different drawing rule and has a small overall advantage in winning the hand. On the default eight-deck commission table, the simulator's reference probabilities are approximately 45.86% Banker wins, 44.62% Player wins and 9.52% ties. These include ties; Banker does not win a majority of all rounds.
Win frequency and expected return answer different questions. Banker's reduced payout matters just as much as its slightly higher chance of winning.
| Bet and payout rule | House edge |
|---|---|
| Banker, 5% commission | 1.06% |
| Player, 1:1 | 1.24% |
| Banker, Super 6 | 1.46% |
| Tie, 9:1 | 4.84% |
| Tie, 8:1 | 14.36% |
| Either pair bet, 11:1 | 10.36% |
A 1.06% edge means about 1.06 credits of expected loss per 100 credits wagered over the long run. It does not mean every 100-credit bet loses that amount, or that a short session must finish close to the average. Switching to six decks changes some figures, especially pair and Tie bets; the simulator's odds panel reflects the selected settings.
What about streaks and the road maps?
The bead plate and road maps record past results. A run of Banker wins does not, by itself, establish that Banker will continue winning or that Player is “due.” The remaining shoe changes as cards are dealt, but a pattern of win labels is not a reliable forecast of the next hand. Raising the stake after a loss changes how quickly the balance can move, not the payout rules. Our Martingale guide explains the cost of repeated doubling.
A short practice session
Choose the standard commission table, keep the virtual stake fixed and follow ten rounds at normal speed. Before each third card appears, check the drawing table and predict whether a card is required. After each round, calculate the total returned before reading the result.
Then switch to Super 6 and look for a Banker win on six. Comparing that payout with a normal Banker win makes the rule difference easier to remember. Judge the exercise by whether you can explain the decisions and payouts, rather than whether those ten rounds happened to win.
Frequently asked questions
Do I choose whether to draw a third card?
No. In Punto Banco, fixed rules decide whether Player and Banker receive another card. You choose your bets before the deal.
Does a tie mean my Player or Banker bet loses?
No. Both main bets push on a tie, returning the original stake. A separate Tie bet wins, and pair bets settle independently.
Is Banker always the lowest-edge bet?
On the standard 5% commission table, Banker has a lower house edge than Player or Tie. Different payout rules can change that comparison; the simulator's Super 6 Banker bet has a higher edge than Player.
Can a hand go bust in baccarat?
No. Only the final digit of the card-value total counts, so every hand finishes between zero and nine.
Can I withdraw the chips from the simulator?
No. All chips are fictional, with no cash value, deposits, withdrawals or real-world prizes. The simulator is for adults aged 18 and over.