Baccarat looks intimidating from the outside, but the player makes only one decision: which side to back before the cards are dealt. Everything after that follows fixed rules.
The three bets
You can bet on the Player, the Banker, or a Tie. Two hands are dealt and the one closest to a total of nine wins. Tens and face cards count as zero, aces as one, and only the last digit of a total counts — so a 7 and an 8 (15) is worth five.
Payouts and the house edge
A winning Player bet pays 1:1. A winning Banker bet also pays 1:1 but usually carries a 5% commission, because the Banker wins slightly more often. The Tie typically pays 8:1. In practical terms the Banker bet has the lowest house edge (around 1.06%), the Player bet is close behind (around 1.24%), and the Tie is the worst value at roughly 14%.
How the third card works
Neither side chooses to draw — fixed drawing rules decide whether a third card is dealt. You never have to memorise them to play, but knowing they are automatic explains why baccarat is a game of chance rather than skill.
A realistic approach
No betting pattern changes the built-in edge, and past results never influence the next hand. Treat baccarat as entertainment, set a budget before you sit down, and stick to the Banker or Player bet if you want the fairest odds.