Live Baccarat Rules
Baccarat is the famous game of choice for secret agents, supervillains and, of course, casino VIPs. Now you can get the Live Casino VIP experience without stepping away from your computer thanks to Live Baccarat at PokerStars Casino. Pit your wits against a real dealer, make a score of nine, and feel like a real high roller - no tuxedo required.
Game Play
The game of Baccarat is a simple one to learn. Once bets are placed, two two-card hands are dealt - one to the ‘Banker’ (the dealer, or the ‘house’) and one to the Player. The object of the game is to score as close to nine as possible in a maximum of three cards. Card values are as follows:
| Card | Point score |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 |
| 2-9 | 2-9, counted at face value |
| 10/Jack/Queen/King | 0 |
If a hand ends up scoring more than 9, only the second digit of the score is taken into account. For example, a hand of 7+5+2 equals 14, and so would score 4.
Players can bet on one of three possible outcomes: a Player Win (paid out at odds of 1:1, even-money), a Banker Win (paid out at odds of 1:1, minus a 5% commission. E.g. a 100 bet returns 195 net), or a Tie (paid out at 8:1).
Drawing Rules
A Baccarat hand plays out according to a fixed set of rules.
For the Player’s hand, these are as follows:
- If the Player (or Banker) is dealt a score of 8 or 9 in their first two cards, known as a ‘natural’ hand, they win (or tie if the opposing hand is worth the same number of points), and a new deal begins. A natural 9 will beat a natural 8.
- If the Player’s first two cards equal 0-5, the Player must draw a third card.
- If the Player’s first two cards equal 6 or 7, they cannot draw a third card and the Banker will draw on a score of 0-5.
The Banker also draws according to a fixed set of criteria:
| Banker’s Two-Card Score | Banker draws third card… |
|---|---|
| 0-2 | Automatically |
| 3 | If Player draws any third card (unless it is an 8) |
| 4 | If Player draws a third card between 2-7 |
| 5 | If Player draws a third card between 4-7 |
| 6 | If Player draws a third card between 6-7 |
| 7-9 | Does not draw |
The Banker will always draw according to these rules, even if they would win by standing on two cards.
Side Bets
| Bet Type | Payout | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Player Pair | 11 to 1 | A side wager which wins if the first two cards dealt to the Player constitute a pair |
| Banker Pair | 11 to 1 | A side wager which wins if the first two cards dealt to the Banker constitute a pair |
* Please note that only one of these side bets can be selected per game.
Drawing rules for both Player and Banker are applied automatically, with no decision-making needed.