What is Baccarat and How to Play It

At this page, we’ll introduce you to Baccarat – one of the iconic games in casinos, with a short history of the game, rules, and probabilities.

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History

Baccarat was created by an Italian gambler named Felix Falguiere in the 1400's. He called it "baccara" (Italian for "zero") because all tens and face cards were worth zero. In the late 15th century, French soldiers returning from the Italian Wars brought the game to France. It became a favorite of King Charles VIII and the nobility.

Later, the game spread to England, where it became a staple of the elite. In the 1950s, it reached Las Vegas via Cuba. This version, known as Punto Banco, simplified the rules so players bet against the house.

Rules

The goal of Baccarat is simple: you bet on who reaches 9 points first: player or banker. But the Player in this game is virtual: it’s not you who plays, and you don’t bet on yourself.

Cards values are as following:

10s and Face Cards (J, Q, K): 0 points.
Aces: 1 point.
2 through 9: Face value.

If the total exceeds 9, the first digit is dropped (e.g., 8 + 7 = 15, which counts as 5).

Mathematical Probability:

Banker wins in approximately 45.86% of cases.
Player wins in 44.62% of cases.
Tie occurs in the remaining 9.52% of cases.

That’s why there is a 5% commission: since the Banker bet wins more often, the casino takes these 5% on every such win.

The Modern Variations

Speed Baccarat: A fast version where cards are dealt face-up immediately, reducing round time to about 27–30 seconds.
Lightning / Golden Wealth Baccarat: A "show" style game featuring random multipliers (up to 8x or more) assigned to specific cards each round.
No Commission Baccarat: A variation where Banker wins pay 1:1 without the 5% tax, except when the Banker wins with a specific score (usually 6), which pays 0.5:1.
Dragon Tiger: A simplified two-card version (one for Dragon, one for Tiger) where the highest card wins.
Peek Baccarat: A unique variant that allows players to "peek" at some of the dealt cards and decide whether to double or triple their bet mid-round.
Baccarat Squeeze: A version focused on suspense, where the dealer slowly reveals ("squeezes") the card edges to build anticipation.