Baccarat has a way of drawing a crowd without raising its voice. The rules fit on a napkin, rounds move quickly and the table always feels like it knows something you don't. The game is usually traced back to Italy and France. It has since found a home in casinos and live casino lobbies across the world, where it sits comfortably alongside roulette and blackjack.
Part of its appeal is how little there is to decide. Cards from 2 to 9 count at face value, while 10s and picture cards count as zero and an Ace counts as one. A hand's total is the last digit of its sum, so 7 plus 8 makes 5, not 15. The closer a hand gets to 9, the better, and an opening two-card total of 8 or 9 is called a natural. In most versions you simply back the Player, the Banker or a tie, and let the cards do the talking.
This guide walks through the main versions of baccarat, starting with a dice-based twist you can try for real money. If you'd like the basics of the live format first, our Live Baccarat guide is the place to start.
Bac Bo: baccarat with a roll of the dice
Bac Bo keeps the Player versus Banker idea and swaps the cards for dice. Four dice are shaken in four separate shakers. Two form the Player's score and the other two form the Banker's. Each total falls between 2 and 12, and the higher total wins the round.
You can back the Player, the Banker or a tie before the dice settle, and then it's time to watch.
The dice stop one at a time. The Player's first die halts first, followed by the Banker's first. The order of the second pair depends on who is ahead: if the Player's first die is higher, the Player's second die stops first, and if the Banker's is higher, the Banker's second die stops first. That stopping order hints at how a round is going, but nothing is settled until the final die lands.
Ties are handled differently from a standard win. Different payouts apply to different tied totals, and certain ties, such as both sides finishing on 2 or on 12, carry a boosted payout.
It's a quick, bright take on a classic, and a good first stop if cards aren't your thing. Ready to roll?
Punto Banco
Punto Banco is the standard form of casino baccarat, and the version most live tables are built on. The name is Spanish for "Player Banker", which summarises the set-up.
Two hands go head to head, one labelled Player and one labelled Banker. Neither belongs to you and neither belongs to the dealer. They are two sides of the same round, and you choose which one to back or bet on a tie.
The cards come from a shoe, which is a box holding several decks shuffled together. Punto Banco usually uses between six and eight decks, and the dealer handles every card.
What sets Punto Banco apart is that nobody makes decisions about the cards, including you. Fixed rules decide if a third card is drawn, for the Player hand and the Banker hand alike. Your only choice is where to place your bet, which keeps the pace brisk and the table easy to follow. If the third card rule is the part that puzzles you, our Third Card Rule Explained article lays it out step by step.
Most live baccarat tables are based on Punto Banco, so it's the version you are most likely to meet when browsing a lobby.
Mini Baccarat
Mini Baccarat uses the same rules as Punto Banco on a smaller, more compact table. A single dealer handles the cards and the bets, and rounds tend to move faster than at the full-size table.
The cards, the third card rule and the bets are identical to Punto Banco, so nothing new needs learning. The main differences are the pace and the surroundings. Table limits vary from one venue to the next, so it's always worth checking them before you sit down.
Chemin de Fer
Chemin de Fer, often shortened to "Chemmy", is the French take on baccarat, and the name means "railway". It's the most social of the lot, because players compete against each other rather than against the house. Six decks are normally used.
One player acts as the Banker and sets the stake for the round. The others can match that stake by calling “banco”, and if nobody does, they place their own bets in turn.
The Banker deals two cards to themselves and two to the player with the highest bet, who plays on behalf of everyone else. If the Player's hand needs a decision on a third card, it's made at the table, and the choice is sometimes open at a total of 5. When the Player wins, the Banker role passes to the next person in turn.
Because the choices belong to the players, no two tables feel quite the same. That also means rules can often differ, so check them before you join.
Baccarat Banque
Baccarat Banque, also known as à deux tableaux, is the older cousin of Chemin de Fer. Depending on the casino, the house itself may act as the permanent Banker, or the role goes to the player willing to stake the largest amount.
The table is split in two, with the Banker in the middle and a Player hand on each side. Each side has a player who acts on behalf of everyone seated there, and bets from the two sides cannot exceed the Banker's stake. A player who goes bank can only lose three rounds before losing that right.
It's the most formal version of the game here, and it's rarely found outside certain European casinos.
How the versions compare
Version | Cards or dice? | Who decides on the third card? | Pace | Where the action sits |
Bac Bo | Dice | Nobody, as there are no third cards | Quick | Watching the dice stop one at a time |
Punto Banco | Cards | Fixed rules | Steady | Placing your bet |
Mini Baccarat | Cards | Fixed rules | Faster | Placing your bet at a smaller table |
Chemin de Fer | Cards | The players, in some situations | Slower | Taking turns as Banker |
Baccarat Banque | Cards | The players, in some situations | Slower | A single Banker facing two sides of the table |
Why you might choose one over another
Bac Bo suits anyone who likes a quick round with a bit of theatre, since dice are easy to follow and there's no card-counting to think about. The flip side is that it's a looser cousin of baccarat, so the third card rule doesn't apply.
Punto Banco is the easiest version to follow because the rules do the deciding. The trade-off is that you have no say in how a hand is played.
Mini Baccarat offers the same game with a faster rhythm, which can be a plus or a minus depending on how quickly you want rounds to move. Faster rounds also mean more bets placed in the same time, so keep a close eye on your budget.
Chemin de Fer brings more interaction, as you're playing other people. It also comes with more rules to learn and a pace that depends on the table.
Baccarat Banque is the most traditional and the most involved. That depth is the draw, but it's also the hardest to pick up quickly.
Whichever you pick, the bets themselves matter too. The Player, Banker and tie bets carry different payouts and land at different rates, and our Baccarat Odds and Payouts article explains how each one works.
Things to keep in mind at any baccarat table
It's a game of chance. Each round is independent, and nothing that happened earlier makes the next result more or less likely. Streaks and scoreboards can be interesting to look at, but they can't tell you what comes next.
Know the rules before you bet. Versions differ in who decides on a third card and how the Banker role works. Understanding the third card rule saves surprises when an extra card appears.
Look at the table limits. Minimum and maximum bets vary, so pick a table that fits the financial limits you've set.
Treat strategies as context. People talk about different ways of approaching live play, and our piece on
how people approach live baccarat is a good read for context. No approach changes the outcome of a round, though.
Set your limits early and take breaks. Decide how much you're comfortable spending before you begin, use the financial limits tools in your account and step away whenever you like. There's no obligation to keep going.
Baccarat variations FAQs
What are the main versions of baccarat?
The main versions are Punto Banco, Mini Baccarat, Chemin de Fer and Baccarat Banque. Bac Bo is a dice-based take on the same Player versus Banker idea. Most live baccarat tables are based on Punto Banco.
What is the difference between Punto Banco and Chemin de Fer?
In Punto Banco, a dealer runs the game and third card decisions follow fixed rules. In Chemin de Fer, players compete against one another and take turns as the Banker, and some third card decisions are made at the table.
How does Bac Bo work?
Four dice are shaken, two for the Player and two for the Banker, and the higher total wins the round. You can back the Player, the Banker or a tie, and certain tied totals carry boosted payouts.
Now that you're all clued up on the different ways to play baccarat, why not check out what games we've got on the board at MONOPOLY Casino & Sports? See if you can roll into a win.
All offers mentioned correct at the time of writing but may be subject to change.
