Here’s a guide you can take to the bank.

Who says table games need to be confusing? Baccarat keeps things simple while keeping the thrill level high. Place your bet. Watch the action unfold. Get paid out if you win.

No decisions to make (aside from what to bet on). Just stack your chips, hit the Deal button, and see what happens.

The goal of the game? Predict which one of the two hands dealt will win. Simple. Fast. And really rewarding if your bet pulls through.

The rules of the game are easy to follow, but if you’ve never sat down at a table, we’re here to clear everything up. Let’s take a closer look.

First things first: Let’s talk card values

Before we get into the rules, let’s clear up how much each card is worth. If you’ve played Blackjack before, forget everything you know. Baccarat is a whole different beast. You know how an Ace is worth 1 or 11 and a face card is worth 10 in Blackjack? Not in Baccarat. Every card in the deck is assigned a specific point value:

• Tens, Jacks, Queens, Kings = 0 points
• Aces = 1 point
• 2 through 9 = Face value (3 is worth 3 points…5 is worth 5 points…)

How to win at Baccarat

The goal of the game is to bet on which of the two hands on the table — Player or Banker — will get as close to 9 as possible.

In Blackjack, you’ll bust if you go over 21. Same story for the dealer. But in Baccarat, it’s impossible to go over 9. That’s because if you’re dealt a card that takes your point value above 9, the 1 is dropped from the count. Think of it as going back to 0 and continuing to count up. Let’s look at a quick example.

Let’s say your first card is a 5. Next, you’re dealt a 7. Any calculator will tell you you’re holding a 12, but in Baccarat, your hand is valued at 2.

Let’s play a quick game

Step 1: Place your bet

In Baccarat, you’ve got options. You can bet on the Player’s hand, the Banker’s hand, or a tie. The payout for each winning hand varies:

• A winning Player’s bet pays even money
• A winning Banker’s hand also pays even money, but it comes with a 5% commission
• A winning tie bet pays 8 to 1

Step 2: Hit the Deal button

1. The Player will get one card.
2. The Banker will get one card.
3. The Player will get a second card.
4. The Banker will get a second card.
5. If either hand has an 8 or a 9, the game ends and bets are paid out.
6. If neither hand has an 8 or a 9, a third card is dealt.

Third card rules: Who gets what…and when?

Remember how the Banker’s bet pays even money but comes with a 5% commission? That’s because the odds of winning a Banker’s bet are better than winning a Player’s bet. You can think of the 5% commission as a small tax. Your odds might be better, but you’ll pay a little extra when you win.

So why are the odds better? It all has to do with the third card rule. Both the Player’s hand and the Banker’s hand follow a specific set of rules. The Player’s third card rule is straightforward, but the Banker’s hand is a little more complex. Drawing a third card depends on what the Player’s hand is holding.

Third card rules for Player’s hand:

• 8 or 9 points -> No third card
• 6 or 7 points -> No third card
• 0 to 5 points -> Third card dealt, unless the Banker has 8 or 9

Third card rules for Banker’s hand (based on first two cards):

• 0 to 2 points -> Third card dealt, unless the Player has 8 or 9
• 3 points -> Third card dealt if Player’s third card is 0–7 or 9
• 4 points -> Third card dealt if Player’s third card is 2–7
• 5 points -> Third card dealt if Player’s third card is 4–7
• 6 points -> Third card dealt if Player’s third card is 6–7
• 7 points -> No new card is dealt
• 8 or 9 points -> No new card is dealt

And the winner is…

There are no fourth cards in Baccarat. At least two. Sometimes three. But never four. As soon as third card rules are applied, all bets are paid out. If you bet on the winning hand, you’ll get paid.

Find your Baccarat game

At Caesars Palace Online Casino, you’ll find all kinds of Baccarat games. We have standard online Baccarat, Live Dealer versions, and even special versions of Baccarat, like EZ Baccarat and Rising Phoenix Baccarat with unique side bets.

To find your new favorite, just hit Tables at the bottom of the app, and then choose Baccarat on the horizontal scroll bar at the top.

Ready to play? Sign up for Caesars Palace Online Casino today.