Full Round of Play and Drawing a Third Card

A Round of Play, Step by Step

Here is the full sequence of events for a single round of Big Baccarat, as you will experience it from the player’s side of the table.

• Step 1: Place your bets. Place chips in your chosen betting areas before the Caller announces “No more bets, cards please.” You may bet Player, Banker, Tie, and any available side bets. Once the Caller makes the announcement, betting is closed for the round.
• Step 2: Cards are dealt. The customer with the shoe draws four cards. The first and third go to the Player hand; the second and fourth go to the Banker hand. All four are dealt face down.
• Step 3: Player hand is faced. The Caller passes the Player cards to the customer with the highest Player wager. That customer turns the cards face up, and the Caller announces the Player’s point count.
• Step 4: Banker hand is faced. The Banker cards are faced. The Caller announces the Banker’s point count.
• Step 5: Naturals check. If either hand has a point count of 8 or 9 (a natural), the round is over. The Caller announces the winner. Skip to Step 8.
• Step 6: Third cards if required. If no natural exists, the Caller applies the Table of Play. The Player hand may draw a third card; then the Banker hand may draw a third card, depending on the rules. You watch; the Caller directs.
• Step 7: Final counts announced. Once all entitled cards have been dealt, the Caller announces the final point count of each hand and declares the winner: “Bank wins, six over five-eleven,” or “Players win, seven over six,” or “Tie hand, six-six.”
• Step 8: Losers collected. Base Dealers collect all losing wagers from their end of the layout.
• Step 9: Winners paid. Winning Player bets are paid at even money. Winning Banker bets are paid at even money, and 5% commission is marked in your commission box. Winning side bets are paid next, and winning Tie bets are paid last.
• Step 10: Shoe moves if necessary. If the Player hand wins, the shoe moves counter-clockwise to the next willing customer. If the Banker hand won or the result was a tie, the shoe remains with the current customer.
• Step 11: Repeat. The next round begins. Place your bets.

Initial four cards

The first and third cards form the Player hand. The second and fourth cards form the Banker hand. In Big Baccarat, the cards may be passed to customers to reveal, which creates the familiar slow squeeze and dramatic turn. In Mini Baccarat, the dealer usually turns the cards directly.

Card Dealt	Goes To
1st card	Player hand
2nd card	Banker hand
3rd card	Player hand
4th card	Banker hand

Initial Baccarat dealing order.

Who gets the shoe?

In Big Baccarat, the shoe generally stays with the same customer as long as Banker wins or ties. When Banker loses, the shoe is offered to the next eligible seated customer according to house rotation. This tradition is part of the atmosphere, but it does not change the odds and it does not require the shoe holder to bet Banker unless house custom or table procedure says otherwise.

Player Tip: Bank wins, shoe stays. Player wins, shoe moves. Tie, shoe stays. That is the easy way to remember the shoe rotation.

The Player Hand Rule

Player First Two-Card Total	Action
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5	Player draws one card
6 or 7	Player stands
8 or 9	Natural - no more cards are drawn

If the Player total is 0 through 5, the Player hand draws exactly one card. If the Player total is 6 or 7, the Player hand stands. If the Player total is 8 or 9, it is a natural and the hand is over unless the other side also has a natural to compare.

Player rule examples

Player First Two Cards	Player Total	Action
2 + 3	5	Draw one card
Queen + 4	4	Draw one card
Ace + 5	6	Stand
9 + 8	7	Stand
King + 9	9	Natural

Player Tip: The Player hand rule is the easy half of the Table of Play: 0 through 5 draw, 6 and 7 stand, 8 and 9 are natural.

The Banker Hand Rule

The Banker hand rule depends on two things: the Banker’s first two-card total and, if the Player drew, the value of the Player’s third card. This is the part of Baccarat that looks complicated, but the dealer applies it automatically.

When the Player stands

If the Player stands on 6 or 7, the Banker rule becomes simple: Banker draws on 0 through 5 and stands on 6 or 7. If either hand has a natural, no drawing rule applies because the hand is already over.

Banker Total When Player Stands	Banker Action
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5	Banker draws one card
6 or 7	Banker stands
8 or 9	Natural - no more cards are drawn

When the Player draws

If the Player draws a third card, Banker’s action is determined by the Banker total and the Player third-card value. Players do not need to memorize the full table to enjoy the game, but understanding it explains why the dealer sometimes draws to Banker and sometimes stands in ways that seem unusual.

Banker First Two-Card Total	Banker Draws When Player’s Third Card Is	Banker Stands When Player’s Third Card Is
0, 1, or 2	Any Player third card	Never stands
3	0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 9	8 only
4	2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7	0, 1, 8, or 9
5	4, 5, 6, or 7	0, 1, 2, 3, 8, or 9
6	6 or 7 only	0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, or 9
7	Never draws	Always stands

Shortcut rules

• Banker 7 always stands.
• Banker 0, 1, or 2 always draws unless the hand ended as a natural.
• Banker 3 draws except when the Player third card is 8.
• Banker 4 draws if the Player third card is 2 through 7.
• Banker 5 draws if the Player third card is 4 through 7.
• Banker 6 draws only if the Player third card is 6 or 7.

Player Tip: No one at the table gets to vote on the third card. If the table says draw, the card is drawn. If the table says stand, the hand stands. That fixed rule is what keeps Baccarat fast and fair.

Reading Example Hands

The easiest way to learn Baccarat is to walk through complete hands. Focus on three questions: Did anyone have a natural? What did the Player hand do? What did the Banker hand do?

Example 1: Player draws, Banker draws

Player has 2 and 3 for a total of 5. Banker has Ace and 3 for a total of 4. No natural. Player draws because Player has 5. Player draws a 7, making Player total 2. Banker has 4, and Player’s third card was 7, so Banker draws. Banker draws a 2, making Banker total 6. Banker wins, 6 over 2.

Example 2: Player stands, Banker draws

Player has 4 and 2 for a total of 6 and stands. Banker has 3 and 2 for a total of 5. Because Player stood, Banker draws on 0 through 5. Banker draws a 9, making Banker total 4. Player wins, 6 over 4.

Example 3: Player draws, Banker stands

Player has 4 and Ace for a total of 5, so Player draws. Banker has 7 and stands. Player draws a King, which is zero, so Player remains at 5. Banker wins, 7 over 5.

Example 4: Natural

Player has 9 and Queen for a natural 9. Banker has 4 and 3 for a total of 7. The hand ends immediately. Player wins, natural 9 over 7. No third cards are drawn.

Scenario	Player Final	Banker Final	Result
Player draws 7; Banker draws 2	2	6	Banker wins
Player stands 6; Banker draws 9	6	4	Player wins
Player draws King; Banker stands 7	5	7	Banker wins
Player natural 9; Banker 7	9	7	Player wins

Player Tip: When you are new, do not try to predict the third-card rule in real time. Watch the Caller apply it. After a few shoes, the pattern starts to feel natural.

Winning, Losing & Pushing

Banker wins

If Banker wins, Banker wagers are paid, Player wagers lose, and Tie wagers lose. In the standard game, Banker commission is recorded or collected on the amount won. Winning Banker side bets are paid if they qualify under their specific rules.

Player wins

If Player wins, Player wagers are paid, Banker wagers lose, and Tie wagers lose. Player pays even money with no commission in the standard game. Winning Player side bets are paid if they qualify.

Tie hand

If the final point counts are equal, Tie wagers win and are paid according to the posted odds. Banker and Player wagers push, which means they stay on the layout and neither win nor lose. Side bets are resolved according to their own rules; most side bets lose unless their specific winning condition occurred.

Final Result	Banker Bet	Player Bet	Tie Bet
Banker wins	Wins	Loses	Loses
Player wins	Loses	Wins	Loses
Tie	Pushes	Pushes	Wins

Take-and-pay order

The dealers will collect losing wagers first, then pay winning wagers. Do not grab at your chips during the settlement. Wait until the dealer completes the payment and returns attention to the next betting round.

Player Tip: A push is not a win and not a loss. Your original Banker or Player wager remains there for the next round unless you remove or change it before betting closes again.