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Baccarat Third Card Rule Explained | LeoVegas

Baccarat Third Card Rule Explained

Summary: The Baccarat Third Card Rule determines when players and bankers draw an additional card in the game. If a player's initial two cards total 0 to 5, they draw a third card; otherwise, they stand. For bankers, if the player stands with two cards totaling 0 to 5, the banker draws a third card.

Table of Content:

Online baccarat is a popular two-player table game between the player and the banker. Each round of play in original game is called a baccarat coup, with three possible outcomes.

To decipher the winner, the player or the dealer must finish as close to the number nine as possible. If they both end on the same number, the round ends as a tie.

It is a relatively simple game, but perhaps the most challenging part of playing the baccarat game even for a new player to grasp is the baccarat third card rule.

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What is the Baccarat Third Card Rule?

The game commences with each player dealt two cards. If these two cards do not total at least eight or nine, the baccarat third card rule may come into play. Determining whether this will be the case and a subsequent move draws a third card is dealt depends largely on the total of the cards the player is holding.

If the baccarat third card rule comes into play, and the player receives another card, different third card rules will apply for both the player and the banker moving forward, which is why it can sometimes seem a little complicated to understand. So, let’s break it down.

When does the player need to draw the third card?

If the first two cards dealt to the player total 0 to 5, then a third card is dealt.

If the player has a total of six or seven from their first, two cards are dealt, a third card is not dealt, and the player stands pat.

If the first two cards total eight or nine, this is a natural win, unless the banker also has cards totaling eight or nine, in which case we bet the game would end in a tie.

(Note: a natural nine beats a natural eight and can be a tiebreaker)

Based on this, in a situation where neither hand the player receives a third card, the rules moving forward are summarized as follows.

  • If the player draws a 2 or a 3, the Banker draws with 0–4 and stands with 5–7.
  • If the player draws a 4 or a 5, the Banker draws with 0–5 and stands with 6–7.
  • If the player draws a 6 or a 7, the Banker draws with 0–6 and stands with 7.
  • If the player draws an 8, Banker draws with 0–2 and stands with 3–7.
  • If the player draws an ace, 9, 10, or face card, the Banker draws with 0–3 and stands with 4–7.

When does the banker need to draw the third card?

This scenario is often considered more complex. If the player stands at 2 cards, the banker's hand is then scrutinized, and the baccarat third card rule progresses on the same basis; the banker must take into consideration their own total as well as the cards from the other player's hand to decide whether to draw a third card.

If the player stands pat with their initial two cards and the total of these is between zero and five, the banker will draw a third card.

Things get a little more interesting if the player does have three cards on the table.

  • If the first two cards dealt to the banker, total 0, 1 or 2, the banker will draw, a third card, but as there are now three cards in each hand, neither party can get a natural win.
  • If the first two cards dealt to the bank total 3, they would draw another card, unless the player's third card happens to be an 8.
  • If the first two cards dealt to the banker total 4, they will draw a third card if the player's third card is 2,3,4,5,6 or 7.
  • If the first two cards dealt to the banker, total 5, they will draw a third card if the player’s third card is 4, 5, 6 or 7.
  • If the first two cards dealt to the banker total 6, they will draw a third card if the player's third card is a 6 or 7.
  • If the first two cards dealt to the banker total 8 or 9, and the first two cards dealt to the player did not, the banker is declared the outright winner.

How are the points calculated after drawing the third card in baccarat?

If a third card is brought into play, the points calculated do not differ from a standard two-card hand. The winner is the hand that is closest to 9. A natural win is not possible if it takes three cards to reach 8 or 9, but a three-card 8 or 9 could still be a winning hand if player third card in the opponent's hand does not total 8 or 9.

If the two card or three card total amounts to more than 10, the 1 is dropped to give the banker hand the player their final total. For example, a King and a number six are drawn, that would mean the total is 16. The number one is dropped, to leave the the player and banker in question with a score of six.

Drawing a 10, Jack, Queen or King results in 0 points, and is the most likely outcome from a single card deal because it is statistically four times more likely than a different outcome. This means that often, if you request a third card as a player because your hand is between 0 and 5, statistics are not in your favour, and you are likely to end up exactly where you were before drawing the third card. The only way you can hope to achieve a better hand is if the third card drawn by the other player draws a third that is 1, 2, 3 or 4.

The banker’s rules for a third card are more favourable because they get to compare their hand to the players before deciding, and the rules dictate they only draw a third card if their hand is considered weak. Of course, we know that statistically speaking, the odds are always in favour of the banker bet the casino. The odds that a player will win is 44.6%, whereas the odds of the banker taking the win is 45.8%, not counting ties; the probability that the banker will win against the same player hand is 51:49. This translates to a house edge for the bank abet in baccarat of 1.06%, while the bet on the player house edge is 1.24%.

Although understanding when the baccarat third card rule applies can seem quite tricky, from a player's standpoint it is relatively simple. As a player, all you need to really know about third card rules is that if your hand of two cards totals between zero and five, you would draw a third card.

Baccarat Third Card Rules FAQ

What is the third card rule in mini baccarat?

The third card rule in mini baccarat (or Punto Banco) is as follows:

  • If the player's first two cards equal 0-5, then the player must draw a third card.
  • If the player's first two cards equal 6-7, then the player must stand.
  • If the player's first two cards equal 8-9, then the player has a "natural" hand and no more cards are drawn.

These rules apply to the banker win the player's hand. For the banker's hand, the rules are:

  • If the banker's first two cards equal 0-2, then the banker must draw a third card.
  • If the banker's first two cards equal 3, then the banker will always draw a third card except if the player's third card is an 8.
  • If the banker's first two cards equal 4, then the banker will only draw a third card if the player's third card is a 2-7.
  • If the banker's first two cards equal 5, then the banker will only draw a third card if the player's third card is a 4-7.

These rules are based on the total value of the first two cards dealt third card the banker has to each hand.

Why do you get an extra card in baccarat?

In baccarat, a player receives an extra card, known as the third card, depending on the total value of their hand after the initial two cards are dealt. The rules for drawing the third card are as follows:

If the player's hand total is between 0-5, they draw a third card.

If the player's hand total is 6 or 7, they do not draw another card.

If the player's hand total is 8 or 9, they do not draw another card, and the banker's hand follows the same rules.

What are the drawing rules for baccarat?

The drawing rules for the baccarat table are as follows:

  • The dealer deals two cards to the player's hand and two cards to the banker's hand.
  • The value of each hand is determined by adding up the values of the cards. Cards from Ace to Nine are valued at their pip count, while face cards (Jack, Queen, King) and tens are all valued at zero.
  • If the player's first two cards total 6 or more, then the player must stand without drawing a card. If the player's first two cards total 5 or less, then the player must draw a third card.

What is the tiger rule in baccarat?

The tiger rule in baccarat refers to a specific type of bet that can be placed on the banker's hand. The rules and payouts for the tiger bet on either side may vary depending on the specific variation of baccarat being played. Here are some examples:

  • In Tiger Baccarat at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, the "Big Tiger" bet wins if the banker wins with a point total of six.
  • In Tiger No Commission Baccarat, a commission-free baccarat variant, the tiger bet pays whenever the banker wins with a three-card total of 8.
  • In some versions of baccarat, such as at The Star casino in Sydney, if the banker has three cards, this is known as a "Three Card Tiger" and the payout odds are 22 to 1.

Read more about baccarat in our guides: