Most Popular Baccarat Variants You Can Play at The Casino

Chemin de Fer

Chemin de Fer is one of the oldest baccarat variants still played today.

It typically requires eight to twelve players with six standard card decks. It follows the regular baccarat game rules, with the dealer dealing two banker and two player cards; the hand closest to nine wins. The players can bet on either of them winning or a tie.

The hand values are calculated the same way as in a standard baccarat game — cards from 2 to 9 are taken at face value, jacks, queens, kings, and 10s are worth zero points, and the ace is worth 1 point. The second digit is ignored in all hands that total a two-digit number — so a 15 total becomes a 5, and an 18 becomes an 8.

The major difference between Charmin de Fer and traditional baccarat lies in the bank. Here, players take turns holding the bank instead of the casino.

The player in the banker position places a bet before each hand, and the rest of the players can “go all in” against the banker or place a different bet. Players who choose to go all in have to announce that bet by calling Banco!

More than one player can call Banco! during a single hand. If that happens, the one sitting to the banker’s right has priority over the others and gets the title Banco Prime. This player plays the hand on behalf of all players who bet on the player.

If no player calls Banco!, they all bet at their discretion. However, the sum of their bets must cover the banker’s wager. Whenever the players’ cumulative bet falls short of the banker’s wager, the viewing players can chip in to increase it. The bank raises or removes the excess wager when the players’ bets total more than the banker’s wager.

The outcome of Chemin de Fer is decided when the dealer draws all cards.

• If the two-card hands don’t total 8 or 9 (Natural win), there are a few rules regarding the third card draw.
• The player’s hand always draws on 0 to 4, stands on 6 and 7, and can both draw or stand on 5.
• The banker’s hand rules are more complex — you can find them in the table below.

The player’s hand win pays out 1:1, and banker’s hand win absorbs all the players’ bets. The bets remain on the table if the game ends in a tie.

Punto Banco

Punto Banco is another baccarat variation that enjoys a great deal of popularity in today’s casinos. It was originally introduced in the US in the 1950s, also known as American Baccarat.

Punto Banco plays with six to eight standard card decks and 12 to 14 players. It has traditional betting options:

• Player
• Banker
• Tie

Nevertheless, they’re called Punto, Banco, and Egalite in this variant. The players don’t bet against one another like in Chemin — they bet against the dealer.

The game features the basic baccarat rules we outlined above. The player’s hand draws a third card if it totals 0 to 5 and stands if it totals 6 to 7. The banker’s hand draws a third card if:

• It totals 0, 1, or 2.
• It totals 3, and the player’s total is less than 8.
• It totals 4, and the player’s total is between 2 and 7.
• It totals 5, and the player’s total is between 4 and 7.
• It totals 6, and the player’s total is 6 or 7.

In addition, the banker always stands on 7, 8, or 9, and on 6 when the player’s two-card hand totals in 6 or 7. Punto wins usually pay out 1:1, Banco wins pay out 95:100, minus a 5% commission to the house, and Egalite wins pay out 8:1.

Mini Baccarat

Mini Baccarat is an optimized version of this casino classic.

Mini Baccarat features a smaller table that seats up to seven players and uses eight standard card decks. The dealer handles all the action, so all players have to do is place bets and enjoy. The gameplay is fast and straightforward.

Mini Baccarat shares all its rules with the traditional version of this game. The dealer deals four cards and divides them between the player’s and banker’s hands. All cards are face-down until it’s time to bet. The dealer reveals the second card in each hand, and the players proceed to bet according to standard rules.

Mini Baccarat player’s hand drawing rules are the same as in Punto Banco. The player draws on 0 to 5 and stands on 6 and 7. Banker’s hand rules are slightly different. Banker draws:

• On 3 when the player’s hand totals 0 to 9.
• On 4 when the player’s hand totals 2 to 7.
• On 5 when the player’s hand totals 4 to 7.
• On 6 when the player’s hand totals 6 and 7.

The banker stands:

• On 7,8, or 9.
• On 3 when the player’s third card is an 8.
• On 4 when the player’s third card is a 0,1, 8, or 9.
• On 5 when the player’s third card is 0,1, 2, 3, 8, or 9.
• On 6 when the player’s third card is 0,1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, or 9

This baccarat variant allows players to make extra cash on side bets. Mini Baccarat side bets feature is called Dragon Bonus. It pays out if the hand you’ve bet on is a natural or if it’s higher than the opposing hand by four points. natural wins pay out 1:1, natural ties result in a push, and non-natural outcomes differ in payouts, as shown below.

Baccarat Banque

Baccarat Banque is the most popular variation in European casinos.

Baccarat Banque originated in France, where it was played on two conjoined tables, earning the nickname Baccarat à Deux Tableaux. It seats 10 to 12 players and uses three standard card decks.

Baccarat Banque’s gameplay and rules are similar to those featured in Chemin de Fer. One of the players acts as a banker and bets on the banker’s win. However, they don’t play against the other players like in Chemin, but against the house. They also don’t hold the bank — the casino does.

Another difference between Chemin de Fer and Baccarat Banque is that the players don’t take turns being the Banker. The player with the highest bet remains the banker until the entire card shoe is played.

• The banker sits in the middle of the table, splitting it into two parts.
• The dealer, sitting opposite the banker, deals three cards — two player cards for each part of the table and one banker card.
• The players bet on one or both player’s hands, and the banker bets on the banker’s hand.
• Players can go all in, betting on one or both player’s hands.
• The dealer collects the bets and deals the second card for each hand at the table.

Naturals like 8s or 9s automatically win, while other totals allow players and the banker to draw additional cards.

The drawing rules are the same as the ones in Chemin de Fer. The players act before the banker. After their actions take place, the player’s hand totals are individually compared to the banker’s, and they win or lose.

The player’s hands never compete against each other.