Baccarat: The Game of Kings

Baccarat has long been the centerpiece of the high-roller experience, famously associated with James Bond and the glitz of old-world European casinos. In 2026, it remains one of the most popular table games in Australia due to its incredible simplicity and one of the lowest house edges in the casino.

Unlike blackjack, there are no complex decisions to make mid-hand. In baccarat, you are simply betting on which of two hands—the Player or the Banker—will come closest to the value of 9.

The Basic Rules of Play

Baccarat is typically played with eight decks of cards dealt from a “shoe.” The values are calculated as follows:

• Aces: 1 point.
• 2 through 9: Face value (e.g., a 5 is worth 5 points).
• 10s, Jacks, Queens, Kings: 0 points.

How the Score is Calculated

The total of a hand is the sum of its cards, but only the last digit of the total counts. For example:

• If a hand is dealt a 7 and an 8, the total is 15. The score is 5.
• If a hand is dealt a King and a 9, the total is 9. The score is 9.

The highest possible score is 9. If either the Player or Banker is dealt a total of 8 or 9 in their first two cards, it is called a Natural, and the round ends immediately.

The Three Main Bets

There are only three primary outcomes you can wager on in a standard game of baccarat.

1. The Banker Bet

Statistically, the Banker hand wins slightly more often than the Player hand (about 45.8% vs. 44.6%). Because of this advantage, most casinos charge a 5% commission on winning Banker bets.

• Payout: 1 to 1 (minus 5% commission).
• House Edge: 1.06%.

2. The Player Bet

The Player bet is a straightforward wager that the Player’s hand will beat the Banker’s. No commission is charged on these wins.

• Payout: 1 to 1.
• House Edge: 1.24%.

3. The Tie Bet

A wager that both the Player and Banker hands will end with the exact same score. While the payout is tempting, the mathematical probability is low.

• Payout: 8 to 1 or 9 to 1 (depending on the table).
• House Edge: Approximately 14.36%.

Popular Variations in 2026

While the core game remains the same, Australian lobbies often feature different versions to suit different playing styles:

• Punto Banco: The most common version found in 2026. “Punto” stands for Player and “Banco” for Banker. The casino acts as the bank at all times.
• Mini-Baccarat: A faster-paced version played on a smaller table. The dealer handles all the cards, and the table limits are usually much lower.
• No Commission Baccarat: A variant where you don’t pay the 5% fee on Banker wins. However, there is a catch: if the Banker wins with a specific total (usually 6), you only receive a 50% payout.
• Dragon Tiger: A simplified, one-card version of baccarat that is incredibly fast and popular in live dealer suites.

2026 Strategy Tip: “Follow the Banker”

Because the Banker bet has the lowest house edge (1.06%), many seasoned players in 2026 stick to it almost exclusively. Even with the 5% commission, it remains the most mathematically sound bet on the floor. Most experts recommend avoiding the Tie bet entirely, as the high house edge makes it a “sucker bet” over the long term.