Baccarat Third-Card Rule: Player and Banker Drawing Tables
In standard punto banco baccarat, fixed rules determine whether the Player or Banker hand receives a third card. Neither side chooses based on preference. The order is natural check, Player action, then Banker action.
The drawing rules do not make the two hands equally likely to win. Payouts and commission are separate from the draw and contribute to the expected return of a wager.
The First Step: Checking for a Natural
Every round begins with two cards dealt to the Punto (Player) and the Banco (Banker). Before any third card rules are even considered, the dealer checks for a “Natural.”
- Natural 8 or 9: If either the Player or Banker has a total of 8 or 9 with their first two cards, the hand is over. No more cards are dealt to either side.
- Tie Naturals: If both sides have an 8 or both have a 9, the result is a Tie.
If no one has a natural, the game moves to the first phase of the drawing rules: the Player’s hand.
Part 1: Third Card Rules for the Player
The Player’s side is remarkably simple. Unlike the Banker, the Player’s decision to draw is based solely on their own two-card total. For standard punto banco, after ruling out a natural on either side:
| Player’s Two-Card Total | Action |
| 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 | Player Draws a third card |
| 6 or 7 | Player Stands |
| 8 or 9 | Natural (No cards drawn) |
If the Player stands (totals a 6 or 7), the Banker then follows these same simple rules: drawing on 0–5 and standing on 6 or 7. However, if the Player draws a third card, the game enters its most complex phase.
Part 2: Third Card Rules for the Banker
When the Player takes a third card, the Banker’s action is determined by their own total and the specific value of the third card the Player received. The table uses the Banker’s two-card total and the Player’s third-card value, not the Player’s final three-card total. Tens and face cards have value 0.
| Banker Total | Banker Draws if Player’s 3rd Card is: | Banker Stands if Player’s 3rd Card is: |
| 0, 1, or 2 | Always Draws | — |
| 3 | 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 | 8 |
| 4 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 | 0, 1, 8, 9 |
| 5 | 4, 5, 6, 7 | 0, 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 |
| 6 | 6 or 7 | 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9 |
| 7 | — | Always Stands |
Worked Rule Examples
If neither hand has a natural, the Player has 5 and draws an 8, the Player’s final total is 3. A Banker total of 3 stands because the Player’s third card was 8. Using the Player’s final total of 3 instead would apply the table incorrectly.
If the Player has 6 and stands, a Banker total of 5 draws. The third-card lookup table is not used in that situation because the Player did not take a third card.
Drawing and Payout Rules Are Separate
Two versions can use the same drawing table and different Banker payouts. A reduced payout on a Banker 6 and a push on a winning three-card Banker 7 are distinct settlement exceptions. See commission and no-commission baccarat.
Testing Claims Need Evidence
A rule summary does not establish that every software implementation or live procedure follows it correctly. A laboratory name or website recommendation is not proof of a specific audit. WinnerOnline does not operate games or guarantee their integrity.
Related Explanations
Read card values and table mechanics, the Banker drawing explanation and odds and house edge.
