Baccarat Rules and Drawing Table: Points, the Third Card and No-Commission Play
Baccarat has just two hands, Player and Banker, and the one closer to 9 wins. You never have to decide anything: whether a hand draws a third card is fixed by the rules. This guide puts point counting, naturals and the full Player and Banker drawing rules into one table, then deals three hands card by card.
Counting points
- A is 1, 2 to 9 are face value, and 10, J, Q, K are 0.
- Add up the cards and keep only the last digit: 7 + 8 = 15 counts as 5.
- The best total is 9 and the worst is 0.
Cards are dealt Player, Banker, Player, Banker, two each. If needed, Player draws a third card first, then Banker decides. Each side has at most three cards.
Naturals: 8 or 9
If either Player or Banker has 8 or 9 with the first two cards (a natural), neither side draws and the totals are compared straight away.
Player's drawing rule
| Player's first two | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5 | Draws | Takes a third card. |
| 6–7 | Stands | No third card. |
| 8–9 | Natural | Nobody draws. |
Banker's drawing table
If Player did not draw, Banker follows the same rule: draw on 0–5, stand on 6–7. If Player drew a third card, Banker's action depends on that card's value:
| Banker total | When | Banker draws if Player's third card is |
|---|---|---|
| 0, 1, 2 | Always | Anything. |
| 3 | Mostly | Anything except 8. |
| 4 | Depends | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. |
| 5 | Depends | 4, 5, 6, 7. |
| 6 | Depends | 6, 7. |
| 7 | Never | Always stands. |
The game handles all draws for you, so you do not need to memorise this. Knowing it just lets you see what is coming as the cards turn over.
What you can play: no-commission baccarat
| Bet | Pays | Wins when |
|---|---|---|
| Player | 1 to 1 | Player has the higher total. Returned on a tie. |
| Banker | 1 to 1 | Banker has the higher total; a Banker win on 6 pays half (1 to 2). Returned on a tie. |
| Tie | 8 to 1 | Both totals are equal. |
| Player / Banker pair | 11 to 1 | That side's first two cards have the same face (two 7s, for example; a 10 and a J are both 0 but are not a pair). |
| Super 6 | 15 to 1 | Banker wins with 6 (two or three cards alike). |
MacePlay plays no-commission baccarat: there is no 5% commission on Banker; instead a Banker win on 6 pays half. Every round draws from a complete 8-deck shoe, so earlier rounds never affect the next one.
Three hands, card by card
Example 1: both sides draw
Dealt in order: Player 2♠, Banker 9♦, Player 3♥, Banker 6♣.
- Player 2 + 3 = 5; Banker 9 + 6 = 15, 5. No natural.
- Player on 5 draws a 7♠: 2 + 3 + 7 = 12, now 2.
- Banker on 5 with Player's third card a 7 falls under “5 draws on 4–7”, so Banker draws the K♥ and stays on 5.
Banker 5 beats Player 2: Banker wins, not on 6, so a Banker bet pays 1 to 1.
Example 2: Banker wins on 6 (Super 6)
Dealt in order: Player 3♠, Banker 2♦, Player 2♥, Banker 4♣.
- Player 3 + 2 = 5; Banker 2 + 4 = 6.
- Player on 5 draws an 8♠: 3 + 2 + 8 = 13, now 3.
- Banker on 6 with Player's third card an 8, which is not 6 or 7, so Banker stands.
Banker wins on 6: a 1,000 Banker bet pays half and returns 1,500 (stake plus 500); a 100 Super 6 bet pays 15 to 1 and returns 1,600.
Example 3: a natural, nobody draws
Dealt in order: Player 8♠, Banker 5♦, Player K♥, Banker 2♣. Player has 8 + 0 = 8, a natural, so Banker cannot draw on 5 + 2 = 7. Eight beats seven: Player wins.
Common questions
What happens to Player and Banker bets on a tie?
They are returned. Only the Tie bet wins.
Why does a Banker win on 6 pay half?
That is how no-commission baccarat works: instead of taking a commission on Banker bets, a Banker win on 6 pays half.
Do the scoreboards help?
In MacePlay every round draws from a complete 8-deck shoe, so rounds are independent. Scoreboards show past results and do not affect the next round.
Play baccarat in MacePlay
MacePlay's Golden Hall Baccarat is set in a Macau-style black-lacquer hall, with a dealer who deals and turns the cards by hand. In the live room the whole room shares one round and plays during the same countdown, and you can see which side others choose. Dragon Tiger Duel and Dice Baccarat are there when you want a change.
MacePlay is for adults 18+ and for entertainment only. Virtual coins have no cash value and cannot be exchanged for cash or goods.
Ready? Open a table in MacePlay
Golden Hall Baccarat, dealt by hand; in the live room everyone shares one round.
