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Baccarat is one of the all-time casino classic games. It’s simple from afar – an easy-to-play card game that pits the player against the banker. But there’s a lot more you should know if you’re going to play online baccarat.
That’s why we’ve put together this super helpful glossary of baccarat terms and slang. So you can learn all the lingo and obtain all the info before taking your seat at the table.
Action
Describing the total amount wagered during a baccarat session, or just an individual bet on a game.
Baccarat
The reason we’re here! A classic card comparison game between the player and the banker.
Banco
Spanish for bank or banker. In the game of Baccarat, it refers to the player who has the shoe and deals the cards.
Banco Prime
The player nearest to the dealer’s right can match the stake wagered by the bank if more than one player has called banco.
Banker Bet
One of the three bets you can make in Baccarat, betting on the banker to win the hand. The payout is 1:1 but there’s a 5% commission deducted from winning bets.
Bankroll
The amount of money available to the player during a baccarat session
Banque
A version of baccarat played at two conjoined tables. The Banker sits in the middle and plays with one bet against two Player bets, one at each table.
Burn Card(s)
After shuffling and before the start of a new game, the top three to six cards are discarded – or “burned”.
Caller
The caller turns the cards, calls out the points, and deals additional cards according to the third card draw rules in baccarat.
Carte
The French equivalent of “Hit Me” – used to request another card from the dealer.
Chemin De Fer
A variation of Baccarat, often referred to as European Baccarat, meaning “railway” or “railroad”. In this version, a player acts as the bank, dealing the cards and taking bets.
Cheques
In land-based casinos, Baccarat is played with special chips called cheques, giving a feel of exclusivity.
Cheval
French for across. A “cheval” bet is won if both active players win the bets. The bet is lost if both players lose. If one player wins and the other loses, this is a standoff, with the cheval bet remaining intact.
Some Baccarat games allow for a cheval bet by one player with two hands. If the player wins both hands, the round goes to them. If only one hand is won, it’s a tie.
Commission
The Banker Bet comes with a 5% commission. For example, if the bet is $10 at a 1:1 payout, the win is $10. A 5% commission is taken – in this case $0.5, so the actual win is $9.50.
There are No Commission Baccarat games, but these games find other ways to compensate, like paying 2:1 odds on the Banker bet or 0.5:1 odds (paying $1 on a $2 bet) if the Banker wins with a particular number.
Coup
A French term used to describe a round of Baccarat where one Banker hand and one Player hand is dealt
Croupier
A French term (yes, there’s a lot of them!) for the dealer
Cut
Cutting the cards means dividing the deck of cards in half. The dealer will shuffle and place the cards face down, asking a player to cut by taking a section and placing them on the table. The dealer completes the cut by placing the remainder of cards on top. Simple.
Cut Card
A plastic card used for cutting the deck once the cards have been shuffled. A player inserts the cut card in the deck and the dealer makes the actual cut at that exact point of the deck. The cards are then placed in the shoe.
Dealer
In charge of dealing the cards, drawing extra cards to the Player and Banker hands, and making sure the game runs as it should.
Discard Tray
The place where cards go once burned
Down Card
A card turned face down. Also known as a hole card.
Dragon Bonus
A popular side bet in Baccarat that allows players to not only place a bet on Player or Banker, but also on the number of points that the hand wins with.
The Dragon Bonus pays out if the hand wins with a natural (an eight or a nine) or if the margin is more than four points.
Dragon 7 Bet
A side bet that pays 40:1 when a three-card winning Bank hand totaling 7 points occurs. A player may only place a Dragon 7 Bet if they’ve also placed a player line wager or a dealer line wager prior to the initial deal.
Face Cards
Any picture card, or one with a face on! That’s a Jack, Queen or King.
Flat Bet
Betting the same amount every single hand
Hand
The cards dealt and played with during a game of baccarat
High Roller
A term used for a player who bets with high stakes
House Edge
The casino advantage, highlighted by things like the commission on Banker Bets. But the house edge in baccarat is low, with only blackjack having a lower percentage.
La Grande
French for the Big One. This represents a natural nine, the best hand in Blackjack.
La Petite
The second best hand in Blackjack, a natural eight. And it means Little One, in case you hadn’t guessed!
Ladderman
One of three dealers in a game of baccarat
Layout
The area on the table where the bets are placed
Loss Bet
A bet against the Banker, called a loss bet due to the house edge.
Match Play
Used by casinos to incentivize players to bet. Depending on the casino rules, Baccarat can be considered an even money game and players can take advantage of the match play bonus to get paid double winnings.
Mini Baccarat
A smaller version of the full-size Baccarat table. This mini version offers lower table limits and a fast-paced gameplay. In online versions of Mini Baccarat the dealer will draw the cards face up, as opposed to face down in a land-based casino.
Monkey
A slang term used for a 10-value card – a face card or a ten.
Muck
Eight card decks containing 52 cards each, used before shuffling.
Natural
When the two dealt cards total either eight or nine. A natural eight is a winning hand, ending the round automatically unless the other hand is a natural nine – the best hand in Baccarat.
Palette
The tool used by the croupiers to move the cards around the table
Pass
A win in the game!
Player
You’re the player, obviously. But this refers to one of the three available bets in Baccarat along with Banker and Tie. Player bets pay 1:1 and the house advantage is a bit more than 1%.
Punter
A term used for you, the player.
Punto
From Spanish, also meaning the player.
Punto Banco
Translating as Player Banker, Punto Banco is one of the most popular Baccarat variations worldwide.
Push
A bet that is neither a winning nor a losing one – like when a tie occurs. As in Blackjack, the amount players have wagered is held over for the next round.
Run
A side bet option allowing players to bet on a series of hands
Shoe
An automatic dealing machine used in both land-based and online games, containing six or eight decks.
Shooter
A term used to describe the bank
Shuffle Up
A term that refers to the early shuffling of the cards by the dealer
Skill
Used when a player is on a winning run. You wanna hear this!
Standoff
The outcome of a round when both the Player and the Bank hands have the same value, resulting in a tie.
Streak
The term used for a particular run of form, either way. For example a seven-game winning streak or a six-game losing streak.
Super Pan Nine
A popular variation of Baccarat. All players are dealt three hands-down cards which are scored as in Baccarat. It differs in that one player acts as the bank.
Table of Play
The set of rules which describe the scores allowing players to receive a third card
Tie
Along with Player and Banker, the Tie bet is one of the three possible bets in Baccarat.
The Tie bet pays 8:1 or 9:1 and has a house edge of more than 14%. If no bet is placed on a tie and a tie occurs, the hand is a push.
Upcard
A card turned face up. Easy as that!
Vigorish
The percentage taken from the winnings of a bet by the casino