Baccarat is one of the most popular card games, both online and in brick-and-mortar casinos. To play baccarat like a pro and fully enjoy the game, you need to understand the baccarat terms.
In this guide, we look at different versions of the game and help you understand the baccarat terms by creating a glossary of words commonly used in the game.
They can help you with the wagering, as well as the baccarat rules while getting you familiar with the table layout and the basic game etiquette.
Top 10 online casinos for playing baccarat in 2023 👑
Rank
Casino Name
Bonus
Casino License
Rating
Get started
Why is baccarat such a popular game? 🔥
Card games have always been popular because of their engaging nature as well as the high return to players. Baccarat is a variation of the card game that accommodates several punters and appeals to both casual and professional baccarat players.
The rules are incredibly simple and few skills are required, with beginners having the same chances to win as veterans. Once you learn how to play baccarat, you can use this knowledge in different types of the games such as Speed Baccarat, Progressive Baccarat, or Baccarat Chemin de Fer.
Baccarat is an immersive card game where punters can bet on the “player” and the “banker” hands and make a profit if their bet wins. There is also the possibility of betting on the tie, which has the highest odds but also the biggest house edge and it is a bet we don’t recommend. Live baccarat is available at most online casinos and instead of algorithms, players compete against real croupiers. The banker bet is the safest one everywhere, while tie bets pay the best but rarely come to fruition.
Baccarat terminology at a glance 📙
Understanding the online baccarat terms shouldn’t be a long and tedious process. Instead, you can get familiar with the baccarat terminology in a few minutes if you focus on learning the main terms. This includes the words commonly used at the baccarat stable as well as the slang you might hear in online casino chat rooms. Learn them to understand what baccarat means and how to play it.
★ Banker bet, player bet, and tie bet: 🅱️ are the three types of wagers that you can place at any baccarat table. The banker bet has the lowest payout and house edge, while the player bet is slightly higher in both regards. Type bets pay the best but they are hard to hit and the house edge is high
★ Natural hand: 😎 this is the best baccarat hand, made of two cards totaling eight or nine.
★ Dragon Tiger: 🐉 is a two-card version of the game that can be found mainly at Asian-facing casinos such as those in the Philippines or China. Online it is less common than chemin de fer and mini-baccarat, but remains a high-paying alternative to three-card baccarat.
★ Muck and discards: 👎 these are actions that refer to throwing in the cards without revealing them, respectively throwing them away without continuing the betting rounds.
★ Baccarat layout and palette: 🗺️ this refers to the layout of the table which differs in different versions of the games such as baccarat Banque, super pan 9, or mini-baccarat. Wagering can also differ in each round of baccarat, and different limits can apply to each game of baccarat
Baccarat etiquette explained 📝
Now that you understand the baccarat terms, it is time to take a glance at the game etiquette. These are the things you should do, respectively avoid when playing the game, whether you do it online or at land-based casinos. It can help you with placing side bets at baccarat, as well as treating the dealers and active players while deploying your preferred winning baccarat strategy and systems.
Popular baccarat variations 🔡
Understanding the baccarat terminology will help you when playing one of the several versions of the game. Baccarat comes in different flavors, but these are the main variations you should know:
✨ Chemin de fer: this is the most popular version of the game and it allows players to bet against each other. It accommodates 12 punters simultaneously, one banker and two dealers, and its name comes from the French term which means “railway”.
✨ Dragon tiger: this version of the game is played mainly in Asia and uses two cards, with punters betting on the Dragon and the Tiger. The goal is still to predict the highest hand and Bad Beat Baccarat can also occur when playing this version of the game.
✨ Mini baccarat: just as the name suggests, this is a smaller version of the classic game, with fewer players but following the same rules as Punto Banco. At some casinos, you can find No Commission Baccarat played in this format, where punters are not charged a fee for betting on the banker.
✨ Baccarat a deux tableaux: in this version of the game the casino will always hold the bank and cover all the bets while playing at two tables simultaneously. It is an action-packed version of the game just like Baccarat Squeeze, which appeals more to veterans than risk-averse punters.
Frequently asked questions about baccarat terms 🤔
Use your baccarat knowledge to ace the game 🎲
Learning the online baccarat terms can help you understand and master all versions of this popular card game. You can play it at virtually any casino, including live dealer ones, so the time spent learning the baccarat terminology will pay dividends.
Keep things simple and bet on the bank all the time, to keep the house edge low and increase the odds of success in the long run. Try different versions of the game, but focus on no commission baccarat, to enjoy the best odds in the long term.