- Baccarat
Baccarat for Beginners in Alberta: Banker, Player and Tie Explained
Baccarat bets in Alberta come down to three simple choices: Banker, Player or Tie. You don't need any experience to play.
Pick a bet and the cards do the rest. Here's what each term means, how a hand plays out and what each bet pays.
Banker and Player Aren't People
The names trip up a lot of new players. Banker and Player are simply the two hands dealt on the table.
You aren't the Player and the dealer isn't the Banker. You can back either hand before each round.
How a Hand Is Scored
Aces count as one. Twos to nines count at face value. Tens and picture cards count as zero.
Add the cards together and keep only the last digit. A seven and an eight make 15, which counts as five. The best possible total is nine.
How a Round Plays Out
Each hand gets two cards. If either hand totals eight or nine, that's a natural and no more cards are drawn.
Otherwise, a third card may be drawn. Fixed rules decide this, not you. The dealer follows them automatically.
Whichever hand finishes closer to nine wins. Equal totals mean a tie. You choose your bet before the deal, not whether a hand draws another card.
A Quick Example
Player is dealt a four and a three, a total of seven. Banker is dealt a king and a nine.
The king counts as zero, so Banker has nine. That's a natural, the round stops and Banker wins.
What Each Bet Pays
These examples use standard eight-deck baccarat with 5% commission on Banker wins and an 8:1 Tie payout. Your table's rules may differ.
House edge means the casino's long-term mathematical advantage. It does not predict the result of your next hand or session.
The Player Bet
Player pays even money, 1:1. A winning $10 bet earns $10 in winnings, with $20 returned including your stake.
House edge: about 1.24%.
The Banker Bet
Banker wins slightly more often because of the drawing rules. With 5% commission, a winning $10 bet earns $9.50, with $19.50 returned including your stake.
House edge: about 1.06%, the lowest of these three bets under these rules.
The Tie Bet
At 8:1, a winning $10 Tie bet earns $80, with $90 returned including your stake. When the hands tie, Banker and Player bets are returned.
House edge: about 14.36%, more than ten times the Banker bet.
Two Table Types Worth Knowing
No-Commission Baccarat
Some tables drop the commission but pay only half on a Banker win totalling six. With that rule, a winning $10 Banker bet on six earns $5, with $15 returned including your stake.
In that eight-deck version, Banker's house edge is about 1.46%, compared with 1.24% for Player. No commission does not automatically mean a lower house edge.
At PowerPlay Alberta, compare Baccarat Soirée with Baccarat Soirée (No Commission). Check each table's help panel for its actual Banker payout and any exceptions.
Speed Baccarat
PowerPlay's Alberta lobby includes Speed Baccarat 1. Pragmatic Play describes its Speed Baccarat rounds as taking around 27 seconds.
More hands an hour means more betting decisions. Set a spending and time limit before you start.
Other casino lobbies: Rest of Canada | Ontario
Your First Hand
Start with Banker or Player while you learn the rhythm. Check the table's help panel for its commission rules and payouts first.
When you're ready, open the Online Casino Alberta lobby. Stop when you reach your spending or time limit.
18+/19+ only, subject to local laws in your province. Play responsibly. Terms and conditions apply.