The baccarat third card rules
This is the part of baccarat that looks arbitrary from a seat at the table. It is not. It is one short table for the Player hand and one longer table for the Banker hand, applied in that order, every time.
Short answer
If either hand has a two-card total of 8 or 9, both hands stand and nothing else is drawn. Otherwise the Player hand draws on 0 through 5 and stands on 6 or 7. The Banker hand then draws by a table keyed to its own total and to the Player third card: it always draws on 0, 1 and 2, always stands on 7, and on 3 through 6 the decision depends on the card the Player hand drew. If the Player hand stood, the Banker hand simply draws on 0 through 5.
Step 1: naturals
A two-card total of 8 or 9 in either hand is a natural. Both hands stand and the deal is settled immediately. A natural appears on 34.30% of deals in an eight-deck shoe, so a third of all hands never reach the drawing rules at all.
Step 2: the Player hand
| Player two-card total | Action |
|---|---|
| 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | Draw a third card |
| 6, 7 | Stand |
| 8, 9 | Natural, both hands stand |
Across all deals the Player hand takes a third card 50.34% of the time.
Step 3: the Banker hand
The Banker hand acts last and sees the Player third card first. That is the entire reason the Banker bet wins more often, and the reason it carries a commission. Read the table as: find the Banker total on the left, then the Player third card across the top.
| Banker total | Draws when the Player third card is |
|---|---|
| 0, 1, 2 | Always draws |
| 3 | Any card except 8 |
| 4 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
| 5 | 4, 5, 6, 7 |
| 6 | 6, 7 |
| 7 | Never draws |
| 8, 9 | Natural, stands |
If the Player hand stood on 6 or 7, the Banker hand ignores the table above and simply draws on 0 through 5 and stands on 6 or 7. Across all deals the Banker hand takes a third card 43.54% of the time, and the average deal uses 4.94 cards.
Why the rules are shaped this way
Each Banker row is the line where drawing stops paying. On a Banker 6, drawing is only worth it when the Player third card was a 6 or 7, because those are the cards least likely to have improved the Player hand while still leaving room for the Banker hand to gain. The rules are a fixed, pre-solved strategy, which is why the game gives you nothing left to decide.
Common questions
Does the Banker hand see the Player third card?
Yes. The Player hand always completes first, and the Banker draw table is keyed to that card. Acting last with more information is exactly why the Banker hand wins 45.86% of deals against 44.62% for the Player hand.
Can either hand draw a fourth card?
No. Each hand takes at most three cards, so a deal is never longer than six cards.
Do I need to memorize this?
Not to play. The dealer applies the rules for you and you cannot deviate. Memorizing them is worth it only so you can follow the hand and know what card would help. The guided mode in the trainer names the rule as it fires.