All-comprehensive guide to baccarat terminology

However, if you want to improve your chances of winning and to better understand the terms used by the dealer and other players, it would be best to have a good read of the below terms.

Baccarat: Also known as Punto Banco, Baccarat is a table game that uses 6 or 8 decks of cards. The main aim of the game is to place a bet on either the player or the banker’s hand value totalling to the point value 9. The term Baccarat is also known as the worst hand in the game as it equals to a total of zero

Banco: This Spanish word means bank. When it comes to online Baccarat, the dealer is occasionally called the banco.

Bank: This is the hand that is dealt last and acts last.

Banker Bet: This is one of the three betting options you can opt for when playing online Baccarat. You can place a bet on the dealer/banker.

Bankroll: The amount of money you wish to spend on gambling.

Banque: This version of Baccarat is popular in European casinos but rarer in American ones. In Banque, the Banker sits between two connected tables and makes bets against two players, one per table.

Burning: Burning entails the removal of the top 3 to 6 cards after shuffling before the commencement of the game.

Caller: The casino representative that is responsible for the cards at the Baccarat table.

Carte: This French word means to request an additional card from the dealer.

Cheval: This is a type of bet allowed in some Baccarat games. If both players lose, the bet is lost as one might expect. If one player wins and the other loses, the Cheval bet remains where it is. Some games allow for a player holding two sets of cards to make a cheval bet, which is paid to them if they win on both hands. If they only win one hand, that is considered a tie.

Chemin De Fer: A popular Baccarat variation, better known as European Baccarat. Aimed mainly at high rollers, this variant sees one of the players in charge of handing out the cards, taking the bets and playing the bank.

Commission: The house (i.e. the casino) charges a commission on Banker bets, as these are the most likely outcomes. The Banker bet will win 45.86% of the time as opposed to the player’s 44.62% chance of winning.

Because most players will bet on the Banker, the casino charges a percentage commission on Banker wins, usually around 5%. Assuming a 1:1 payout, a bet of £5 on the Banker will reward the player with £10. Because of the 5% commission charged by the casino, which comes to £0.50, the player will actually receive £9.50.

Some casinos lower the commission percentage and some remove it altogether in No Commission games. In the latter, the house will compensate for the lack of commission by paying out at different odds.

Coup: This French word refers to a round of Baccarat entailing both a banker hand and a player hand.

Croupier: The casino’s representative who deals out the cards and oversees the game.

Cut: This term is only used in land-based casino games of Baccarat as in online games, this part is done automatically by the software. Cutting the cards means splitting a shuffled deck of cards in two. The dealer will usually shuffle the cards, place them face-down on the table and ask a player to cut the cards by taking the top half off the deck and placing it on the table. The dealer then places the bottom half on top of them.

Cut Card: In land-based games, the player uses the cut card to cut the deck after it has been shuffled. This card is plastic and usually solid coloured, and the player slides it into the deck to indicate to the dealer where they want the deck to be divided by the dealer.

Deal: A card that is dealt to a player during a game.

Dealer: A representative hired by the casino to manage a table game.

Down Card: When a card is turned face down. It is also known as the hole card.

Dragon Bonus: This is a side bet available to the player that lets them place a wager on how many points the winning hand will have over the losing hand. The bet pays out if the hand is a natural (eight or nine points) or if there is a margin of four points or more.

Edge sorting: This is a technique players use in land-based casinos, some of which consider it cheating. The technique relies on identifying cards by the tiny differences that appear in the pattern on the back of playing cards, a by-product of the manufacturing process. Though casinos frown upon this technique, the argument could be made that it is the casino’s responsibility to ensure that the cards are up to standard.

Face Cards: Face cards are the Jack, Queen and King of any suit.

Fading: This term is only used in baccarat games at land-based casinos as it is essentially a bet made against a person. In other words, Player A is betting on Player B losing. In this example, Player A is a spectator to the baccarat game and is not actually participating, only betting on the outcome.

Flat Bet: When a player places the same amount regardless of whether the hand is a winning or a losing one.

High Roller: Term used for players who make big bets.

Hole Card: Another name for a Down Card.

House: Another term for a casino.

House Edge: The chances and percentage ratio a casino has of winning over players.

House Rules: The regulations of the game, including buy-ins.

Lace: The term used to refer to the act of cards being placed randomly into a stack of cards.

Le Grande: Term used for the number 9 that is dealt in a natural.

Le Petite: Term used for the number 8 that is dealt in a natural.

Loss Bet: A bet against the bank.

Mini baccarat: Mini baccarat is a smaller, faster version of baccarat. It accommodates multiple players at one time and generally offers lower table limits, which makes it a favourite with many players. At land-based casinos, cards are drawn face-down but in online games of Mini Baccarat, the cards are dealt face up.

Muck: This is the name given to the large mass of cards used at the start of shuffling and consists of eight decks of standard playing cards i.e. 416 cards.

Natural: When the two cards received amount to either eight or nine.

Pass: Another term for a win

Player Hand: This is the hand that is played against the dealer (bank). It doesn’t refer to the actual participant in the game. However, it is one of the three available bets in Baccarat.

Punto: A Player.

Punto Banco: Another term for Baccarat.

Push: A bet is neither a winning nor a losing one. The same amount is bet once again in the next round.

Railroad: The English term for Chemin de Fer and played in the same way

Run: A side bet option that allows you to wager on a series of hands.

Shoe: Also known as Sabot, the shoe is the box that holds and dispenses the cards that are to be dealt.

Standoff: Also known as the tie.

Tie Bet: This is the term used when both the dealer and the player get the same amount of points. Neither wins in this case.

Upcard: The card that is dealt facing up.

Play online baccarat at these online casinos

If you have been searching high and low for the best online casino bonuses, fret no more as we have got you covered. We have compiled some of the best top offers right here at JohnSlots. If you are looking for more bonus offers, click on the below button.

Want to learn more about online baccarat? Check out our series of articles highlighting strategies, tips and other guides to help you become a professional online baccarat player. If you are looking for a top online casino bonus, you’re at the right place. Browse through a great selection of online casinos at JohnSlots.