How to Deal the Hand - If you’re the Banker
The banker/dealer rules for dealing Baccarat the hand are very strict. Despite assumptions about Baccarat, it’s not as close to Blackjack as some might think. Sure, the closest hand to 9 wins but there’s nothing anyone can do (legally) to influence the outcome of the game. Baccarat has more in common with slot machines than card games of skill. This is because of the slightly complicated but always inflexible rules behind dealing the hand and taking new cards.
The dealer is the only person who will be dealing the hand in Baccarat. There are variants where the caller or “Croupier” deals but once they deal the cards, they become a dealer or banker in name. The banker passes out four cards after players place their chips and wager on the Banker, Player, or Tie spots.
The banker passes out four cards face-up. Cards one and three goes to the Player’s hand area and the second card and fourth cards go to the Dealer’s hand area. At this point, it’s possible for the game to have a winning or tied hand. If this happens, the game is over and players collect their winnings if they bet on the correct winner (or tie).If the hands dictate another card be drawn the banker/dealer handles that.
That’s pretty much it in regards to dealing the cards – there’s very little to it, in fact. The bigger question is “who is the banker, and do they actually deal the cards?” The answer is a little complicated: “nobody, everybody, yes, no”.
Confused yet? You won’t be in a second.
In most casinos, the “banker” is just a ceremonial role that is passed around the table (this is common in the variation “Chemin de Fer”). The players themselves do not deal the cards (much to Lefty McNulty’s annoyance.) This is to protect the casino from card cheats (like Lefty) and similar. Players may refuse the role of banker if they wish (in some casinos, the banker is expected to bet the bank, but this is subject to individual venue rules).
Now, there are certain casinos / tables where the players will deal the cards - this is usually reserved for the highest rollers. But this is few and far between, and we doubt you’ll find many venues where they let everyday players deal the cards (and trust us, this is a good thing.) However, as noted earlier, many times, the Chemin de Fer version will have players dealing. It all depends on venue.
See – it’s easy to be “the banker” - you never have to worry about dealing the cards. Just concentrate on collecting your winnings. Good luck!
