The Banker’s Rules - When the Player’s hand has 3 cards)
In Baccarat, the Banker’s hand and the Player’s hand will initially just have two cards. And with these two cards, it’s possible to produce a winning hand (such as a score of 9). If you get such a “Natural” hand, consider yourself to be very lucky.
However, let’s say there is no winner or tie right away – then the player will (likely) draw a card. And if that happens, there are strict, inflexible rules regarding what the banker can do in terms of drawing another card. In fact, it depends on both the banker’s hand, and the card the player drew. Yes, this all sounds complicated to newcomers, but the good part is that it doesn’t matter to gamblers – these rules are all automatic – all the gamblers need to do is place their bet and collect their winnings (or curse out their bad fortune.)
Ok, to begin, the following rules assume a player already drew a third card (see drawing for another card for more details). This is what the bank will then do:
- If the Player drew a 2 or 3, the Banker draws on 0-4
- If the Player drew a 4 or 5, the Banker draws on 0-5
- If the Player drew a 6 or 7, the Banker draws on 0-6
- If the Player drew an 8, the Banker draws on 0-2
- If the Player drew an ace, 9, 10, or face-card, the Banker draws on 0-3
That’s it in terms of what the banker can do in regards to taking another card. As you can see, it is dependent on both the score, and also the card that the player drew. It’s also completely pre-determined – you (as a gamer at the table) have no control over the drawing of cards in Baccarat – it is pre-determined what will happen. The rules are hard and fast.
As we mentioned earlier, while the mechanics of the Banker’s rules may look complicated, it’s not something to worry about. A croupier will always let the players what’s going on in the game. And after a while, we’re sure you’ll pick it up so you’ll know by experience what’s coming next even before the croupier shout out happens!
May your chips always fall on winning spots. Good luck!
