September 24, 2021

Glossary of Baccarat Terms

Whether you’re as good as 007 or just getting started with baccarat, you need to be familiar with the terminology. Check out our glossary of baccarat terms and you’ll be ready to talk the talk.

Baccarat is often thought of as a game of sophistication, conjuring up images of James Bond and velvet ropes. And while baccarat can be a game of high stakes and broken hearts, it can also be a very approachable, exciting game of sheer luck.

To help take away some of the mystique and help the game feel more accessible, we’ve compiled an alphabetical glossary of baccarat terms as part of our ultimate guide to baccarat.

B

Baccarat

This is the name of the game but also the term for hitting zero, the worst hand you could have.

Banco

The Spanish word for “bank” or “banker.” This is one of only two positions that are played in baccarat.

Banker

One of the two positions on the table in baccarat. People can wager on the Banker or the Player winning the round. If the Banker position does win, then any winning bets will have a 5% commission taken by the house. Otherwise, the payout is 1:1.

Banker Bet

One of the three potential bets you can make in baccarat. If you bet on the Banker position and you win, you will be paid 1:1, minus a 5% commission. Despite this, many argue that making the Banker bet is one of the best baccarat strategies you can follow.

Bankroll

The amount of money you’ve budgeted for gambling.

Banque

Short for the name Baccarat Banque, this is a French variation on the game. It’s played across two tables, and the Banker must play against two Player positions, one at each table.

Burn Cards

Immediately after shuffling and before a new game is started, the dealer will discard the top three to six cards.

Button

In games that pass the position of Banker around the table (like Chemin de Fer), a token will signify who at the table is currently the Banker.

C

Caller

A worker for the casino who is in charge of the cards on the table. They will turn the cards and call out the points.

Carte

The French term for when a player wants a third card. It’s like the French equivalent of “hit me.”

Chemin de Fer

One of the more popular versions of baccarat. It originated in France, and it allows one of the players to play as the Banker against the rest of the players at the table. This variation also allows the Player and the Banker to both choose whether or not to hit or stand on a 5, injecting just a little bit of skill to a game that is otherwise completely based on luck.

Cheques

In brick-and-mortar casinos, the baccarat tables use special chips called cheques. It lends to the feeling of exclusivity for the game.

Commission

Most likely because the Banker Bet is the more favorable bet to make, the house will take 5% from any Banker bet winnings. This keeps the house edge in the casino’s favor.

Coup

A single hand or round of baccarat.

Croupier

The French term for the dealer.

Cut

To split a deck into two after shuffling and then recombine. This is meant to ensure a proper and fair shuffle.

Cut Card

A special plastic card used for cutting the deck after shuffling. A player will insert the cut card into the deck, and the dealer will make the actual cut at that point in the deck. The cards will then be placed in the shoe.

D

Dealer

This is the staff member who draws the cards. In American baccarat (or punto banco), the dealer is in charge of collecting the losing bets and announcing the winning ones. In Chemin de Fer, the player who is in the Banker position will deal from the shoe themselves.

Deux Tableau

Another name for Baccarat Banque, which is played across two large tables.

Discard Tray

When cards have been used (either through burning or after being played), they will go into a separate tray to keep them off of the table.

Down Card

A card that’s dealt face-down (like the first two cards for both the Player and the Banker in Chemin de Fer).

Dragon Bonus

A popular side bet in some forms of baccarat, especially in Chinese and American casinos. A player can wager on a hand winning by a margin of at least four or by having a natural. This type of side bet has a very high house edge, so it’s not often recommended as a playing tactic.

F

Face Cards

These are the jacks, queens, and kings. They are all worth 0 points in baccarat.

Fading

A term for placing your bets.

Flat Bet

When a player always wagers the same amount of money on every round.

H

Hand

The cards that are dealt and played within a single round of baccarat.

High Roller

A player who makes consistently large bets.

House Edge

The mathematical advantage that the casino has over the players, thus guaranteeing the casino can make profits over the long term. The house edge differs depending on which bet you want to make. A Banker bet has a house edge of 1.06%, while a Player bet has a house edge of 1.24%. Meanwhile, the Tie bet has a house edge of 14.36%.

L

La Grande

In French, this means “the big one.” It’s a natural 9 and the best hand you can have in baccarat.

La Petite

In French, this means “the little one.” It’s a natural 8 and the second-best hand you can have in baccarat.

Ladderman

Much like a pit boss, the ladderman oversees the baccarat game. Oftentimes they will sit in a special high chair positioned above the table to keep track of all the action. They ensure that everyone follows the rules and correct any mistakes on behalf of the caller or dealer. The ladderman would also be able to call over security if they spot a cheater.

Lammer

A small, laminated disk used by the dealer to mark how many commissions each player owes on winning Banker bets.

Layout

The felt-covered baccarat table has a series of designated betting sections for players to place their wagers. There are also sections for the cards being dealt out.

Live Dealer Baccarat

An online form of baccarat where you can play remotely but still have a human dealer streaming the game from a casino studio.

Loss Bet

A wager made against the Banker. Any such bet is considered to be a potential loss because a Banker bet has the best chances of winning.

M

Marker

A piece of paper you must sign in order to borrow credit from the casino. If a player says they want to pay off their markers, it means they want to pay back the borrowed amount.

Match Play

A type of play promotion in online casinos to incentivize players. Match play bonuses can be used only in even-money games. Because baccarat pays in even money, online casino players can use match play bonuses and get paid double their cash bet if they win.

Mini Baccarat

A smaller version of baccarat that can have up to seven players at the table. A casino staffer is always the dealer. The gameplay is fast and casual. Mini baccarat also has lower table minimums and is generally more approachable for the vast majority of players.

Monkey

A slang term for a 10 card or a face card, all of which are valued at 0 in baccarat.

Muck

Eight whole decks of cards that get shuffled together and placed in a new shoe. The total number of cards in a muck is 416.

N

Natural

When the first two cards dealt to a position total 8 or 9. A natural 8 would automatically win the round unless the other player has a natural 9, which is the best hand in baccarat.

P

Palette

A long wooden paddle that the croupier uses to move the cards around the table without touching them with their hands.

Pass

Another term for a win.

Pit

The exclusive area of the casino where baccarat is played by the high rollers. It’s often separated from the other areas with a velvet rope.

Player

One of the two positions on the table in baccarat. People can wager on the Banker or the Player winning the round. If the Player position does win, the payout is 1:1.

Player Bet

One of the three potential bets you can make in baccarat. If you bet on the Player position and you win, you will be paid 1:1.

Punter

A British term for a bettor, or someone who is gambling.

Punto

The Spanish word for “player.” This is one of only two positions that are played in baccarat.

Punto Banco

One of the most popular versions of baccarat around the world. It is especially common in North and South America. Its name is Spanish for “Player Banker.”

Push

A tie. Here, you don’t lose your wager and can hold it over for the next round.

R

Railroad

The English translation of the game dubbed Chemin de Fer in French. The name Chemin de Fer/Railroad comes from the fact that the Banker position can move around the table like it’s on a train track.

Random Number Generator (RNG)

To mimic drawing cards from a shoe, online baccarat has to completely randomize what cards appear on the screen. Random number generators are a type of software that randomly determine the sequence of cards. This software makes sure that the game is fair, eliminating the chance of a casino bilking players and keeping players from determining any winning patterns.

Rule Card

A card that’s provided to players that shows the fixed rules of baccarat.

Run

A side bet that allows you to wager on a series of hands in succession.

S

Shill

In the 20th century, casinos would sometimes hire attractive people to sit and play at their baccarat tables to drum up interest from other players. The shill would secretly bet with house money while pretending to be a regular player. It’s a nearly obsolete practice now.

Shoe

Where multiple decks of cards are stored after they are shuffled together. In most casinos, baccarat is played with six or eight decks at a time combined in the shoe. Cards are dealt out one at a time.

Shooter

A slang term for the Banker.

Shuffle Up

Refers to the early shuffling of cards by the dealer.

Standoff

Another name for a push, when both hands result in a tie.

Streak

A number of the same consecutive results. Repeatedly winning is a hot streak or a winning streak, while losing over and over again is a losing streak.

Suivi

In French, this means “follow” and is used in Chemin de Fer when a player has just lost to the Banker and they want to follow up their loss with another round of play.

T

Table of Play

The rules that state when a player can receive a third card. It’s laid out in table format for easy reference.

Tie

This is when the Player and the Banker both have the same value in their hands.

Tie Bet

One of the three potential bets you can make in baccarat. If you bet that the Player and the Banker’s hands will tie and you are correct, the payout is 8:1.