Baccarat has two hands called Player and Banker. Those are labels on the table, not you versus the casino. You usually choose which hand you think will finish closer to nine, or make a separate Tie bet, before the cards are dealt.
How the score works
Aces count as 1. Cards 2–9 keep their face value. Tens and picture cards count as 0. If the cards add to more than nine, only the last digit counts: 7 + 8 is 15, so the hand scores 5. Two cards are dealt to each hand first; a fixed third-card rule may then add another card. You do not choose whether either hand takes it. The Washington State Gambling Commission’s game description sets out an example of these rules.
Only the last digit counts
The three main bets
- Player: wins if the Player hand finishes higher.
- Banker: wins if the Banker hand finishes higher. A standard table may deduct a commission from the payout.
- Tie: wins only if the final scores match. It is a different bet with a different payout.
What changes between tables?
Check the Banker commission, Tie payout, minimum stake and any side bets. A “no commission” version may replace the fee with an exception on a particular result; it is not automatically the same deal. Evolution’s baccarat overview describes several such variants. Scoreboards showing previous Player and Banker results are a history, not a prediction.
Read the Help screen for the version in front of you. See Table Games and House Edge Explained. Adults only, where legal.
Source check: the Washington State Gambling Commission’s baccarat description explains the scoring used here. Example checked 12 November 2026; table variants can differ.