Baccarat is a comparing card game played at casinos around the globe where players and dealers face off in trying to achieve the necessary hand total of 9. Similar to Blackjack and other card games, Baccarat has been an intriguing gambling game for centuries now.
With multiple variations of baccarat, depending on the country or even on the cities and city casinos, baccarat is a gambling game popular almost everywhere. Simple and straightforward, without many complications, it is fairly easy to learn, but as is the case with other gambling games, certain terms must be known and recognized in languages other than English. There are around 50 terms below that will teach anyone interested in this game the very basics needed to get ahold of the game:
Action
Making a bet. In baccarat, it also stands for the entire amount of money invested in one gambling session.
Baccarat
Funnily named after the game itself, baccarat means zero or nothing in Italian. This is the weakest hand in the game (only Jacks, Queens, Kings and 10s).
Banco/Banker
The player that takes the role of a card game dealer. In some casinos, banco can be a specific casino employee. The word stands for a banker in Spanish.
Banco Prime
The player right from the Banco, who gets to raise the stakes before any other players make a move.
Banker Bet
The player bets that the banco/banker will have a total hand closer to 9.
Banque/Baccarat en Banque/Deux Tableau
A variant of Baccarat that is more popular in Europe where the banco/banker plays against two different player bets (explained later).
Bankroll
Player’s gambling money. Not tied only to one game or one session.
Burning
Baccarat dealing technique where the first three to six cards are discarded after shuffling.
Caller
The casino staff member who assists with a baccarat game by dealing cards and calling out points.
Carte/Hit me
A term that signals to the banco that the player wants to draw another card.
Chemin De Fer/Railway
It stands for the popular variant, also called European Baccarat. In Chemin De Fer, players are bancos, without an additional dealer.
Cheval/Across
A special baccarat bet that is played in French casinos where both players must win against the banco. If both lose, the banco wins. And if one player wins while the other loses, it is called a tie or a standoff.
Cheques
Special baccarat chips.
Commission/Vigorish
A five percent commission that the casino takes from players winning baccarat bets.
Coup
A Baccarat round where both the banco and the player are dealt a hand.
Cut
The shuffled card deck is split in half in order to avoid players freely counting cards.
Cut Card
A specific non-playing card that is used to split the deck or to mark the need to shuffle the deck again.
Discard Tray
A place on the baccarat table for the discarded cards.
Down Card/Hole Card
A face-down card that is dealt to each player in each round.
Dragon Bonus
A player can bet that his/her hand, which totals 8 or 9, will win against other players’ hands by a specific number. For example, a player can bet a dragon bonus of 5 against a certain player, and if that player has a 9 and the other player less than 4, the dragon bonus applies, along with the baccarat win.
Edge Sorting
A technique used by certain players that can help determine the cards based on the back pattern.
Face Cards
All cards with a portrait - King, Queens, Jacks.
Fading
A term that means a player bets against another player, not against the banco/the banker.
Flat Bet/Flat Betting
When players always bet the same amount, whether they are winning or losing.
High Roller/VIP
Baccarat players who bet high amounts. Also called VIP - very important person.
House Edge
A mathematical advantage that casinos have over the players. Contrary to other gambling games, the house edge is pretty low in baccarat, hence the commission.
Ladderman
Another name for a dealer or banker in a game of baccarat.
La Grande
The best hand in baccarat. When the total amount of card value in a player’s hand is 9.
La Petite
The second strongest hand in baccarat with the total amount of card value in a player’s hand at 8.
Layout
A specific baccarat table layout with boxes and sections unique to certain plays in the game.
Loss Bet
Another term for a bet against the bank/house.
Match Play
A different term for baccarat game bonuses is used to attract and entice new players with promotional offers and discounts.
Mini Baccarat
Smaller version of the game that speeds up the tempo and offers lower limits. There are differences in online and casino versions of mini baccarat - online deals the cards face-up, while the casino deals them face-down.
Monkey
Value card of 10.
Muck
A different name for a stack of eight decks of 52 cards each.
Natural
When the player is dealt a total of 8 or 9 in the first two cards. Automatic win for the player unless the other player has a natural 9, too.
Palette
Dealers or bankers use a long wooden palette to deal cards in casino baccarat games.
Pass
Another name for a won bet in baccarat.
Pit
An exclusive area in the casino where only high rollers play baccarat.
Player Bet
The second most popular bet in baccarat. The player bets he/she will win against the banker and have a total closer to 9.
Punter/Player/Punto/Betto
Different terms for baccarat players, depending on the country. Punter is used in the UK, bettor in the US, punto in Spain, while player is used globally.
Punto Banco/Player Banker
Most played variant of Baccarat that originated in Argentina and later came to the US.
Push
A bet that is held over until another round, and neither wins nor losses.
Run
When players bet on the hands in a row, rather than just at the end.
Shills
A casino employee, usually a great-looking woman, whose job is to create an attractive and glamorous setting for a casino game of baccarat.
Shoe
Automated dealing machine, sometimes used in baccarat to prevent human mistakes. Used both in online and in land games (games played at a specific place).
Shuffle Up
Early-level deck shuffling.
Standoff/Tie
Whenever the players have the same total between them, or a player and a dealer both have the same total.
Streak
A run of certain results, whether consecutive wins or consecutive losses.
Super Pan Nine
Los Angeles Casino Baccarat. In this variant, all players are dealt three face-down cards.
Table of Play
Set of rules that could allow the player to draw another third card. Not connected to the Super Pan Nine variant.
Upcard
Cards that are dealt face-up on the table.
So, there it is! With these terms and some short experience in online or land baccarat games, anyone who wants to try their hand at winning baccarat will find themselves ready to go!
