Two hands are dealt, the Player and the Banker; you bet on the one you think comes closer to 9. Nobody makes a choice once the cards are out — the rules decide who draws. This is EZ Baccarat: Banker pays even money with no commission, except a Banker win on a three-card 7 pushes.
Play money only: nothing to buy, no sign-up. The same rules and payouts as below.
The idea
Put your chips on Player, Banker or Tie and tap Deal. Both hands get two cards, and the one closer to 9 wins. The names are just names: you can bet either side, and you’re never playing against the dealer’s choices.
Counting
Cards count their face value. Tens and faces count nothing, aces count one. Only the last digit matters: 7 + 8 is 15, which counts 5. So a hand is always 0 to 9.
Naturals
An 8 or 9 in the first two cards is a natural. If either hand has one, nobody draws and the hands are compared straight away.
Who draws
The Player draws a third card on 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7. If the Player stood, the Banker draws on 0 to 5 too. If the Player drew, the Banker looks at that third card: on 0–2 the Banker always draws; on 3, unless it was an 8; on 4, if it was 2 to 7; on 5, if it was 4 to 7; on 6, if it was a 6 or 7; on 7, never. The dealer does all of this for you.
Winning and pushes
Player and Banker both pay even money. When the Banker wins with three cards totalling 7 — the Dragon 7 — Banker bets push instead: that’s how EZ Baccarat skips the commission. A Tie pays 8 to 1, and Player and Banker bets push on a tie.
Dragon 7, Panda 8 and the pairs
The side bets: Dragon 7 pays 40 to 1 when the Banker wins with a three-card 7. Panda 8 pays 25 to 1 when the Player wins with a three-card 8. Player Pair and Banker Pair pay 11 to 1 when that side’s first two cards are a pair. Fun, but they cost more than the main bets.
The squeeze
Whoever bets the most on a side turns that side’s cards. When it’s you, peel them up slowly by the corner, or tap to flip them. Turn the squeeze off in Settings and the dealer turns everything.
The scoreboard
Every table keeps the shoe’s run. The Bead Plate shows every hand in order, six to a column: blue Player, red Banker, green Tie, with the winning total. The Big Road puts a streak down a column and starts a new one when the other side wins; a tie is a green slash. The cards have no memory — but players love to read the roads.
The tables
Mini Baccarat — $10–$1,000 on Player or Banker; Tie and the side bets $1–$50. The Salon — $25–$2,500 on Player or Banker; Tie and the side bets $5–$200. Privé — $100–$10,000 on Player or Banker; Tie and the side bets $25–$500. The rules and pays are the same at all three.
What every bet pays, and the house edge
The house edge is how much of each bet the casino keeps over the long run — the lower, the better for you.
Bet
Pays
House edge
Player The Player hand wins. Pays even money.
1 to 1
1.24%
Banker The Banker hand wins. Pays even money, no commission — but a Banker win with a three-card 7 is a push.
1 to 1
1.02%
Tie Both hands the same total. Pays 8 to 1 (Player and Banker bets push).
8 to 1
14.4%
Dragon 7 The Banker wins with a three-card total of 7.
40 to 1
7.61%
Panda 8 The Player wins with a three-card total of 8.
25 to 1
10.2%
Player Pair The Player’s first two cards are a pair.
11 to 1
10.4%
Banker Pair The Banker’s first two cards are a pair.
11 to 1
10.4%
Tips
Banker wins a little more often, so it’s the cheapest bet on the table.
Squeeze your cards: peel them up slowly, or tap.
Tie pays 8 to 1, but the house edge is 14%.
The scoreboard shows the shoe’s run — fun to read, but the cards have no memory.
Match play from your host (a comp) waits by your rail: tap it, then Player or Banker. Put at least as much of your own on that bet to match it. The bet wins and the coupon pays even money; it loses and the coupon is taken; a tie, or the Banker’s Dragon 7 push, and it stays for the next hand. Never on Tie or a side bet.
Tip the dealer: drag a chip onto their name tag, or tap the name. Tips are their own line in your stats.