Online Baccarat Glossary

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For a long time, Baccarat was a casino game only played by high rollers in large VIP rooms. That has changed recently as mini baccarat tables with lower limits on the casino floor have brought the game to the recreational gambler.

Online baccarat has opened the game up even more by allowing smaller minimum bets and faster gameplay. While baccarat is most popular in East Asia, players in the United States are starting to gravitate more toward this game for its simple gameplay and low casino edge.

35 Baccarat Terms to Know

If you are new to the game, here is a list of terms you should know prior to playing.

1. Action: Refers to the money that is wagered by the gamblers at a baccarat table.

2. Baccarat: The worst hand a player can have with a value of zero. Translated from Italian, “baccara” actually means “zero.”

3. Banco: Spanish word for bank or banker.

4. Banco Prime: The privilege of the player nearest to the dealer’s right to match the stake wagered by the bank if more than one player has called banco.

5. Banker Bet: The banker bet is the best wager at the baccarat table. It has the smallest house edge of only 1.06%. Here the player wagers that the dealer/banker will have a total closer to 9. A winning banker bet pays even money similar to a player bet. However, the player has to pay a 5% commission on all winning banker bets.

6. Banque: A version of baccarat where the banker deals against two different player bets. This version of the game is more popular in Europe.

7. Bankroll: The amount of money a gambler has set aside for all gambling games.

8. Burning: The discarded cards that will not be used during a hand of baccarat.

9. Caller: Another name for the dealer. He or she deals the initial 2 cards as well as the 3rd cards as the rules allow.

10. Cheval Bet: A special bet mainly played in French casinos that involves two players. The wager wins if both players defeat the banker. The wager loses if both players lose to the banker. If one player wins, and one player loses, the result is a tie known as a standoff.

11. Commission: A small amount of money (5% of the bet) that the casino charges to players that hit winning banker bets. The commission ensures the casino retains an edge on the banker bet.

12. Dragon Bonus: A side bet where the player wagers that a natural 8 or 9 will win the hand by a certain margin. Typically, this margin needs to be by 4 or more. The house edge on the player dragon bonus is 2.65%. The house edge on the banker dragon bonus is much higher at 9.36%.

13. Face Cards: These cards include jacks, queens, and kings of any suit. In baccarat, all of these cards have a value of zero.

14. Fading: Term used when a bet is placed against a specific player.

15. Flat Bet: Placing the same bet amounts for each hand of baccarat.

16. Hand: 1 round of baccarat

17. High Roller: A player that wagers high stakes, typically at least $100 per hand.

18. House Edge: The percent advantage that the casino holds over the player for a given gambling game.

19. Ladderman: Another name for a baccarat dealer. Baccarat commonly has 3 different dealers.

20. La Petite: The second-best hand in baccarat, a natural 8.

21. Loss Bet: Another name for the player bet. Here the player wagers that the bank will lose to the player.

22. Mini Baccarat: A smaller version of a baccarat table that is typically placed outside of VIP rooms on the main casino floor.

23. Monkey: Slang term used in baccarat and blackjack which refers to face cards.

24. Muck: Refers to the eight decks of cards that are used in baccarat.

25. Natural: When the first two dealt cards total an eight or a 9. A natural 9 is the best hand in baccarat.

26. Pass: When the wager wins.

27. Player Bet: The most common bet at the baccarat table. The player bets that he will beat the dealer/bank by getting a total closer to 9. The bet pays 1 to 1 odds. The house edge on this bet is 1.24%.

28. Push: When the wager ties and no money is exchanged.

29. Run: A side bet option which allows players to bet on consecutive hands.

30. Shooter: Another term to describe the bank or dealer.

31. Standoff: Describes when player and dealer have hands of the same value. Neither the dealer nor the player are paid. Tie bets are paid 9-1.

32. Streak: A series of wins by either the dealer or the player. Chasing streaks is a strategy utilized by baccarat players.

33. Super Pan Nine: A baccarat variant where players are dealt 3 hands-down cards. One player acts as the bank.

34. Tie: When the player and the banker hands hold the same value.

35. Tie Bet: This is the 3rd most common bet made at a baccarat table besides player bet and banker bet. Here the player wagers that the outcome of the hand will have no winner. The bet typically pays 9-1 odds, but it has a high house edge of 14.36%.

Baccarat Resources

Confidence is key to be a successful baccarat player. Take advantage of the following blackjack guides to help boost your play: