How to Play French Baccarat.

This is slightly different to the English and American version where players wager on either the ‘banker' or the ‘player', in the French game players are either the ‘banker' or the ‘player'. The casino has no direct involvement in the game and players play amongst themselves, the casino provides the necessary equipment, and as a result take a 5% commission on all the winning hands. Understanding how to play the French version means you have the option of playing if you are actually in France or playing online at French casinos, therefore giving you more places to play.

Two hands are dealt and a player places a bet on which hand will be closest in value to 9, the choices for hands are either ‘banker' or ‘player'. Each of the two dealt hands has a minimum of two cards and a maximum of three cards. Baccarat is played in eight rounds. The first and the third cards drawn are for the ‘player' hand, and the second and fourth cards drawn are for the ‘banker' hand.

Face cards and 10's are worth zero, aces are worth one and all the other cards are valued according to their number, i.e. 2 is worth 2, 3 is worth 3... If a third card is requested, it should be drawn according to the three-card-rule described below in the table. If the points value of the first two cards drawn, regardless of the value of individual cards, is 8 or 9 it is called a ‘Naturel' (in French), the equivalent in English is the ‘Natural', no more cards can be requested.

The hand with the highest value, or the closest in value to 9, wins. The earnings are equivalent to the bet. If each hand is identical no-one wins, all bets are neither lost nor won.

If the two first carts have a total of:
Sum                                  Result
1,2,3,4,5,0                         Nul (remember it's in French- no win)
6,7                                    Arrêt (meaning stand/stop)
8,9                                    Arrêt (meaning stand/stop)

Bankers Rules
When a player stops/stands on a 6 or 7, the banker must continue if he has a total of 0,1,2,3,4 and 5 and stop/stand only when he reaches 6, 7, 8 and 9. The banker must continue. The banker must continue if he has a total of 0, 1 or 2 and re-use the banker's rules.
Banker has: Draw when the players 3rd card:  No draw when players 3rd card:

3                1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9,0                           8
4                2,3,4,5,6,7                                  1,8,9,0
5                4,5,6,7                                       1,2,3,8,9,0
6                6,7                                            Arrêt (stop/stand)
7                -                                               Arrêt (naturel)
8-9             -

For explanations of different versions of Baccarat click here.