Baccarat is a card game with almost no decisions, which makes it easy to learn and easy to misjudge. This page covers the three bets, how a hand is settled and how to check what the casino lobby actually offers.
Betfair's casino page names slots, roulette, blackjack, jackpot games and a live casino with roulette, blackjack and game shows. Baccarat is not named in that description, so whether a baccarat table is open to you, and in what format, is something to confirm in the lobby itself. Everything below is about the game in general, so you can judge any table properly once you find it.
You never touch the cards. You bet on which hand will finish closest to nine, and fixed rules handle the rest.
Aces count one, two to nine count face value and tens and picture cards count zero. A hand is the last digit of its total, so twelve is worth two.
Back the player hand, the banker hand or a tie. Once bets are in, two cards go to each side and a third may follow by a set table.
Banker wins usually pay slightly below even money to account for a commission. Read the table's rules, since the exact rate is set there.
Hands are quick, so a table can run through dozens in an hour. Decide your total stake before the first one.
The three bets are not equal, and this is the one place where your choice matters.
Over the long run the banker bet carries the smallest edge, even after commission, and the player bet is close behind.
The tie pays a large multiple but happens rarely, and its house edge is many times that of the other two bets.
Score boards that record previous hands are for entertainment. The next hand is independent of every earlier one.
Cards are dealt quickly, so keep your own record from the start.
Note the table, time and result as you see it, with a screenshot if the lobby allows one.
Open your account history and compare the stored result with what you saw.
Send both to the casino's own help options in one message, and ask a single question.
A table game with fixed rules does not need hype, so we keep this page to mechanics.
Pattern reading and progression plans cannot overcome a negative expectation, and we will not suggest otherwise.
Table types, limits and commission live in the game rules. Trust those over any third-party summary, including this one.
Betfair describes deposit limits, loss limits and a time out of up to 30 days. Use them before the first hand.
Words you will see and hear on a baccarat table.
A two-card total of eight or nine on either hand. A natural ends the round immediately with no further cards drawn.
One of two hands dealt each round. The name has nothing to do with the casino; both hands follow the same fixed rules.
The box holding several decks that feed the table. Live tables replace it when it runs low.
A tie result in which bets on player and banker are returned rather than lost.
Answers to the points readers raise most.
Betfair's own casino description names roulette, blackjack, slots and live game shows but not baccarat. Check the live casino lobby for what is open to you.
The banker bet has the lowest long-run edge and the tie has the highest. Neither is a guaranteed win.
No, it is simpler because you make no draw decisions. That also means skill cannot reduce the edge.
Betfair says its casino runs on a mobile-optimised website and on iOS and Android apps.
Casino lobby guide