Baccarat Terminology

A

Action

Action is used to refer to the total sum of money that is wagered by a player throughout the duration of a game round. It can also be described as a bet or a wager on a game.

Auto Dealing Machine

An auto dealing machine in Baccarat (also referred to as a "shoe") automatically hands out cards to players. The machine can hold multiple decks of cards and can always be found near the dealer at the table.

B

Baccarat

The term "Baccarat," which doubles as the game's name, is used to describe the worst possible hand in the game. When a hand displays cards with 0 value (when the cards equal 10 or 20), it is called Baccarat.

Banco

Also known as banker/bank, "Banco" refers to the dealer in a baccarat game. The banco runs the game and deals cards to the players.

Banco Prime

Banco prime is slang for the player closest to the dealer to match the stake wagered by the bank in an event where more than 1 player at the table announces banco.

Banker Bet

In Baccarat, the Banker bet refers to one of the three available betting options a player can choose when playing.

Banker Position

The Banker position is used to describe the location of the banker at the table.

Bankroll

A bankroll is the total amount of money a player brings to the table to gamble with when playing Baccarat.

Bonus Bet

A bonus bet in Baccarat can be described as an extra wager offered at the table, which may result in a bigger payout for the player. Bonus bets help to make the baccarat game more interesting.

Burning

To burn a card means discarding the first card on the deck after all the cards have been shuffled before starting a new game. It is a trend to burn the first 3-6 cards before starting a baccarat game.

C

Caller

A caller refers to a casino official whose task involves turning cards, calling out points, and dealing out additional cards to players during a baccarat game.

Carte

Carte is a French word that translates to "Hit me" in English, and it is used when a player requests an additional card from the dealer.

Chemin de Fer

Chemin de Fer is a version of Baccarat, also referred to as European Baccarat, whereby a player gets to act as a banker, i.e. operate the shoe to deal out cards, take bets, etc., in a game round. The opportunity for each player to act like a banker is passed clockwise around the table in this version of Baccarat.

Cheval Bet

Cheval is a French word that means "across" when translated to English. A cheval bet is a type of bet used only in European baccarat versions. It is only won if both active baccarat players win the bet, and it is lost when both players lose the bet.

Cheques

Cheques are used to describe the chips that are played during a game of Baccarat.

Commission

In Baccarat, commission refers to the 5% deduction fee taken away by the dealer from a player's winnings from a bet on a banker.

Coup

A coup is a French term that refers to a game round in Baccarat where one of both the banker's and player's hands are dealt.

Cut

Cutting the cards means dividing shuffled cards into two. This action is usually done by the player per the dealer's request. After the dealer has shuffled the cards, the player is asked to cut the card by taking a section of the face-down deck of cards from the top and placing the split section on the table.

Cut Card

A cut card is a special card used to cut the deck of cards in Baccarat.

D

Dealer

Also known as a croupier, a dealer refers to the person responsible for dealing cards, drawing additional cards, and facilitating a smooth game round(s). The dealer can be either a casino official or a player, depending on the Baccarat version.

Discard Tray

A discard tray is a special tray where all the discarded cards during a baccarat game are placed.

Down Card

A down card is used to describe a card faced down on a baccarat table. It is also known as a hole card.

Dragon Bonus

A dragon bonus can be described as a Baccarat bet predicting the number of points the winning hand will have over the losing hand. The bet is won if the number of points the winning hand has over the losing hand is 4 or the winning hand wins outrightly with a natural 8 or 9.

E

Edge Sorting

Edge sorting refers to a technique experienced baccarat players use to identify the value of cards by studying the differences in the patterns of the back of the cards due to their manufacturing process. Although this technique is morally wrong, it is not prohibited from being used when playing Baccarat.

F

Face Cards

Face cards display a picture of a person (either a Queen, King or Jack) on them.

Fading

In Baccarat, fading is used to refer to the placing of bets against your opponent.

Flat Bet

To place a flat bet means for a player to wager the same amount irrespective of whether the player is winning or losing.

H

Hand

A hand in Baccarat describes the cards dealt to each player in a game round.

Hole Card

The hole card refers to the first dealt face-down card.

House Edge

The house edge is used to describe the advantages the casino has over players when it comes to winning bets. It can be in the form of a percentage or ratio. Irrespective of the round's outcome, the house edge always makes sure the casino profits.

L

Lace

Lace refers to the act of randomly placing cards into a stack.

Ladderman

The ladderman is a dealer who is responsible for running the baccarat game in a game round.

La Grande

Also known as "The Big One" in Baccarat, La Grande describes the best possible hand for any baccarat player. It normally contains a natural 9.

La Petite

La petite translates to "The Little One" in English and is the second-best possible hand in Baccarat. It contains a natural 8.

Layout

A baccarat table layout displays the whole structure of the game table. It clearly shows the areas for placing wagers and displays all the betting options available to players, including side bets or bonuses offered by the game.

Losing streak

A losing streak is said to occur where there is a repetitive trend of losing bets.

Loss Bet

A loss bet is used to describe a bet against the bank. It can also be described as a situation where a player loses his/her wager.

M

Mini Baccarat

Mini Baccarat is a smaller form of full-size Baccarat. It offers up to 7 player seats and one dealer. This form of Baccarat also offers lower table limits. In online mini baccarat casinos, the dealer always deals cards to the player face-up, unlike the land Mini baccarat, where the cards are dealt face down.

Monkey

Monkey is a popular baccarat slang used to refer to a 10-value card.

Muck

Muck is a term used to describe decks of 8 valued cards containing 52 cards each.

N

Natural

The two initially dealt cards at hand sum up to 8 or 9. When a natural 8 or 9 is gotten during a game of Baccarat, the round is said to automatically end because a natural 9 is the best possible hand a player can win, and a natural 8 is the second best hand.

P

Palette

A palette is a long wooden rod used by the croupiers at the baccarat table to move cards around the table without touching the card with their hands during the game.

Pass

Pass in Baccarat means a win in the game.

Paytable

A paytable is a common way of referring to the payout table in Baccarat.

Payout

Payout refers to the award paid out to players in a winning game round while playing the baccarat game

Payout odds

The chances of earning a payout are referred to as payout odds.

Pit

A pit is a restricted area in the casino separated by a red rope. This section is where the high rollers who play the game play baccarat with high stakes.

Player

Many people misinterpret the meaning of this term, especially the new players who think this means the people participating in a game. However, this is one of the hands in the three available bets, with the rest being the banker and the tie.

Player bet

A bet on the player's hand winning the banker is known as a player's bet. Winning on this bet attracts no commission.

Punter

A punter is referred to as a person playing the game.

Punto

Punto is a Spanish word in Baccarat that translates to a player in English.

Punto Banco

Punto banco is one of the most widely used baccarat variations and an alias of the game worldwide. It is known in English to be player banker, developed in the 1950s in Argentina.

Push

Push in Baccarat is regarded as a bet that is neither winning nor losing. This is a bet that ends up as a tie. However, some tables regard this tie as a loss, while some give room for the wager to be carried over.

Provider

Otherwise known as a game developer, a provider is a company that creates casino games.

Q

Quik gaming

Quik gaming is a newly introduced online live casino provider established in Malta. Its establishment is aimed at contending with the cut-and-paste template used in today's online casinos.

R

Railroad

A railroad is a popular variation in Baccarat, which in French is referred to as Chemin de Fer. It is very popular in France and was also referred to as Chemmy after being introduced to the USA.

Random Number Generator (RNG)

A random number generator is an algorithm on the computer used by online casinos to ensure that the entire game and outcomes are shuffled randomly.

Rapid Baccarat

Rapid Baccarat is a version of mini Baccarat where players bet on a digital table layout with the dealer sitting in the middle of many computer terminals. This version of Baccarat is the perfect option for beginners as it allows them to wager privately and learn about the game at lower stakes.

Run

Run in Baccarat is a side bet option that allows a player to place a bet on more than one hand.

S

Shills

The use of casino staff members to appeal to the game and, at the same time, attract players is known as shills.

Shoe

A machine is used in Baccarat to deal cards automatically to avoid errors made by manual dealings.

Shooter

In Baccarat, the shooter is referred to as the bank

Shuffled up

A term used to describe the early shuffling of cards done before the start of the game by the dealers.

Side bet

A side bet is an optional additional bet offered at the baccarat table in most cases, used to boost a player's experience by enhancing gameplay.

Skill

This term is used when a joke is made while a player is enjoying a good run.

Standoff

A standoff is said to occur when both the player and the banker result in a tie having equal hand value.

Streak

A Streak can be referred to as a set of consecutive results, whether consecutive wins or losses.

Super 6

Super 6 is a side bet that awards a payout if the game round is won by the banker, with the hand value adding up to six.

Super pan Nine

A variant in Baccarat mostly played in California and Los Angeles at Brick and mortar casinos.

T

Table of play

A table of play is a set of rules and guides in the game of Baccarat that depicts everything there is to know about the casino game.

Tie bet

A tie bet is one of the three main bet options in Baccarat. If the hand ends in a tie, players and the banker get their bets served.

U

**Upcard **

The term is used for a card face-up.

V

**Vigorish **

Vigorish refers to the percentage retained by the casino from a payout.

**VIP **

In Baccarat, VIP is used to refer to high rollers.

W

**Win streak **

The term win streak is a succession of winning bets