Baccarat Terms & Definitions

Baccarat Terms & Definitions

Staff Writer
Updated December 10, 2024
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There is a rich history to the story and development of baccarat, which is easily one of the most long-lasting games you can find at a modern casino. Given that the game has developed in a number of European countries, it is not surprising to find that many of the terms in the game owe a lot to languages like French and Italian.

It paints a nice picture of the game's storied past, but understanding all of these baccarat terms can be challenging to new players. That's why we have decided to create this baccarat glossary, explaining all of the expressions and lingo in one easy-to-reference guide.

If you want to feel as comfortable as possible when you play baccarat, it makes sense to familiarize yourself with these terms. If you're new to the game, we also suggest checking out our baccarat strategy tips as well as reading up on common baccarat myths and misconceptions.

A

Action

This is a term found in many different games and it stands for all the money a gambler will wager during one full gaming session.

B

Baccarat

The origin of the name of the game comes from the fact that “Baccara” is a French word for “zero”. The link to the game comes from the fact that when playing baccarat, the 10s and the face cards have a zero value.

Baccara

If you are in Italy and are looking to play Baccarat, you should drop the T, because the game is commonly referred to as “Baccara”, which is another word meaning zero and again, it’s use here relates to the fact that 10s and face cards have a zero rating.

Banco

You won’t need to do great mental gymnastics to work out that Banco means bank or banker and this is a Spanish word. With respect to baccarat, banco is used to refer to the dealer, the person who runs the game, oversees the shoe and will deal and play all of the cards.

Banker

If you are playing in an English-speaking company, the term Banker may be the one used but it means the exact same as Banco. An important thing to remember is that the nature of the game sees the banker having the best odds, which means that they will be more likely to triumph, although of course, nothing is certain when it comes to baccarat.

Bankroll

A bankroll is the amount of money that a player is willing to bet or is able to bet. It is important to see a difference between bankroll and action in that action is the amount of money that a player actually spends while the bankroll is the amount the player can spend.

Banque

Banque is a different style of baccarat and it is played out with three hands, with the banker holding one hand and then there being two player hands. As the origin of the name suggests, Banque is more commonly found in Europe than in America.

Burn Card

A burn card is a card that is removed from the playing deck once the shuffle has taken place and this card is discarded, or “burned”.

C

Carte

Carte is a French term and it is where a player requests for another card to be given to them, which means that it is a way of saying “hit me”.

Cheval

French term meaning “across.” A special bet used in some variants of baccarat that allows two players to predict that they will both win the upcoming round for an increased payout.

Chemin de Fer

You will not be surprised to learn that “Chemin de Fer” is of French origin and it is the name for Baccarat in many places in France.

Commission

This refers to the 5% fee that applies to all banker bet payouts in standard casino baccarat. The commission exists to counteract the inherent advantage of Banker bets. However, despite the fee, Banker bets remain the consistently best-paying bets in the game.

Coup

Coup is another word of French origin and it signifies a round in baccarat.

Croupier

This term is a French term and it signifies the dealer, who will have a number of roles to perform during a baccarat game. When playing in America, the croupier is not responsible for dealing the cards, they instead play the role of the caller and will take responsibility for the running of the game. When mini-baccarat is played, the croupier is responsible for everything.

Cut

When a deck of cards is cut, it means that the cut is split into two after the shuffling of the cards has taken place. After the deck has been cut, it will be combined to provide a further mixing of the deck.

Cut Card

This is a specific tool, commonly made of plastic that is used to assist a player to cut the deck.

D

Dealer

There are different forms of baccarat and the role of the dealer can differentiate in all of them. You will find that American casinos employ dealers at either side of the table but neither of these people will actually deal out cards! In the American version of the game, the dealer takes in the losing bets and pays out on the winning bets and the person that actually deals out the cards is referred to as the banker. It may be that at some point in the evolution of the game, the role of these people got mixed up somewhere!

Discard Tray

Simply, the discard tray is where cards that have already been discarded or played are placed.

Down Card

When a card is dealt facing down, it is referred to as a down card, or it could be called the hole card.

Dragon Bonus

A common side bet that allows players to wager on the point difference between the winning hand and the losing one. Dragon Bonus bets are typically tied to one of the two main bets. For instance, a Player Bonus side bet wins if the Player hand wins the round with a significant point difference (typically 4+.)

E

Edge

With respect to baccarat and all other games, the edge is the mathematical edge or advantage held. This is traditionally the house edge, because the casino will traditionally have some form of edge over the players and the edge is usually stated as a percentage figure.

Edge Sorting

This refers to a technique that allegedly allows players to identify face-down cards through tiny differences in the back-print patterns on the cards. Though it can be considered hearing, many players doubt the plausibility of using this method to achieve an advantage.

F

Face Card

Simply, a face card is one with the face of a person on it which means that the King, Queen and Jack are the face cards. If you are playing baccarat, the face cards have a zero value attached to them.

Flat Bet

A flat bet is the term given to a bet that is played at the same level without any change on a repeated basis.

H

Hand

The cards dealt and played in a round of baccarat. It may also refer to only a select group of cards. For example, the Player hand refers to the cards dealt on the Player side of the table.

High Roller

A player with a sizable bankroll who places large bets.

House Advantage / House Edge

Also commonly referred to as the edge, the house advantage or the house edge is the advantage held by the casino over all of the players and this edge is usually voiced as a percentage.

L

Ladderman

In a casino, there will usually be a person supervising the different baccarat tables from a high position, usually, a chair, which leads to them being referred to as the ladderman.

La Petite

French term for a hand with a natural total of 8.

Le Grande

Le Grande, roughly translating to “The Big” in English, is a French term for the natural 9 in baccarat.

Live Baccarat

A live dealer version of online baccarat. Refers to any table played at a live casino site.

M

Mini-baccarat

Mini-baccarat is a game that is similar to baccarat but is played out on a smaller table and has slightly different rules. It is more popular in America than in Europe.

Monkey

This is a slang term to denote a ten or face card.

Muck

A set of 8 card decks. A card shoe.

N

Natural

Any time that an 8 or a 9 is dealt in the game with the opening two cards, it is referred to as a natural.

P

Palette

When cards are moved around the table in baccarat, the tool that is utilized to move the cards is referred to as a palette.

Player

May refer to either a player of a baccarat game or the Player bet and hand – one of the fundamental wagers in the game of baccarat.

Punto

Punto is the Italian and Spanish term for “point” and it is commonly used to signify a player at the baccarat table.

Punto Banco

The original name for the variation of baccarat commonly played in casinos. Remember – baccarat was originally a card game in which players play head-to-head, like in poker. Punto Banco was the initial name for the game generally available at casino tables. Nowadays, the two terms are used interchangeably.

Push

A “draw” bet. An outcome where a bet neither wins nor loses. The full stake is returned to all bettors, but they don't win anything.

R

Railoroad

Common English language term for Chemin de Fer, a French variant of baccarat that was especially popular in the late 19th century.

S

Shoe

When in a casino, a show is what holds the cards. A shoe is capable of holding up to 8 decks of cards at a time and it should enable the dealer to move a single card into the game easily and quickly.

Skill

Players often jokingly refer to their success in baccarat as “skill.” Make no mistake, though – baccarat is purely a game of chance.

Standoff

A tied outcome of a round of baccarat.

Shuffle Up

Anyone controlling the cards who believes that card counting may be taking place will carry out a shuffle-up to change the order of the cards.

Streak

A streak in any form of gambling refers to a string of multiple favourable results. Essentially short for “lucky streak.”

Super Pan Nine

A variation of baccarat originating from Los Angeles. Mostly works like multiplayer baccarat, except that one player also acts as the bank.

T

Tie

One of the three basic main bets in standard casino baccarat. It wins if the Player and Banker hands have the same exact score. Although it's the highest-paying main bet in the game, it also has the biggest house advantage by a significant margin. Casinos may pay 8:1 or 9:1 for Ties, but it remains a bad option either way.

V

Vigorish

A percentage of bet winnings taken by the casino. In baccarat, this may refer to the 5% commission on banker bets. Also, with multiplayer versions of baccarat, the hosting establishment often also collets a portion of the earnings, which is also called vigorish.

Conclusion

This glossary of baccarat terms and lingo will equip you with all of the terminology you need at a baccarat table. Whether you're playing online or offline, understanding what every term means is crucial for a positive experience. Otherwise, you probably won't know what's going on half the time.

If it all seems a bit much, don't worry. You can come back and use this glossary for reference at any time. Oh, and if we missed anything, don't hesitate to let us now.

If you are looking for safe and reliable online casinos that offer Baccarat then check out our Online Baccarat section. Here you can find the best casinos that have been reviewed and rated by us.

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