Baccarat in British casinos is played as Punto Banco: the house banks every hand, the drawing rules are fixed by a tableau, and players choose only where to stake. Three bets are offered. On the standard eight deck shoe the Banker bet carries a house edge of 1.06% after a 5% commission, the Player bet 1.24%, and the Tie, paid at 8:1, 14.36%.
Rule assumptions for all figures
Eight decks, shuffled together. Banker wins pay 1:1 less 5% commission. Player wins pay 1:1. Tie pays 8:1, and Banker and Player stakes push on a tie. House edge figures are calculated per hand resolved, ties included. Last verified: 14 October 2026.
The UK ruleset
Card values
Aces count one. Cards two to nine count face value. Tens, Jacks, Queens and Kings count zero. A hand's total is the last digit of the sum of its cards, so a 7 and an 8 make 15, which counts as 5. No hand can exceed 9.
The deal
Two cards are dealt to the Player hand and two to the Banker hand. Neither hand belongs to any player at the table. The labels describe the two positions, not who is staking on them, and every participant may back either one.
Naturals
A two card total of 8 or 9 on either hand is a natural. If either hand holds a natural, both hands stand and the coup is settled immediately. A natural 9 beats a natural 8.
Player third card rule
If neither hand has a natural, the Player hand acts first. On a total of 0 to 5 it draws one card. On 6 or 7 it stands.
Banker third card rule
If the Player hand stood on 6 or 7, the Banker hand draws on 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7. If the Player hand drew a third card, the Banker hand follows the tableau below, which depends on the Banker total and on the value of the Player's third card.
| Banker total | Banker draws when Player third card is | Banker stands when Player third card is |
|---|---|---|
| 0, 1, 2 | Any card | Never stands |
| 3 | Any card except 8 | 8 |
| 4 | 2 to 7 | 0, 1, 8, 9 |
| 5 | 4 to 7 | 0 to 3, 8, 9 |
| 6 | 6 or 7 | 0 to 5, 8, 9 |
| 7 | Never draws | Any card |
No discretion exists at any point. The croupier applies the tableau, and a player who backs Banker cannot instruct it to draw or stand. This is the defining difference from Chemin de Fer, where the banker position is held by a participant and some drawing decisions are optional.
Commission
Winning Banker bets pay even money less 5%. On a 20 pound stake, a Banker win returns 19 pounds profit. In land based UK casinos commission is commonly tracked against each player's box and collected at the end of the shoe or when the player leaves; online tables deduct it on each settlement.
Payouts
| Bet | Payout | On a tie |
|---|---|---|
| Player | 1:1 | Push |
| Banker | 1:1 less 5% | Push |
| Tie | 8:1 | Wins |
Probabilities and house edge
Over an eight deck shoe, Banker wins 45.86% of coups, Player wins 44.62% and the hands tie 9.52%. The Banker hand wins more often because it acts second: when the Player hand has drawn, the tableau lets Banker respond to the value of that third card. The 5% commission exists to price that structural advantage.
| Bet | Win probability | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Banker, 5% commission | 45.86% | 1.06% |
| Player | 44.62% | 1.24% |
| Tie at 8:1 | 9.52% | 14.36% |
The Tie bet costs more than thirteen times as much per unit staked as the Banker bet. A tie is roughly a one in ten event, but a fair price for it would be about 9.5:1, and 8:1 falls well short.
Variants found on UK tables
Rules vary between UK operators, and between land based and online tables at the same operator. The table below lists the variations most commonly encountered and the edge each produces on the bet it changes. Last verified: 14 October 2026.
| Variant | Rule change | Bet affected | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Punto Banco | 5% commission on Banker | Banker | 1.06% |
| Tie at 9:1 | Tie paid 9:1 instead of 8:1 | Tie | 4.84% |
| Commission free, Banker 6 pays half | No commission; Banker winning on 6 pays 1:2 | Banker | 1.46% |
| Commission free, Banker three card 7 pushes | No commission; Banker winning with a three card 7 is a push | Banker | 1.02% |
Tie at 9:1
Some tables pay ties at 9:1. The edge on the Tie falls from 14.36% to 4.84%, still more than four times the Banker edge. Banker and Player bets are unaffected.
Commission free with a half payout on 6
Marketed under names such as Super 6 or No Commission Baccarat. The 5% charge is removed, but a Banker win on a total of 6 pays only half the stake. Banker wins on 6 occur often enough that the edge on Banker rises from 1.06% to 1.46%. The absence of a visible commission makes this variant appear cheaper than it is.
Commission free with a three card 7 push
A Banker win with a three card total of 7 is returned as a push rather than paid. The Banker edge is 1.02%, marginally below the standard game. Tables using this rule usually offer a side bet on that same outcome, priced separately with a much higher edge.
Pair side bets
Player Pair and Banker Pair bets win when the first two cards of the named hand form a pair. At the common 11:1 payout on eight decks the house edge is 10.36% on each. Pair bets resolve independently of the main coup.
Scorecards and roads
Many UK tables, online and on the floor, display previous results as bead plates and road maps, and land based casinos often supply paper scorecards. Each coup is dealt from the shoe without reference to earlier results beyond the cards already removed, and the displayed history has no measurable effect on the probabilities shown above. Squeezing cards, offered at some live dealer tables, alters the presentation only.
Where UK operators differ
UK operators differ on Tie payout, the commission rate and how it is collected, minimum and maximum stakes, the side bets offered and whether a commission free variant replaces standard Punto Banco altogether. The figures in this article apply only where the stated rules are in force. Each table's rules page is the authoritative source and should be read before staking.
Summary
Punto Banco gives the player no decisions beyond the choice of bet. The Banker bet carries the lowest edge at 1.06%, Player follows at 1.24%, and the Tie at 8:1 is priced at 14.36%. Commission free variants trade a visible charge for a hidden one and, where Banker 6 pays half, cost more. A lower edge remains a negative expectation: no bet or variant in this article is one the player is expected to beat.
Responsible gambling
Baccarat at UK Gambling Commission licensed operators is restricted to players aged 18 and over. Coups resolve in seconds with no decisions to slow play, so the number of hands per hour and the commission accumulated against a box can climb faster than at most table games. Deposit limits, reality checks and time outs are available at every licensed operator. GAMSTOP provides free self exclusion across UK licensed online sites, and the National Gambling Helpline is open on 0808 8020 133, 24 hours a day. BeGambleAware offers further free advice and support.