Playing at a real table
Mini, midi and big tables, the squeeze, the commission box and the manners.
Open this lesson in baccaratton — free, play money
Three kinds of table, same game.
- Mini-baccarat: a blackjack-sized table, up to 7 seats, one dealer who handles every card. Low minimums, fast play: about 72 hands an hour. This is where most people play.
- Midi-baccarat: up to 9 seats, higher limits. The player with the biggest bet on each side may get to turn over the cards.
- Big table ("big baccarat"): 12 to 14 seats in a roped-off area, a team of dealers, high limits. Players take turns acting as the shoe holder and turn over the cards. Slow and ceremonial: roughly 40 hands an hour.
The squeeze. At midi and big tables, the player with the largest bet may squeeze the cards: peel them up slowly from one corner or side, hunting for the spots that reveal the value. It's pure theatre. The card was decided when the shoe was shuffled. The squeeze adds suspense and slows the game, which makes it cheaper per hour. The app always reveals cards with a quick flip.
Commission box. Many commission tables don't take the 5% from each win. The dealer pays the full amount and places a marker in a numbered box matching your seat: 50¢ for a $10 Banker win, and so on. You pay what you owe before you leave or when the shoe ends. Bet in amounts that make the commission easy: $20 wins owe $1 each.
Etiquette.
- Buy in by placing cash on the table between hands. The dealer can't take cash from your hand.
- Bet before the dealer calls "no more bets", and don't touch your chips once the cards are out.
- Don't touch the cards unless the table invites you to (midi and big tables).
- Scorecards and pencils are free. Track the roads if you enjoy it (lesson 16 says what they're worth).
- Tip by placing a small bet for the dealers, or by handing chips over when you leave.
- Superstitions are everywhere: a lucky seat, avoiding the number 4, blowing on cards. Be polite. They cost nothing as long as they don't change your bets.
Old cousins: mention only. In Chemin de Fer ("chemmy") the players take turns being the Banker, betting against the others, and the house just takes a commission. Some draws are decided by the players: the Player may choose to draw or stand on 5, and the Banker has options in some spots. Baccarat Banque has a fixed banker playing against two Player hands. Both are rare today, and this app teaches Punto Banco only.
Quiz
What does squeezing the cards change?
- The odds
- The card's value
- Nothing but the suspense (and the pace)
- The commission
Show the answer
C: Nothing but the suspense (and the pace). The card was already fixed. Squeezing only slows things down.
Quiz
How do you buy in at a baccarat table?
- Hand cash to the dealer mid-hand
- Put cash on the table between hands
- Give it to another player
Show the answer
B: Put cash on the table between hands. Lay it on the felt between hands, and the dealer will change it for chips.
Quiz
At a commission-box table, when do you pay the commission?
- Before each hand
- When you leave or at the end of the shoe
- Never
Show the answer
B: When you leave or at the end of the shoe. The dealer tracks it, and you settle up at the end.
Quiz
Which table is usually fastest?
- Mini-baccarat
- Midi-baccarat
- Big table
Show the answer
A: Mini-baccarat. One dealer, no squeezing: about 72 hands an hour.