LearnTheOdds

Baccarat Hand Scoring & Card Values

By Jake Wild

Last reviewed: June 2026

Baccarat scoring is simple: cards 2–9 are worth face value, 10 and the face cards (J/Q/K) are worth 0, and aces are worth 1. Add two cards and take the last digit — that’s your total. An 8 or 9 on the first two cards is a “natural” and ends the hand. Here’s how it works, including the fixed third-card rules that confuse everyone.

For strategy, see Baccarat Strategy; to play a hand and see every draw explained, open the free baccarat table.

Card values

CardValue
2–9Face value (2 = 2, … 9 = 9)
10, J, Q, K0
A1

Scoring: add and take the last digit

Player gets 7♠ + 8♣ → 7 + 8 = 15 → last digit 5.

Banker gets K♥ + 9♦ → 0 + 9 = 9 → 9 (a natural — the hand ends, Banker wins).

Player gets A♠ + Q♣ + 6♦ → 1 + 0 + 6 = 7 → 7 (after a third card).

Naturals (8 or 9 on the first two cards)

If either hand totals 8 or 9 on its first two cards, the hand ends immediately — a “natural.”

  • Natural 9 beats everything.
  • Natural 8 beats any non-natural hand.
  • Both naturals, same total → Tie.

The third-card rules (fixed — no decisions)

Here’s the key point most explainers get wrong: nobody decides anything in baccarat. When neither hand has a natural, third cards are drawn by a fixed rulebook.

  • The Player hand draws a third card on a total of 0–5 and stands on 6–7.
  • The Banker hand then draws or stands by its own fixed table — and that table depends on the Banker’s total and the value of the Player’s third card.

Pick a situation below and see exactly what the Banker does — this is the same rule our engine uses to settle every hand, so it can’t drift from the math:

Pick a Banker total and the Player's third card to see the rule.

Banker ↓ / Player 3rd → Player stood 0123456789
0 Draw DrawDrawDrawDrawDrawDrawDrawDrawDrawDraw
1 Draw DrawDrawDrawDrawDrawDrawDrawDrawDrawDraw
2 Draw DrawDrawDrawDrawDrawDrawDrawDrawDrawDraw
3 Draw DrawDrawDrawDrawDrawDrawDrawDrawStandDraw
4 Draw StandStandDrawDrawDrawDrawDrawDrawStandStand
5 Draw StandStandStandStandDrawDrawDrawDrawStandStand
6 Stand StandStandStandStandStandStandDrawDrawStandStand
7 Stand StandStandStandStandStandStandStandStandStandStand

Banker totals of 8 or 9 on the first two cards are a natural — the hand ends immediately, so they're not in the table. The Player draws on 0–5 and stands on 6–7.

Because the Banker’s rule is conditioned on the Player’s third card, it’s tuned to draw in the spots that help the Banker most — which is exactly why the Banker hand wins about 50.68% of decided hands. It isn’t a choice; it’s the rulebook. Play a hand and flip on “Explain this hand” on the free baccarat table to watch it apply in real time.

Why card-counting doesn’t really work

In live baccarat the remaining-card composition shifts slightly as the shoe is dealt, so in principle a counter could gain a hair of information. In practice it’s not worth it: the edge swings are tiny, deck penetration is shallow, and the Banker commission eats most of any advantage. At online RNG tables the deck is effectively reshuffled every hand, so composition is irrelevant and counting is impossible. Either way, the move is the same: bet Banker, accept the edge, and don’t try to count.

Frequently asked

Why are face cards worth 0? It’s a design choice that makes the last-digit scoring work and keeps totals in the 0–9 range.

Can I predict the next hand from past cards? No — at RNG tables especially, each hand is independent. The Banker’s 50.68% win rate already reflects all shoe variation.

Is scoring hard to learn? No. The dealer (and our simulator) totals the cards and applies the third-card rules for you — you just watch.

Sources & further reading

Educational explanation only. No real-money gambling happens on LearnTheOdds.

Responsible gambling: Play for entertainment, not income — the math favors the house over time. Set limits, never chase losses, and if it stops being fun, take a break. 21+. Need help? Call 1-800-MY-RESET (1800myreset.org).