Punto banco · six decks
Drawing Room Baccarat
The drawing room is where the Club lowers its voice. Two hands, Player and Banker, are dealt side by side, and you choose which will finish closer to nine. The cards do the rest.
How to play
Choose a chip value of 10, 25, 100 or 500 and tap Player, Banker or Tie to place it. You can back more than one spot, and tap again to build up a stake. Press Deal and four cards come out in turn — Player, Banker, Player, Banker — with a third card for either hand when the rules call for one. “Repeat stake” brings back your last layout; “Clear” takes it away again.
Counting the cards
A baccarat hand only ever totals from 0 to 9. Aces count one, two to nine count their face value, and tens and picture cards count nothing at all. When a hand adds up to ten or more, only the last digit stands, so a seven and an eight make fifteen, which counts as five. Eight or nine on the first two cards is a “natural”, and the hand stops there.
Payouts and the third card
Player pays 1 to 1. Banker pays 0.95 to 1, because the Banker hand draws last and so has a slight edge. Tie pays 8 to 1, and when a tie lands, any chips on Player or Banker are handed back untouched.
Whether a third card is drawn follows the standard punto banco tableau. Player draws on a total of 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7. Banker’s decision depends on its own total and on the card Player has just drawn. The table settles all of this by itself, so there is nothing for you to remember.
From the Club’s story
Our drawing room has green-shaded lamps, a carriage clock that runs four minutes slow and a single long table beneath a chandelier with one bulb that flickers if you stare at it. Nobody raises their voice in there. Cards are laid down without a sound, and the only noise is the soft tap of a chip on baize.
Questions about Drawing Room Baccarat
Why does Banker pay less than Player?
Banker draws last and so comes out ahead slightly more often. Trimming its payout keeps the two sides roughly level.
Do I ever decide on a third card?
No. The third-card rules are automatic for both hands; your only choice is where to place your chips.
What happens to a Player stake on a tie?
It comes back to you in full, along with 8 to 1 on any chips you placed on Tie.
Other rooms in the house: