Baccarat Variants: A Field Guide
All versions rest on the same skeleton: two hands, Player and Banker, and the race to nine. What varies is the commission, the tempo, who holds the cards and which side bets are tolerated. Below, each variant in plain terms — and which one suits whom.
Every Variant in a Single Table
| Variant | Where it’s played | Main difference | House edge on Banker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Punto Banco: The Default | online and land-based | the classic, 5% commission | 1.06% |
| Mini Baccarat | online and land-based | smaller table, lower limits | 1.06% |
| No Commission / Super 6 | online, live | Banker win with 6 pays 1 to 2 | about 1.46% |
| EZ Baccarat: A Seven Instead of a Fee | online, land-based | no commission; Banker three-card 7 is a push | about 1.02% |
| Speed Baccarat: Tempo at the Limit | live | rounds of about 27 seconds | 1.06% |
| Squeeze | live | cards revealed slowly | 1.06% |
| Chemin de Fer: The Bank Changes Hands | land-based, rarely online | players take turns as the bank | depends on players’ decisions |
The Classic Family
European salons: players hold the bank
- Chemin de Fer: The Bank Changes Handsthe bank moves around
- Baccarat Banque: One Banker, One Shoethe bank is fixed
Casinos: the house banks
- Punto Banco: The Defaultno decisions, all by the rules
- Mini and Midicompact tables
Online and live
- Speed
- Squeeze
- No Commission
- EZ Baccarat: A Seven Instead of a Fee
- Multipliers
- 3D / First Person
Punto Banco: The Default
The default form — what most casinos simply label “baccarat.” Every draw follows a fixed rulebook; your job is to place the bet. Full rules live in our baccarat rules guide.
Chemin de Fer: The Bank Changes Hands
The French game Bond plays in Fleming’s Casino Royale. Players take turns holding the bank and bet against one another, the house skimming a commission from the bank’s winnings. On five points the player decides for himself whether to draw.
- Punto Banco: The Default — the housethe casino banks; players make no decisions
- Chemin de Fer: The Bank Changes Hands — rotatesthe bank passes between players; at 5 the player decides
- Baccarat Banque: One Banker, One Shoe — fixedone participant banks until the shoe or the money runs out
Baccarat Banque: One Banker, One Shoe
A close relative of Chemin de Fer: The Bank Changes Hands. One participant holds the bank until the shoe or the bank’s money runs out, and the other players are split into two hands. It’s rare today, found mostly in European card clubs.
Mini and Midi: Compact Tables
Mini baccarat is Punto Banco: The Default at a blackjack-sized table: one dealer handles the cards, limits are lower and rounds are faster. Midi baccarat sits in between, with more seats, higher limits and the option for the biggest bettor to reveal the cards. The rules and payouts are the same.
Online and Live Offshoots
Online casinos and live studios have added their own versions, mostly changing the pace, the commission or the payouts.
Speed Baccarat: Tempo at the Limit
Live baccarat with roughly 27-second rounds: cards come out face up and the betting window shrinks. Rules and payouts stay classic, yet you cycle through twice as many rounds an hour — and therefore twice the turnover.
Squeeze: The Ritual of the Slow Reveal
An Asian ritual of delayed revelation: the dealer peels each card up by its corner, milking the tension. In Controlled Squeeze the largest bettor does the peeling. Odds are untouched — only the mood shifts.
No Commission and Super 6
There’s no 5% commission, and a Banker win pays 1 to 1 — except a win with 6 points, which pays 1 to 2. It’s simpler to follow, but the house edge on Banker rises slightly, to about 1.46% compared with 1.06%. Super 6 tables also offer a side bet that Banker will win with 6.
EZ Baccarat: A Seven Instead of a Fee
Another way to remove the commission: if Banker wins with a three-card total of 7, Banker bets are pushed. The house edge on Banker is about 1.02%, slightly lower than classic. EZ Baccarat: A Seven Instead of a Fee has its own side bets, Dragon 7 and Panda 8.
Lightning and Golden Wealth: Multipliers at a Price
Evolution variants with multipliers. In Lightning Baccarat, random “lightning” cards multiply winnings, but every bet carries an extra fee. In Golden Wealth, multipliers come from “golden” cards in the winning hand. Wins are rarer but bigger. In Lightning Baccarat, the Lightning Fee is 20% of the bet, each Lightning Card carries a 2× to 8× multiplier, and a win can reach 512× the stake (Evolution game rules, checked on October 21, 2026).
First Person, 3D and Multiplayer
First Person Baccarat and other 3D versions look like a live table, but results come from a random number generator and you play at your own pace. In multiplayer baccarat, several people play at one virtual table.
“Baccarat Slots”: A Misleading Label
“Baccarat slot” usually means RNG baccarat with automatic dealing, often found in the slots section of casino lobbies. It isn’t a reel slot: the rules and odds are those of normal baccarat.
Dragon Tiger: A Cousin with Sharper Odds
A related game popular in Asia: Dragon and Tiger each get one card, and the higher card wins. Rounds take seconds, but on a tie your Dragon or Tiger bet loses half, so the house edge is higher than in baccarat: about 3.73%.
Side Bets: Expensive Add-Ons
| Side bet | You win if | Payout | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player Pair / Banker Pair | the first two cards of that hand are a pair | 11 to 1 | 10.36% |
| Dragon Bonus (Player) | the hand wins with a natural or by 4+ points | up to 30 to 1 | 2.65% |
| Dragon Bonus (Banker) | the same for Banker | up to 30 to 1 | 9.37% |
| Dragon 7 (EZ) | Banker wins with a three-card 7 | 40 to 1 | 7.61% |
| Panda 8 (EZ) | Player wins with a three-card 8 | 25 to 1 | 10.19% |
| Perfect Pair | a pair of the same suit and rank | up to 25 to 1 | about 13.03% |
| Either Pair | either hand starts with a pair | 5 to 1 | about 13.71% |
Figures for eight decks; pay tables differ between studios. Nearly every side bet is far costlier than the main bets — only Dragon Bonus on Player stays relatively tame.
What Is a Dragon Bonus in Baccarat?
The Dragon Bonus is a side bet that your chosen hand wins either with a natural or by at least 4 points. The bigger the margin, the bigger the payout:
| Result of your hand | Typical payout |
|---|---|
| Wins by 9 points | 30 to 1 |
| Wins by 8 | 10 to 1 |
| Wins by 7 | 6 to 1 |
| Wins by 6 | 4 to 1 |
| Wins by 5 | 2 to 1 |
| Wins by 4 | 1 to 1 |
| Natural win | 1 to 1 |
| Natural tie | push |
On the standard 8-deck pay table, Dragon Bonus on Player has a house edge of 2.65%, much lower than on Banker (9.37%), so if you play it at all, Player is the better side.
Which One Fits You?
- First time playing? Start with RNG Punto Banco: The Default in free demo mode, then move to a low-limit mini baccarat table.
- Want the casino atmosphere? Classic live baccarat or Squeeze in our live baccarat section.
- Want it faster? Speed Baccarat: Tempo at the Limit — with a time and money limit.
- Don’t want to track commission? EZ Baccarat: A Seven Instead of a Fee offers the best mix of simplicity and odds.
- Looking for big wins? Lightning or Golden Wealth, but remember the extra fee and high volatility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Regular baccarat at a smaller table: lower limits, quicker rounds, identical rules and payouts.
Usually the Dragon Bonus side bet: your hand must win with a natural or by 4+ points, and a 9-point win pays 30 to 1. In EZ Baccarat: A Seven Instead of a Fee, “Dragon 7” is a separate side bet on a three-card Banker 7.
A commission-free version where a Banker win on six pays half — and a side bet on that very outcome.
A bet that a hand’s first two cards form an identical pair in rank and suit. Payouts vary, reaching 25 to 1.
Classic baccarat with a 5% commission and EZ Baccarat: A Seven Instead of a Fee: both have a house edge on Banker of about 1%. Multiplier variants are higher.
In Casino Royale, Bond plays Chemin de Fer: The Bank Changes Hands, the French version where players hold the bank.
Sergey MelnikovEditor and moderator
Sample Several Variants
Compare them in demo, then settle on the pace and limits that suit you.