Gambling terms, explained straight

Casino & Table Games

Baccarat 3rd card rule

A fixed set of drawing rules that tells the dealer whether the Player or Banker hand gets a third card in standard baccarat, based on the first two cards dealt.

Player draws on
5 or less; stands on 6 or 71
Banker draws (Player stood)
5 or less; stands on 6 or 71
Natural 8 or 9
Both hands stand; no third card drawn1

Key points

  • The Player acts first: draw on 0–5, stand on 6–7. If the Player stood, the Banker follows the same simple rule.1
  • If the Player drew, the Banker uses a detailed matrix: e.g., draw on 2 or less; on 3 draw unless Player’s third card is 8.1
  • A natural 8 or 9 ends the round immediately — no third cards are dealt to either side.1

Where this term is used

Not the same as

Sources

  1. Baccarat en.wikipedia.org Provides the complete drawing rules for Player and Banker, including the third-card matrix.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.