To review, there are two sides in baccarat: Player and Bank. In each hand, the side holding the highest point value wins. The highest possible point count is 9, and face cards and 10’s count as 0. All other cards are worth their face value (1 to 9), and when two cards add up to more than 10, you drop the 10 to get their combined value.
In the initial deal, both sides get only two cards. Each side may then get a third card, but there are fixed rules that determine when this happens for Player or Bank.

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Baccarat – Player Rules

Baccarat players have the choice of either betting on the banker winning, the player winning, or a tie between the two hands. 2 cards are dealt to the player and the banker. A bet on the winning hand wins even money. Even money bets are 1 to 1, meaning if you bet ten dollars, you’re paid back the ten plus then more, If betting on a tie and it comes in you are paid 8 to 1.

0-5 Draws a card
6 or 7 Stands
8 or 9 Stands*

*This is a natural, and the Bank also cannot draw

Baccarat – Bank Rules

0-2 Draws a card
3 Draws unless Player has taken an 8 as his third card
4 Draws unless Player has taken a 0,1,8, or 9 as his third card
5 Draws unless Player has taken a 0,1,2,3,8 or 9 as his third card
6 Stands unless Player has taken a 6 or 7 as his third card
7 Stands
8 Stands*

*This is a natural, and Player cannot draw
Note that if player does not draw a card, Bank players according to the Player rules.

A winning bet on Bank or Player pays even money. A winning bet on Tie pays 9 for 1 (8 to 1). You can even bet on Bank, Player, and Tie in the same hand if you want to (the house pays the winner and takes the losers). You’re also not required to bet on the hand if you don’t feel like it.

The goal of your two-card hand is to try and have a total that is close to 9. Tens are 0 and the ace is 1. Cards 2 to 9 are worth their actual value.

If the first 2 cards in a hand amount to 8 or 9 the hand is declared a ‘natural’ and wins, exception being there is a tie between two naturals. If any of the hands are a natural, both hands stand, the natural hand wins. If the totals are not natural wins on both hands, another card is drawn for each hand to determine the winner.

Baccarat Ties

Ties pay 9 to 1. If you’re betting one unit and you hit a Tie, they give you 8 more units ( 9 for 1 is the same as 8 to 1). That’s okay, but on the average a Tie comes up about once in 11 hands. I guess the casinos regard those 2 extra chips they don’t give you as commission.

Taking a look at the first 32 shoes generated on a computer. In all, there were a total of 2,208 hands (that’s an average of 69 hands per shoe). Of these, 203 were ties. That comes to 9.2% of the total, or about 1 in 11. The average number of ties per shoe was 6.3, with 5 showing up the most often (one more than 6 ties, or in 8 or the shoes). 3 shoes had 10 ties, and 3 had 7 ties, 4 had 4 ties and 1 shoe had just 3 ties.

When a tie comes up you often hear or see the call “Press, Change, or Rearrange”. Or you may see or hear “Ties come in Pairs”.

Some people will press, which means that they will double their previous bet, believing that the tie signals it was a really good bet. Others will indeed bet for a second Tie to come up.
In general if your playing the odds Ties don’t pay what they’re worth, so you should probably stay clear.