With such a strong French influence, it should come as no surprise that French terms feature heavily in our baccarat glossary. Some of the English terms in this baccarat glossary may sound familiar because they are also used in other casino games, but it's important to note there are differences between their general meaning and their baccarat meaning (this is especially true for 'Banker' and 'Player' terms).

Below is a short but sweet baccarat glossary that should meet both your live and online baccarat needs. All the common terms are covered as well as a few less-common ones. You know your new-found knowledge of baccarat glossary is going to come in handy sometime in the future (probably in a situation involving lots of cash, champagne, and eventually the cops), so feel free to save or print this page for future reference.

Action – The amount of money played at a baccarat table

Baccarat – The name of the game, it is also a French word for zero which consequently is the game's worst hand

Banco – A term used in Punto Banco in which a player agrees to bet the bank

Banker – Both a hand position and a bet in the game

Banque – A European variation of the game where a casino employee always holds the Bank position

Chemin de Fer – A French term that means “railroad” in honor of the way the Bank position rotates among the players

Commission – A set percentage the casino charges against certain winning bets to make up for a lack of house edge

Coup – A single round of baccarat

Croupier – The French term for dealer

Cut Card – A plastic card used to cut the deck after every shuffle

Dealer – The casino employee that oversees the baccarat table and that in some instances represents the Bank hand

Down Card – Any card dealt face down

Flat Bettor – A bettor that makes the same bet throughout a session

High Roller – A player that plays high stakes games and/or regularly wagers large sums of money

House Edge – The casino's calculated advantage over players in either a single bet or an entire game

Le Grande – The French term for a two-card total of 9

Le Petite – The French term for a two-card total of 8

Mini-Baccarat – An American adaptation of baccarat in which the game is played at a smaller table and is largely controlled by a casino dealer

Modulo – A form of point tabulation in which any number in the tens space is dropped so that players can never have a hand total of more than 9

Muck – A slang term for the use of 8 decks

Natural – A two-card total of 8 or 9

Palette – The flat wooden stick used to move cards and chips around the table

Player – Both a hand position and a bet in the game; this may also refer to paying participants

Punto Banco – The North American variation of the game in which all hand actions are predetermined by a rigid set of rules

Shoe – The wooden box from which cards are dealt

Standoff – Another word for a tie

Tie – The third and final baccarat bet in which a bettor predicts that the Banker and Player hands will have the same final value

Up Card – Any card dealt face up

Vigorish – Another name for the commission the casino charges on winning Banker hands

Visit our baccarat strategy section or check out our list of online casinos offering the best baccarat action.

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