Baccarat Terms

Here is a glossary that conveniently places all terms relevant to baccarat on the same page. This can be a great cheat sheet for a newbie to the world of baccarat. The more confident you are with baccarat terms, the more confidently you will play Baccarat games.


The most important term relating to this game is 'baccarat'. The name of the game derives from the Italian word meaning zero.

There are several variations of baccarat, one of them is 'baccarat a deux tableau'. This is a form of baccarat generally played in Europe and is derived from the baccarat version of chemin de fer. In this version three hands are dealt in a game and there are no rules regarding the bank's play.

Another baccarat variation is known as 'baccarat en banque'. This game also derives from the version chemin de fer. This is a popular variation to play in America.

The term 'banco' in baccarat simply refers to the banker of the game.
The 'bankroll' is the total amount of money that a baccarat player has to play the game with.
The term 'Broadway' refers to the can that discarded baccarat cards are placed in. This is usually held in the middle of the table within easy reach.

When you 'burn' it means that you discard a certain number of cards from the deck before beginning the next game.

The term 'face cards' in baccarat refers to the jack, queen, king, and ace. All of these cards have a value of zero.

The term 'fade' has to do with the variation of baccarat known as chemin de fer. When fading you cover all or part of a bank bet.

When you have a natural 9 dealt to you in a baccarat hand, the French term for this is 'la grande'.
When you have a natural 8 dealt to you in a baccarat hand the French term for this is 'la petite'.

When you 'lace' the baccarat deck it means that you will randomly place cards into a stacked deck, one at a time, in different places. This is also known as 'combing' the deck
The term referring to marked up commissions is 'lammers'.

The game 'mini baccarat' is another variation of traditional baccarat which is generally more casual and has a lower minimum bet. Mini baccarat is a popular variation to play online.

If you win on a banker hand you will be charged a 5% commission. This commission is known as 'vigorish'. It has other names too such as the abbreviation of vig', or 'juice'.

If you are a 'VIP' of baccarat it means that you are a very important person. This generally means that you are a high roller and you like to place big bets.

If you are in England you may refer to the variation of baccarat known as chemin de fer by calling it the slang: 'chemmy'.

The baccarat 'callman' is the person who runs the baccarat game and calls out the results of the hand. This person who makes the baccarat calls is also known as the dealer.

If you are in France playing baccarat you may refer to a round of play as a 'coup'. While in France, you would also refer to a dealer as a 'croupier'.

The baccarat 'dealer' works for the casino and is in charge of running a baccarat game and makes sure things go smoothly.

If you hear the term 'down card', it means that it is a face down card.

The term 'house edge' in a a game of baccarat refers to the casino's advantage of winning over the player. In baccarat the player has slightly less than 50% of winning while the casino has slightly more than 50% of winning. There is a higher probability of winning if you bet on the banker. The casino has less of a house edge if playing baccarat with fewer decks.

If you are referring to the 'player hand' in baccarat you are talking about the opposing hand of the banker's hand.

In baccarat the player is also known as the 'punto.
When you are referring to a 'natural' in baccarat it means the first two cards you are dealt totals either an 8 or a 9 .

To 'auction' is a term used in the variation of baccarat known as chemin de fer and refers to the player bidding on the bank to win at the outset of play.

If you are still new to baccarat you will find the 'rule card' handy. This is a card that has all of the baccarat rules printed on it.

If you are referring to the term shoe in French, you would call it a 'sabot'.

If you are in America and talking about chemin de fer, you might use the American slang term called 'shimmy'.


If a dealer 'shuffles up' it means that he or she has prematurely shuffled the deck before a hand of baccarat.