Baccarat card values

Baccarat uses a card value system that differs from most other card games. Understanding it is the only arithmetic involved in following a hand. This page covers the complete value table, how hand totals are calculated, worked examples, and how baccarat values compare with blackjack. 

Every card in a baccarat hand has a fixed point value. The table below covers all thirteen ranks. 

The two values that catch players off guard most often are the 10 (worth zero, not 10) and the Ace (worth 1, never 11). Suit has no effect on value at all. Only the rank matters. Also note that there are no Jokers or wildcard opportunities in standard baccarat. 

Once you know the card values, calculating a hand total follows one rule: add the values together and keep only the last digit.

If the combined total is a single digit (0 through 9), that number is the hand value. If the total reaches two digits, drop the tens digit and use only the units digit. This means a hand can never exceed 9, and there is no concept of going bust. 

The rule applies whether a hand has two cards or three. The arithmetic stays the same throughout. 

The worked examples below show the card value rules in action across different combinations. 

A natural is a hand totalling 8 or 9 from the first two cards. When either hand is dealt a natural, the round ends immediately. No third card is drawn for either side. 

The hand closest to 9 wins. Card values are what determine that total, so understanding them is the foundation of following any baccarat round. 

Because 10s and face cards all count as zero, more than half the cards in a standard deck contribute either 0 or a low value. This is what makes totals cluster in the middle of the range and why a natural 8 or 9 from just two cards is a significant result. 

In online and live baccarat, hand totals are calculated and displayed automatically. You never need to do the arithmetic yourself. But knowing the rules means you can follow what is happening rather than simply waiting for the result. The how to play baccarat page covers how these values feed into a complete round, including the third card rule. 

Players coming from blackjack sometimes apply the wrong values to baccarat cards by habit. The two games use the same deck but score it very differently.

In blackjack, 10s and face cards are each worth 10, and an Ace can be 1 or 11. In baccarat, 10s and face cards are worth 0, and an Ace is always worth 1. There is also no bust in baccarat. The last-digit rule means a hand total can never go above 9. 

The practical consequence: a King and a 5 in blackjack is 15. In baccarat, it is 5. A player who forgets this and treats face cards as 10-point cards will misread every hand they watch. 

These are the most frequent errors, stated once for clarity.

• A 10 is worth 0, not 10. 
• An Ace is worth 1, never 11. 
• A two-digit hand total drops the tens digit. A total of 14 counts as 4, and 17 counts as 7. 
• Suits have no effect on value. Hearts, clubs, diamonds, and spades are all treated identically. 
• The card value system and the third card rule are separate mechanics. Confusing them is common but the two work independently. 

Card values set the total for each hand. That total determines which hand wins, and under certain totals, whether a third card is drawn automatically. The card value system is the input; everything else in the game follows from it. 

For the full picture of how a baccarat round plays out, from bet placement through to result and including when and why a third card is drawn, the how to play baccarat page covers every step. 

Watching hands play out is a practical way to see the last-digit rule applied in real time. Free baccarat is available with no deposit or registration required. Hand totals and winning results are displayed automatically, so you can watch the card value arithmetic in real time without needing to calculate anything yourself. 

Cards 2 through 9 are worth face value. 10s and face cards are worth 0. Aces are worth 1. The hand total uses only the last digit. Those four rules cover everything you need to follow a baccarat hand. The how to play baccarat page covers what comes next, and free baccarat is available if you want to see it in action.