What is Third-card rule?
The third-card rule is the fixed set of baccarat drawing rules that determines whether the Player or Banker hand receives a third card, with no choice for players.
If either hand totals 8 or 9 on its first two cards, both stand. Otherwise the Player hand draws on totals of 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7. The Banker's action then depends on its own total and on the Player's third card, following a chart called the tableau.
Because drawing is automatic, baccarat requires no strategy beyond choosing a bet. The rules also explain why the Banker hand wins slightly more often: it acts second and its drawing depends on information from the Player's hand.
The dealer applies these rules in land-based and live games, and software applies them in digital versions. The tableau is printed on many baccarat tables and in game guides. Knowing it has no effect on a player's results, but it helps explain why hands play out the way they do.