A good baccarat glossary is important because no game education is complete without a working knowledge of the lingo developed specifically for the game.  Because baccarat is played in so many different places and has so many different variations, baccarat slang abounds and a truly complete list of baccarat terms would be unwieldy if not impossible to compile.  Instead, we offer a summary of the most relevant baccarat terms, baccarat slang, and baccarat definitions so you can start playing now.

Baccarat: In addition to being the name of the game, baccarat also refers to the worst possible hand or cards with a tally of zero.

Baccarat Banque:  A popular European variation of the game wherein participants can only bet on the player hands.

Baccarat Chemin de Fer:  The oldest variation of baccarat.  In Chemin de Fer, the shoe is passed around the table.

Banker:  One of the two playing positions offered in all baccarat casino games.  The banker is also usually the dealer and acts after the player position.

Bankroll:  The total amount of money that any participant has available for wagering.

Burn Card:  A single card removed from the playing deck every time it is shuffled.

Cheval:  Some baccarat variations give participants the option of playing two hands.

Coup:  A French baccarat term that refers to a single round of baccarat.

Croupier:  The casino employee that acts as the dealer in some variations of baccarat.

Cut Card:  A plastic wedge used to cut the deck after it is shuffled.

Draw:  This action occurs when baccarat rules dictate that another card should be added to the player or banker hand.

Egalite:  Baccarat slang for “tie” in Punto Banco-style baccarat.

Flat Bettor:  A bettor that makes the same wager on every round of baccarat.

Go Bank: This is the translation of the baccarat term “banco” from Punto Banco, but players may also go bank in Chemin de Fer-style baccarat.  To go bank is to wager against the full amount of the banker's stake.

Hand: This baccarat term refers to the cards dealt to a playing position during a single round of baccarat.

House Advantage: This is a calculation of the casino's expected long-term profit from any game or a specific bet within the game.  Baccarat carries a very low house advantage, and for that reason the casinos often charge a commission against some baccarat bets.

Ladderman:  The casino employee that oversees the action at the baccarat table.

Le Grande: This French baccarat term refers to the best possible baccarat hand: a total of 9.

Modulo 10:  This term means that the digit in the tens space is dropped.  For example, if you have a hand with a face value of 12, the 1 is dropped leaving you with a hand value of 2.  All baccarat hands are calculated with the modulo 10 system.

Natural:  A hand total of 8 or 9 comprised of the first two initial cards.

Pallet: This is the flat wooden paddle that is used by the croupier to move cards and chips.  It is rarely used at modern baccarat tables, but is still highly recognizable to fans of the game.

Player: This designation no longer refers to paying participants but to one of the two types of baccarat hands.

Point:  This baccarat term represents a single unit of value or sometimes the sum total modulo of a baccarat hand.

Punter:  Paying participants in a baccarat game; “punter” replaces “player” as the term used to refer to participants.  In baccarat, “player” refers to a type of hand.  

Punto Banco:  A popular North American variation of baccarat.

Rotation:  This refers to how the shoe, and thus the position of banker, travels around the table.

Shoe:  Baccarat slang for the several decks of cards that baccarat hands are drawn from at each table.

Stakes:  The individual wagers made by each punter and, more specifically, the full wager made by the participant in the banker position.

Stand:  In baccarat, to stand is to accept the value of the hand and refuse additional cards.  To stand may also refer to a participant's decision to leave the table.

Tie:  A bet placed in the event that the banker and player hands tie.  Though the payout is good, it is not good enough for the extremely poor odds.

We hope you found this baccarat glossary and its baccarat definitions helpful.  You can refer back to these baccarat terms every time you play if you find yourself wondering about specific baccarat definitions.  Be smart, have fun and play to win!