Auction – In Chemin de Fer, the practice of players bidding on the right to hold the bank at the outset of play.
Baccarat – The name of the game, which comes from the Italian word for “zero”; also describes the worst hand possible, totaling zero.
Baccarat a Deux Tableau – A form of Baccarat played in Europe with three hands dealt in a game and no rules regarding the bank’s play.
Baccarat en Banque – Also known as Baccarat Banque, a popular variation of Baccarat in which participants can only bet on the player hands.
Banco – The Banker.
Bank – The last hand to be dealt and act.
Banker – One of the two playing positions in Baccarat casino games, in many cases played by the dealer, taking action after the Player position.
Bankroll – The total amount of money a player has for wagering.
Broadway – The receptacle in which discarded Baccarat cards are placed.
Burn – To discard several cards at the beginning of a new shoe.
Burn Card – Any card removed from the deck after the shuffle.
Caller or Callman – The dealer who runs the game and calls the results of each hand.
Carte – The French word for “card”; also used to request that a card be dealt.
Chemin de Fer – Literally “railway” in French, this is the original French version of the game, with the shoe passed around the table and players taking turns being the Bank.
Chemmy – British slang for Chemin de Fer, either the game or the shoe.
Cheval – A variation of Baccarat in which participants have the option to play two hands.
Coup – The French term for a round of play.
Court Cards – The Jack, Queen, and King of any suit, each of which counts a zero; also called “Face Cards.”
Croupier – The French term for the Dealer.
Cut Card – An unmarked plastic card used to cut the deck following the shuffle.
Dealer – The casino employee in charge of running a Baccarat game.
Down Card – A card dealt face down.
Dragon Bonus – A type of side bet on either the Player or Banker hand, which pays out if the selected hand wins by four or more points or a “natural.”
Draw – The act of taking a third card for either the Player or Banker hands, as dictated by Baccarat rules.
Egalite – The French term for “tie.”
Face Cards – The Jack, Queen, and King of any suit, each having a value of zero; also called “Court Cards.”
Fade – The act of covering all or part of the Bank bet, common in Chemin de Fer.
Flat Bettor – A participant who always wagers the same amount.
Go Bank – The act of wagering against the full amount of the Banker’s stake, common in Chemin de Fer.
Hand – The cards held by either the Player or Banker during a single round of Baccarat.
High Roller – A person who makes very large bets.
House – The operator of the Baccarat game, typically the casino.
Lace – The act of randomly placing cards into a stack of cards one by one; also referred to a “combing” the deck.
Ladderman – A casino employee who oversees the Baccarat game, often seated in a chair above the level of the table.
Le Grande – The French term for a natural 9 dealt as a Baccarat hand.
Le Petite – The French term for the natural 8 dealt as a Baccarat hand.
Mini Baccarat – A variation of Baccarat typically played in the pit area of a casino.
Modulo 10 – The dropping of the digit in the tens column when totaling the value of a Baccarat hand; e.g. a 7 and an 8 counts as five points, not fifteen.
Monkey – Slang term for a face card or a 10, which counts as zero.
Natural – A hand valued at eight or nine on the first two cards dealt.
Palette – A long flat wooden paddle used in Baccarat to move cards around the table.
Player – One of the two playing positions in Baccarat casino games, taking action first, before the Banker position.
Point – The unit used to measure the value of a Baccarat hand.
Punter – British term used to refer to a gambler, a paying participant in a Baccarat game.
Punto – The Player.
Punto Banco – A variation of Baccarat that is popular in North America.
Rotation – The movement of the shoe around the table, indicating the position of the Bank.
Rule Card – A summary of Baccarat rules printed on a pocket-sized card.
Sabot – The French term for the shoe.
Shimmy – American slang for Chemin de Fer.
Shoe – The container into which the shuffled cards are placed for dealing; the Baccarat shoe is typically made of wood and holds eight decks of 52 cards.
Shuffle Up – The premature shuffling of playing cards by the dealer.
Stakes – The amount of the individual wagers made by each participant betting on the Player position, or the full wager made by the participant in the Banker position.
Stand – The act of drawing no card, accepting the value of the hand and refusing an additional card.
Standoff – Another term for a “tie.”
Starter – A casino employee who sits at an empty table to attract participants.
Tie – The condition of the Player and Dealer hands being of equal value and neither the house nor the player wins; also, a wager made on this outcome.
Up Card – A card dealt face up.
Vigorish – The 5% commission charged by the House on the winning Banker hands.