How to count baccarat points: why only the last digit matters

2026-10-02

The first thing that trips up new baccarat players is getting a 7 and an 8 and being told the hand is 5, not 15. There is only one rule: add the cards and keep the last digit. Evolution live baccarat at the Stake (stake.com) casino shows this score on screen for you. Here is the method with examples.

What each card is worth

A          1 point
2 to 9     face value
10 J Q K   0 points

It is easy to assume picture cards are high. In baccarat they are all zero. Sixteen of the 52 cards in a deck count as zero.

Keep the last digit

If two cards add up to 10 or more, drop the tens digit. It is the same as subtracting 10. With three cards you add all three and keep the last digit again. A baccarat score is therefore always between 0 and 9. You can never bust.

Five examples

7 + 8        = 15  -> 5
K + 9        =  9  -> 9 (natural)
5 + 5        = 10  -> 0
A + 6 + 4    = 11  -> 1
Q + J        =  0  -> 0

A first two cards totalling 8 or 9 is a natural and the hand ends there. A zero is the lowest score, so that side draws a third card. Who draws and when is laid out in the third card rule.

Why count this way

Keeping only the last digit squeezes every hand into 0 to 9, so hands finish quickly. Players also make no card decisions. The drawing rules are fixed, so once bets are placed the cards settle the result on their own. The only choice a player makes is which side to back and how much.

Two common slips

One is counting a 10 as 1 point. It is zero. The other is worrying about how to add a third card to a two-card score. Either way works: add it to the two-card last digit or add all three cards, and the last digit comes out the same.

Summary

A = 1 · 2 to 9 = face value · 10 J Q K = 0
Total of 10 or more: keep the last digit (0 to 9)
First two cards 8 or 9 = natural, hand ends

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