Super 6 Baccarat is a no-commission baccarat format. You bet on Banker, Player, or Tie before the cards are dealt. The hands then follow fixed drawing rules. The main change is the Banker payout: most winning Banker bets pay even money, but a winning Banker total of 6 normally pays only 0.5 to 1.
The Short Answer
Choose a main bet, let the dealer complete both hands under the baccarat drawing table, and compare totals. The hand closest to 9 wins. There are no hit-or-stand decisions for the player. “Super 6” does not mean Banker 6 is a better main bet; it is the result that funds the no-commission structure by reducing the payout.
Step 1: Understand Card Values
Aces count as 1. Cards 2 through 9 count at face value. Tens, jacks, queens, and kings count as 0. Only the last digit of a total matters, so 15 becomes 5 and 20 becomes 0.
| Cards | Raw total | Baccarat total |
|---|---|---|
| 7 + 8 | 15 | 5 |
| K + 9 | 9 | 9 |
| 6 + 4 | 10 | 0 |
| A + 5 + 8 | 14 | 4 |
Step 2: Choose a Main Bet
The three base wagers are Banker, Player, and Tie. A Player win normally pays 1 to 1. A Banker win normally pays 1 to 1 except when Banker wins with 6, which normally pays 0.5 to 1. A Tie usually pays the posted odds, commonly 8 to 1, while Banker and Player bets push when the hands tie.
| Main wager | Typical Super 6 settlement | Main caution |
|---|---|---|
| Player | 1 to 1 | Slightly higher house edge than standard commission Banker |
| Banker | 1 to 1, except Banker 6 at 0.5 to 1 | The reduced 6 payout matters |
| Tie | Posted paytable, often 8 to 1 | High house edge despite large payout |
Step 3: The Initial Deal
Two cards are dealt to Player and two to Banker, usually from a six- or eight-deck shoe. If either hand has a natural 8 or 9, drawing normally stops and the hands are compared. Otherwise the fixed Player and Banker rules determine whether a third card is dealt.
Players do not choose whether either hand draws. The words Player and Banker identify betting positions, not the people making decisions.
Step 4: Player Drawing Rule
If there is no natural, the Player hand draws on totals 0 through 5 and stands on 6 or 7. Once the Player action is known, the Banker rule is applied.
| Player two-card total | Action |
|---|---|
| 0–5 | Draw a third card |
| 6–7 | Stand |
| 8–9 | Natural; no further draw |
Step 5: Banker Drawing Rule
If Player stands, Banker normally draws on 0 through 5 and stands on 6 or 7. If Player draws, Banker uses both its two-card total and the value of Player’s third card.
| Banker two-card total | Banker action after Player draws |
|---|---|
| 0–2 | Draw regardless of Player’s third card |
| 3 | Draw unless Player’s third card is 8 |
| 4 | Draw when Player’s third card is 2–7 |
| 5 | Draw when Player’s third card is 4–7 |
| 6 | Draw when Player’s third card is 6 or 7 |
| 7 | Stand |
Step 6: Compare the Hands
After all required cards are dealt, compare the final totals. The higher total wins. Nine is highest. If the totals are equal, the result is Tie. The number of cards does not break a tie; a three-card 7 and a two-card 7 are equal as main-game totals.
The Special Banker 6 Rule
The defining rule is the reduced payout on a winning Banker total of 6. A $20 Banker bet that wins with 7, 8, 9, or another permitted winning total usually returns the $20 stake plus $20 profit. If Banker wins with 6, the $20 stake is returned with only $10 profit.
This is not a push. It is a winning Banker wager paid at half odds. The official Nevada Baccarat Super Six rules describe the qualifying Banker 6 result and associated game treatment. Always follow the posted layout because proprietary versions and side-bet paytables can differ.
Worked Hands
Player natural 9
Player receives K and 9 for 9. Banker receives 4 and 3 for 7. Drawing stops. Player wins and a Player wager pays 1 to 1.
Banker wins with 7
Player finishes with 5 and Banker finishes with 7. Banker wins. A Banker wager pays the normal even-money result.
Banker wins with 6
Player finishes with 4 and Banker finishes with 6. Banker wins, but the Banker wager receives the reduced 0.5-to-1 profit.
Tie result
Both hands finish with 6. A Tie wager wins at the posted odds. Banker and Player wagers push and are returned.
The Super 6 Side Bet Is Separate
Some tables offer an optional side bet on Banker winning with 6. That side bet is not the same as the main Banker wager. It can distinguish two-card and three-card Banker 6 results and use a separate paytable. A player can win the main Banker bet but lose the side bet whenever Banker wins with a total other than 6.
Do not infer the side-bet payout from the main-game half-pay rule. Read the dedicated circle and paytable before wagering.
Beginner Strategy
The only practical base-game decision is which wager to place and how much to risk. Players do not control drawing. Banker and Player are the lower-cost choices compared with Tie and most side bets. The Banker position remains strong mathematically, but the half-pay Banker 6 rule changes the exact house edge relative to commission baccarat.
Use a fixed entertainment budget, avoid chasing, and treat every hand as independent. Scoreboards describe previous outcomes; they do not predict the next shoe.
Common Mistakes
- Thinking the Player hand belongs to the seated player.
- Trying to choose whether Player or Banker draws.
- Forgetting that only the last digit of the card total counts.
- Treating a winning Banker 6 as a push instead of a half-pay win.
- Confusing the optional Super 6 side bet with the main Banker wager.
- Believing streak boards change the probability of the next hand.
Banker Third-Card Examples
Suppose Banker has 3 and Player draws an 8. Banker stands, because 8 is the exception to the Banker-3 draw rule. If Banker has 4 and Player’s third card is 5, Banker draws because 5 falls within the 2-through-7 range. If Banker has 6 and Player’s third card is 4, Banker stands; Banker 6 draws only against a Player third card of 6 or 7.
These examples show why baccarat does not require intuition. The dealer reads the completed Player action and applies the table. A player who says “Banker should draw because 6 is low” is applying blackjack-style thinking to the wrong game.
Buy-In and Table Procedure
At a live table, buy chips before the deal closes, place wagers entirely inside the marked circles, and keep hands away once “no more bets” is called. Depending on the format, cards may be handled only by the dealer or may be squeezed by a designated player. Card handling does not change the drawing rule or the outcome.
Minimums, maximums, aggregate payout limits, Tie odds, and side-bet paytables are posted by the property. Ask before the hand if the layout is unclear.
FAQ
Is Super 6 commission free?
Yes. The traditional 5% Banker commission is removed, but winning Banker 6 pays only 0.5 to 1.
Can I choose whether a hand draws?
No. The drawing table fixes every Player and Banker action.
What happens on a tie?
The Tie wager wins at posted odds; Banker and Player wagers normally push.
Is the Super 6 side bet required?
No. It is optional and separate from the base Banker, Player, and Tie wagers.
Does a Banker 6 always use three cards?
No. Banker can finish with 6 using two or three cards. Side-bet paytables may distinguish them.
More Super 6 Guides
Continue with the Super 6 FAQ, Super 6 Side Bet, Odds and House Edge, Common Mistakes, and Baccarat guide.