Long before baccarat had a Player and a Banker hand, gamblers in Europe played Macao: the banker dealt everyone a single card, you could buy more, and the aim was to come as close to 9 as you could without going over. It is half baccarat, half twenty-one, and it gives you something baccarat never does: a decision on every hand. Here you play it one-to-one against the Banker.
How to play
Bet. Chips come in 10, 50 and 250. Tap the Bet spot to stake from 10 to 1,000 credits, in steps of 10, then press Deal.
Card values. Aces count 1, cards 2 to 9 count their pips, tens and picture cards count 0. Unlike baccarat, totals are not cut back to their last digit: anything over 9 is a bust.
The deal. You get one card face up, the Banker one card face down.
Naturals. If your first card is a 7, 8 or 9, you have a natural and the hand ends at once. Banker turns over its card:
- a lower card: you win. A natural 9 pays 2 to 1, a natural 8 or 7 pays 1 to 1;
- an equal or higher card: Banker wins.
Your turn. Without a natural, choose Card to draw another card or Stand to keep your total. Go over 9 and you lose straight away. A hand holds at most five cards; with the fifth you stand automatically. On a keyboard, H draws and S stands.
Banker’s turn. Banker turns over its card and plays against your total, which it can see: if it is ahead it stands, if it is behind it draws, until it gets ahead, goes over 9 or reaches five cards.
Who wins. The higher total wins and pays 1 to 1. If the totals are equal, the hand with fewer cards wins. If the number of cards is equal too, Banker wins. There are no pushes.
Strategy
The whole strategy fits on one line: draw on 0 to 5, stand on 6 to 9.
Counting every possible deal from the six-deck shoe, that rule gives the house an edge of 2.07%. Small changes cost a lot:
| How you play | House edge |
|---|---|
| Draw on 0-5, stand on 6-9 | 2.07% |
| Stand already on 5 | 2.81% |
| Also draw on 6 | 6.02% |
Why stand on a total as low as 6? Banker knows your total and keeps drawing until it beats you, so a 6 still forces it to draw toward a bust. Drawing on 6 busts you on any 4 or higher, which is almost half the shoe.
Picture cards are not free. A ten or a court card keeps your total but adds a card, and on a tie the hand with fewer cards wins. A 7 made with two cards loses to Banker’s two-card 7.
Naturals carry the game. About one first card in four is a 7, 8 or 9. They are where your edge comes from, and the 2 to 1 on a natural 9 is the best payout in the game.
If you enjoy Macao, try Macau Baccarat or Midi Baccarat next.
