Midi Baccarat sits between the two classic casino tables. At mini baccarat the dealer turns every card face up and nobody touches them. At big baccarat, in the high-limit room, players handle and squeeze the cards themselves. The midi table splits the difference. The player with the biggest bet on Player squeezes the Player hand, the biggest Banker bettor squeezes the Banker hand, and the dealer turns the rest. Our table plays it with you as the only player at the table: you squeeze the hand you bet on, and the dealer opens the other one.
How to play
Bets. Chips come in 20, 100 and 500. Every spot takes 20 to 500 credits, in steps of 20. That’s between our mini table (200) and the big table (1,000).
- Player pays 1 to 1, Banker pays 0.95 to 1 (5% commission), Tie pays 8 to 1. If the hands tie, Player and Banker bets come back.
- Player Pair / Banker Pair: that side’s first two cards are the same rank. Pays 11 to 1.
Who squeezes what.
| Your bet | Player’s cards | Banker’s cards |
|---|---|---|
| Player | you squeeze | dealt face up |
| Banker | dealt face up | you squeeze |
| Player and Banker | you squeeze | you squeeze |
| Only Tie or pairs | dealt face up | dealt face up |
Squeezing. A face-down card can be dragged upward to peel it back slowly, the way players bend the corner of a card at a real table. Let go past halfway and it turns over; let go earlier and it stays half-peeled. Tap a card to turn it over, or press Reveal all. Once the first four cards are open, any third cards come out the same way: face down on your side, face up on the dealer’s.
The squeeze is only for show. The cards were dealt when you pressed Deal, and peeling them fast or slow changes nothing. Your credits update once every card is open.
The cards. Aces count 1, 2 to 9 count their pips, and tens and picture cards count 0. Only the last digit of a total matters. Two cards each go to Player and Banker. A total of 8 or 9 is a natural and nobody draws. Otherwise Player draws on 0 to 5, and Banker draws by the standard third-card table. The higher total wins.
What each bet costs
House edge, counted exactly over every possible deal from an eight-deck shoe:
| Bet | House edge |
|---|---|
| Banker | 1.06% |
| Player | 1.24% |
| Player Pair / Banker Pair | 10.36% |
| Tie | 14.36% |
Strategy
Banker, then Player. The payouts are the same as at every commission table, so the best bets are too.
Squeeze for fun, not for luck. Players at big tables blow on cards, peel the long side first and look for the “third pip”. It’s ritual, and it’s a big part of why baccarat is fun to watch. It doesn’t change the card.
Watch the dealer’s hand. The open hand tells you what your squeezed cards need to win. If Banker shows 7, your Player cards need 8 or 9, or a draw that gets there.
If you enjoy Midi Baccarat, try Mines or Mini Baccarat next.
