Natural Eight Baccarat is classic Punto Banco with three families of side bets. Natural 8 pays when either hand opens with a two-card 8. Super Pair pays on a pair in a hand’s first two cards, more for diamonds and the most for two 4♦. The four colour bets pay when a hand’s first two cards are both red or both black, and more if a third card keeps the colour going. Live casinos deal this style as Super 8 Baccarat.
How to play
Main bets. 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.
Natural 8. One bet covers both hands:
| Result | Pays |
|---|---|
| Player or Banker wins with a natural 8 | 4 to 1 |
| Both hands are natural 8s (a tie) | 6 to 1 |
| A natural 8 loses to a natural 9 | 6 to 1 |
A natural is a total of 8 or 9 on the first two cards. An 8 made with a third card doesn’t count.
Super Pair (Player or Banker). That hand’s first two cards:
| Cards | Pays |
|---|---|
| 4♦ 4♦ | 40 to 1 |
| any other pair of diamonds (say Q♦ Q♦) | 30 to 1 |
| any other pair of 4s | 20 to 1 |
| any other pair | 10 to 1 |
Only the highest line pays. A pair means the same rank: K-K counts, K-Q doesn’t.
Colour bets (Player Red, Player Black, Banker Red, Banker Black). Red means hearts and diamonds, black means spades and clubs.
| That hand’s cards | Player pays | Banker pays |
|---|---|---|
| first two cards in your colour | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 |
| first two in your colour, and a third card in your colour | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 |
| three cards of the same suit | 10 to 1 | 12 to 1 |
If the first two cards are mixed, the bet loses. If the hand draws a third card in the other colour, the first two still pay 2 to 1.
Chips come in 20, 100 and 500. Every spot takes up to 1,000 credits, in steps of 20.
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, with every suit combination:
| Bet | House edge |
|---|---|
| Banker | 1.06% |
| Player | 1.24% |
| Player Red / Player Black | 3.46% |
| Super Pair | 3.65% |
| Banker Red / Banker Black | 3.75% |
| Natural 8 | 4.55% |
| Tie | 14.36% |
Strategy
The side bets here are unusually fair. Most baccarat side bets cost 10% or more. Every side bet on this table costs under 5%, and the colour bets on Player are the cheapest at 3.46%. The Tie, at 14.36%, is the worst bet on the layout.
Why Player’s colour bet beats Banker’s. Player draws a third card more often than Banker, so Player’s hand gets more chances at the 4 to 1 and 10 to 1 lines. Banker’s 12 to 1 for three of a suit doesn’t quite make up for that.
Natural 8 has three ways to win. It pays when a natural 8 wins, ties, or loses to a natural 9. Only a round with no natural 8 at all loses.
Keep the main stake on Banker. At 1.06% it’s still the cheapest bet. Side bets add excitement and cost a little more each round.
If you enjoy Natural Eight Baccarat, try Nebula Wilds or No Commission Baccarat next.
