The confusing part is which number to watch. Banker's drawing rule uses the value of Player's extra card, not Player's new total. Two rounds can therefore leave Banker holding the same three points but require different actions.
This guide follows the Massachusetts Gaming Commission's active Minibaccarat rules and cross-checks the drawing sequence against MGM GameSense and Ontario's OLG PlaySmart. It concerns automatic drawing, not the choices available in other baccarat forms such as Chemin de Fer. Sources were checked on 18 October 2026.
Count the hand before looking for a third card
OLG PlaySmart's baccarat guide assigns aces one point, cards two through nine their printed value, and tens and picture cards zero. Add the values and keep the last digit. A seven and a six make three points, not thirteen; adding a further eight would make one.
Player and Banker name the two hands on the table. They do not describe a personal hand for each customer. A spectator backing Banker does not gain control over its cards.
A natural means eight or nine from the first two cards. Under section 10(a) of the Massachusetts Minibaccarat rules, a natural on either side ends the drawing sequence for both. Banker on three does not take another card against Player's natural nine. Two equal naturals can still tie: "natural" does not guarantee that a particular wager wins.
When Player stands, Banker's rule is shorter
Once neither initial hand is a natural, Player draws on zero through five and stands on six or seven. Here, "draw" means receive one additional card; "stand" means keep the two already dealt.
If Player stands, Banker draws on zero through five and stands on six or seven. MGM's GameSense guide sets out this branch separately from its third-card chart.
For example, Player's six and Banker's five require a Banker draw. Player's six and Banker's six require no extra card for either hand. These are illustrative hands, not predictions or choices about how to play them.
Read Player's extra card, not its finished total
If Player does draw, Banker's initial two-card total is matched against that extra card's point value. The chart below restates section 10 and Table 1 of the Massachusetts rules. It applies only after naturals have been ruled out and Player has actually received a third card.
| Banker's initial total | Draw when Player's third-card value is | Otherwise |
|---|---|---|
| 0, 1 or 2 | Any value | Always draw in this branch |
| 3 | Any value except 8 | Stand on 8 |
| 4 | 2 through 7 | Stand |
| 5 | 4 through 7 | Stand |
| 6 | 6 or 7 | Stand |
| 7 | No value | Always stand |
A ten, jack, queen or king counts as zero in this chart. The eight that stops Banker on three is Player's third card itself. It need not leave Player with eight points.
Consider two fictional rounds, each starting with Player's two and three against Banker's ace and two. Both initial totals are five for Player and three for Banker, so Player takes another card.
If that card is eight, Player finishes on three: 2 + 3 + 8 = 13, reduced to three. Banker stands on three and the hands tie. If the extra card is seven instead, Player finishes on two, but Banker must draw. Banker's next card is then needed to determine the result. The dealer cannot stop simply because three is already ahead of two.
The drawing rule does not settle the payout question
Section 9 of the Massachusetts rules allows no more than one additional card per hand. Knowing the chart explains why a third card arrived; it does not create another decision after that card or predict what comes out of the shoe.
Commission and payout exceptions are a separate issue. Our comparison of Banker commission rules follows the money after the hands finish. A familiar dealing sequence is not enough to identify the payment due under a named version.
For a round that looks wrong, keep the initial cards and each third card in dealing order. Record the exact table and rules version, too, rather than only the final scores. As our guide to different casino game versions explains, the title alone is a weak identifier. A final Player total of three cannot reveal whether the card that told Banker to stand was an eight.
