The best and worst of all scenarios comes with the natural draw of an 8 or 9. And, naturally, it all works out if you have bet that side, and doesn't if you haven't. As soon as the Player side, which opens first, draws a 9, the best the Banker side can hope for is to pull another 9 and thus tie or push. In this case, there are no winners or losers as far as Player/Banker goes. The winner here would be the person who bet Tie.Naturally,the worst thing that can happen is to draw a lovely 8 and a face card,only to have the Banker pull a 9 and a face. That is what we call a bad beat.Failing a natural 8 or 9 on the first draw, things get a little trickier, butthey aren't that difficult to figure.First let's look at the card values: Aces=1 (not 1 or 11 as in blackjack)Cards with denominations of 2-9 are equal to their face values.Tens and face cards (the royals, Jack, Queen, King)=0 (baccarat!)Naturals can consist of any combination of cards making 8 or 9, ex. Ace + 7=8;4 + 5=9, etc.Lacking a natural on any draw, there are third card draw rules which are strictlyadhered which offer no options or possibilities of drawing and standing by theplayer on either side. The following rules help give the game its simplicity: On the Player's Side First Two Card Totals Player side must:1,2,3,4,5,10 = Draw6,7 = Stand8,9 = Natural (No draw, Banker cannot draw) On the Banker's Side First Two Card Totals Banker must draw if player shows: Banker does not draw when Player draws:3 = 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9,10 84 = 2,3,4,5,6,7 1,8,9,105 = 4,5,6.7 1,2,3,8,9,106 = 6,7 1,2,3,4,5,8,9,107 = always stands always stands8,9 = Natural (Player cannot draw) These rules contain one exception: if player takes no card (stands on 6,7), then the banker stands on 6. One thing should be obvious from these hard and fast rules: the Banker has a great deal more options than Player. This translates into a 1.8% advantage for betting Banker, but the casinos, in their infinite search for profits, round this figure off to a full 5%.These commissions are maintained by the dealers and each player is held accountableby the end of play on each shoe, unless previous arrangements have been made.

Gambler's Survival Guide
Source : Max Drayman (www.winneronline.com)

Top tips that will help you walk away from casinos with more money in your pocket:Know Your Game Not all games are created equally. There is a wealth of information both on the net and in print to inform you of the odds you face in any given game and the strategies that will help shave the house edge to a minimum. Spend a little time reading and you'll spend a lot less time wondering what happened to your bankroll.Play To A Budget Let's say you've got $600 and you expect to gamble three times a week for the next couple weeks. That's $100 per session and that's your budget for any given session. Put the rest away, forget about it and enjoy the money you've got in front of you. DO NOT under any circumstances touch another day's bankroll. If you tap out, walk away and come back another day. This is how you remain a happy gambler and not a whining loser. Don't Gamble With Scared Money.We've all heard and said it before: only gamble money that you can afford to lose. Anything you can't afford to lose like the rent money is called "scared money" because that's what you'll be if you even get close to betting with it. And scared gamblers are losers-in-training. If you play this way you may well need professional counselling.