Asian baccarat: Dragon Tiger and its cousins

Baccarat drives the large majority of gaming revenue in Macau, and the region has shaped how the game is played: faster, more dramatic, sometimes stripped down to a single card each. The core rules are covered in our baccarat guide; this page is about the variations.

The main variations

• Dragon Tiger: one card each for Dragon and Tiger, highest card wins.
• Speed Baccarat: a full round in under half a minute.
• Baccarat Squeeze: a slow, theatrical card reveal.
• Peek Baccarat: the dealer glances at the cards before turning them.
• No Commission: banker pays even money, except a winning banker 6, which pays half.

Dragon Tiger in detail

Two spots, one card each, aces low and kings high. You back Dragon, Tiger or a tie. When both cards match in rank, a tie bet pays 8 to 1 and Dragon or Tiger bets lose half their stake. The house edge is about 3.73% on Dragon or Tiger and a steep 32.77% on the tie, so the tie is best left alone. With no decisions to make, it is a gentle way into live dealer games.

Superstition at the table

In Macau and Singapore, and in the baccarat salons of Las Vegas, you will see players blow on cards, bend them, follow streaks or avoid unlucky seats. None of it changes the odds. It is part of the culture of the game, and the live studios lean into it with squeeze tables and red-and-gold sets.

Where to play online

• Evolution: Baccarat Squeeze, Dragon Tiger, Speed Baccarat, No Commission and Lightning Baccarat with random card multipliers.
• Pragmatic Live: Speed Baccarat, standard baccarat and Dragon Tiger.
• Ezugi: Dragon Tiger with Asian dealers and multilingual tables.