In the European variant of baccarat, chemin de fer, the banker hand is given a slight edge over the player hand. The reason for this seeming generosity on the part of the casino is that the individual banker hand is required to finance the entire round. The banker will be paid even money when he wins, while the player will only get less than even money because of the 5-percent commission. When all the banker's funds are covered, no further bets are allowed. The banker can only cover the bets his total bankroll has.

In the European game, if one player wants to cover the entire banker's bet, he calls out "banco." No other player is allowed to bet during that specific round.

Chemin de Fer is French for 'railroad' and refers to the shoe moving like a train among the players.

1. As suggested above, the bank rotates among the players.

2. The player has the option of either standing or drawing on five.

3. The play of the banker is optional.

4. The house plays the role of a broker and collects a fee from the winnings of each banker (no risk involved for the house).