Chemin de Fer ('Chemmy')
Also called: Chemmy · Iron Road
Chemin de Fer (French for 'iron road' or railroad, nicknamed 'Chemmy') is the classic six-deck European baccarat variant where players wager against one another rather than the house. One player acts as Banker until the Banker hand loses a coup, at which point the shoe passes counterclockwise to the next player around the table.
Origin: Named 'iron road' (railroad) in 19th-century France because the heavy card shoe glided along the felt from player to player like a locomotive on tracks.
Why Chemin de Fer is called the “Iron Road”
Chemin de Fer (French for “iron road”, the 19th-century French term for a railroad, and nicknamed “Chemmy” in London and Monte Carlo gaming salons) is the historic six-deck European form of baccarat. The name comes from the heavy wooden dealing box—the sabot—which slides around the oval felt from one seated participant to the next like a locomotive moving along steel tracks whenever the bank changes hands.
Unlike modern casino Punto Banco, the house does not risk its own bankroll against the table in Chemin de Fer. Instead, the casino provides the croupier, the six-deck (312-card) shoe, and the central wooden palette, while charging a 5% table fee (cagnotte) on net Banker wins.
How the rotating player bank and Banco calls work
At the start of a shoe, the participant seated to the right of the croupier receives the sabot first and announces the amount they wish to risk as the opening bank. Other participants around the felt (called pontes or punters) then wager against that bank:
- Calling Banco: Any single punter may shout “Banco!” to match the Banker's entire current stake alone, taking priority over smaller partial wagers around the layout.
- Banco suivi (following bank): If a lone Banco challenger loses the coup, that same punter holds priority right on the immediate next hand to call “Banco suivi!” and match the entire new bank stake again before any other seat can claim it.
- Passing the shoe: As long as the Banker hand wins (or ties), the same participant keeps the sabot and deals the next coup. The moment the Player hand beats the Banker hand, the bank ends and the shoe slides counterclockwise to the next seat.
Optional draws on 5: Carte vs Non
Whichever punter placed the largest wager against the bank (or called Banco) receives the two face-down Player cards on behalf of the table. If either side holds a two-card Natural 8 or 9 (La Petite or La Grande), both hands turn face up immediately and drawing stops.
When neither hand holds a Natural, Chemin de Fer departs from the rigid Punto Banco Third Card Rule in two classic ways:
- Player discretion on a two-card 5: The active punter must draw on totals of 0 through 4 and must stand on 6 or 7, but on an exact two-card total of 5, the punter may choose whether to request a third card (“Carte!”) or stand pat (“Non”)—see Carte & Non.
- Banker discretion after Player acts: Once the Player stands or receives a face-up third card, the participant holding the bank turns over the two Banker cards and decides whether to draw or stand, with optional choices on marginal totals such as Banker 3 against a Player third-card 9 or Banker 5 against a Player third-card 4.
Chemin de Fer vs Baccarat Banque vs Punto Banco
| Feature | Chemin de Fer | Baccarat Banque | Punto Banco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Decks | 6 decks (312 cards) | 3 decks (156 cards) | 8 decks (416 cards) or 6 decks |
| Who Holds the Bank | Rotates counterclockwise among players after each Banker loss | One banker holds the shoe across two table halves (Deux Tableaux) | The casino house banks every Player and Banker wager |
| Third-Card Draw on 5 | Optional (Carte or Non) | Optional on Player 5 and selected Banker totals | 100% automatic under the fixed tableau |
| Where Played Today | Selected French, Monte Carlo, and private European clubs | Monte Carlo and specialist European salons | Macau, Las Vegas, Singapore, London, and live-dealer studios |
Where to go next
Explore how modern house-banked tables work in our Punto Banco guide, walk through every mandatory draw in our Third Card Rule & Banker's Tableau breakdown, return to the full A–Z Baccarat Glossary, or start Module 1 inside our Baccarat Smart Interactive Course.
Frequently Asked Questions: Chemin de Fer ('Chemmy')
Browse all 500+ student FAQs →- What is the main difference between Chemin de Fer and Punto Banco?
- In Chemin de Fer, players bet against each other with a rotating player banker and have the option to draw or stand on a total of 5, while the casino only provides the equipment and collects a 5% commission. In Punto Banco, the casino house banks all wagers and every third-card draw is 100% automatic under the fixed tableau.
- Can a player choose whether to draw a third card in Chemin de Fer?
- Yes. While a player must stand on 6 or 7 and must draw on 0 through 4, a player holding an initial two-card total of 5 may choose to draw by calling Carte or stand pat by calling Non.
- What does calling Banco and Banco suivi mean?
- Calling Banco announces that a single participant wagers against the banker's entire stake alone, taking precedence over smaller table bets. If that challenger loses, calling Banco suivi gives that same player priority to challenge the full bank again on the immediate next hand.
- Why is the game named Chemin de Fer?
- Chemin de Fer is French for iron road or railroad. The game earned this nickname because the heavy wooden dealing shoe (sabot) slides counterclockwise around the oval table from player to player like a train moving along tracks whenever the bank changes hands.
- Does Chemin de Fer use the five baccarat scoreboards?
- Traditional Chemin de Fer does not use the five electronic scoreboards found in modern casinos. Macau scoreboards, the Big Road, and the three derived roads were developed for modern house-banked Punto Banco tables, where on derived roads, red does not mean Banker and blue does not mean Player.
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Related Glossary Terms
Browse all 100 A–Z terms →The standard modern casino version of baccarat ('Player–Banker') played in Macau, Las Vegas, and online, where all draws follow fixed rules.
A traditional three-deck European baccarat variant where one banker plays against two separate player table halves.
In Chemin de Fer, a call by one player to match the entire current bank stake alone, with priority to follow on the next hand after a loss.
Traditional French calls used in Chemin de Fer to request a third card ('Carte!') or stand ('Non').
The traditional French word ('wooden clog') for the card-dealing shoe used in Chemin de Fer and Baccarat.