What does Natural mean?

Natural is a strong starting hand made on the first two cards. In blackjack, natural usually means a two-card 21, which is an ace plus any 10-point card. In baccarat, it means 8 or 9 on the first two cards.

How does it work?

In both games, the term matters because the hand gets special status right at the start of the round. In blackjack, a natural is the best possible starting hand. In baccarat, a natural 8 or 9 usually ends the round immediately, with no additional cards drawn. So a natural is not just a good start, but a completed strong result from the first two cards.