INTRODUCTION TO PUNTO BANCO
Punto Banco, meaning player versus the house, dealer or banker, is a game based on Baccarat. Players only need to decide who to bet on and the player with a hand that is closest to totally 9 wins. Easy enough!
Punto Banco Screenshot
HOW TO PLAY PUNTO BANCO
In Punto Banco, like in Baccarat, the 10’s, jacks, queens and kings are worth 0, the aces are worth one and the remaining cards are worth their face value. The value of the hand is totalled after cards are dealt and the goal is to get as close to 9 as possible. If the total adds up to a double figure, you would subtract 10 and that would be the total (i.e. if you had a 7 and 9 you would have 16 which becomes a 6).
Players decide to bet on either Punto (they player), Banco (the dealer or banker) or egalité (a tie) and at the end of the round, hands are evaluated and winnings are handed out accordingly.
- If the hand totals 6 or 7 the hand stands
- If the hand totals an 8 or 9 the hand stands
The following rules apply to the dealers first two cards dealt:
- If the hand totals 0-3 the dealer must hit
- If the hand totals 4 and the player’s hand totals between 2-7, the dealer must draw a third card
- If the hand totals 5 and the player’s hand totals between 4-7, the dealer must draw a third card
- If the hand totals 6 and the player’s hand totals 6 or 7, the dealer must draw a third card but only if the players hand total was reached with three cards. If the players hand was made with two cards the dealer would have to stand.
If the hand totals 7 the dealer must stand
- If the hand totals 8 or 9 the banker would stand
By the end of each round there is either a winner or a tie. Bets made on the player (Punto) are paid 1/1, bets on the dealer (Banco) pays 19/20 and bets on egalité or tie are paid 8/1. The best advice we can give is to take these rules and get practicing! It’s a very easy game to pick up once you get into the swing of it.
Punto Banco is a quick card game that is very easy to learn. The term “punto banco” literally means “player/dealer”, referring to the way the game is played. Three cards are dealt to the dealer and three are dealt to the player, and the player must bet on the outcome of the game: whether the player will win, the banker will win or there will be a draw.
Cards 2 to 9 count for face value. 10, Jack, Queen and King are 0. Aces are worth 1. If a player’s hand totals more than 9, you must drop the number that is in the tens position. For example, if a player is dealt A 9 8, their total is 18. You then drop the 1 at the beginning for a final value of 8.
Strategies
Punto Banco is played against the dealer, but the player does not win by simply getting the higher hand; they win by predicting who will it. That’s why Punto Banco strategies differ from Blackjack strategies, wherein the player is being guided to beat the banker.
The game requires very little skill and relies very heavily on chance. A highly recommended strategy suggests that players bet to lose. Punto Banco does, indeed, give the house a much lower edge than with other games, but there is still one in place. So, the chances of the banker winning are higher.
Punto Banco also requires some observation. Pay close attention to the outcome of the game and, after the first few rounds, take note of who is winning more. This game is well known for winning streaks, so if you bet on the player while they’re on a streak, you could be in for some consistent payouts. Once another player wins, ease up on the amount of money you’re betting until you see another trend emerging.
PUNTO BANCO
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