Punto Banco
Baccarat is called Punto Banco in many casinos in South America and Europe. 'Punto' means 'Player', while 'Banco' means 'Bank', in reference to the two principal bets of the game.
Punto Banco: the rules. Punto Banco is a variant of Baccarat, one of the most popular casino games. This is a game of odds between the banker and the player. In this game, there are fixed rules and cards are dealt according to them. The main objective of the game is to bet on whose hand, the player or the banker, will be closest to the number 9. Punto Banco, originated from George Raft's Capri Casino in Havana, Cuba before Fidel Castro took over. The game's creator, Tommy Renzoni, stated in his book that Punto Banco, as it was called in Cuba, was brought to Las Vegas by him in the late 1950s. Renzoni wrote that his game owed its roots to European 'Chemin de Fer' via Argentina.
The object of the game is to bet on the hand (either 'Punto' or 'Banco') that you think will have a total of, or closest to, 9. Or to bet that both 'Punto' and 'Banco' hands will have the same total (a 'tie' or 'stand off').
Punto Banco is played at an oval table, similar to the French's 'Chemin de Fer' version. The actual number of players per table may vary from casino to casino.
The Punto Banco table is staffed by a croupier, who directs the play of the game, and two dealers who collect and pay bets as well as tallying commissions due.
Six or eight decks of cards are normally used, shuffled only by the croupier and dealers. Like 'Chemin de Fer', the shoe is passed around from player to player, who acts as the dealer of the cards and as 'banker,' but he or she does not actually bank the game. The 'banker' may bet on the player hand if he or she wishes, or may pass the shoe along to another player - the role of the 'banker' is merely ceremonial.
The player who has the highest bet on the 'Punto' hand is given the 'Punto' cards, though he or she simply turns the cards over, announcing their total. The croupier instructs the 'banker' when to deal third cards, and then announces the winning hand.
Punto Banco is usually played in special rooms separated from the main gaming floor, ostensibly to provide an extra measure of privacy and security because of the high stakes often involved.
Punto Banco games are frequented by high rollers, who may wager tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on a single hand. Australian tycoon Kerry Packer is particularly fond of the game, having won and lost large sums over the years.
Minimum bets are relatively high, often starting at $25 and going as high as $500. Posted maximum bets are often arranged to suit a player, but maximums of $10,000 per hand are common.
Punto Banco Rules
Despite its simplicity (or perhaps because of it), Punto Banco offers the lowest house advantage among casino games. The 'Punto' bet has a house advantage of 1.24%, and the 'Banco' bet (despite the 5% commission) has an advantage of 1.06%. The 'Stand Off' bet has a much higher house advantage of 14.44%, based on six decks in play.
Because of its attraction for wealthy players, a casino may win or lose millions of dollars a night on the game.
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Punto Banco General Rules
No hand receives more than three cards
When 'Punto' and 'Banco' hands are equal, a 'Stand-Off' is declared
Tens and face cards (all jacks, queens and kings) are worth zero, aces are worth one, and all other cards are worth their face value
If the value of a hand exceeds nine, the value is adjusted by subtracting 10 from the total
- Example:
| HAND | ACTUAL VALUE |
|---|---|
| + = 15 | 5 |
| + + = 18 | 8 |
| + = 19 | 9 |
| + = 18 | 8 |
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Punto Banco is an exciting, fast-paced game and is one of the easiest games to play in the casino. Originating in Italy in the 15th Century, Punto Banco is a version of Baccarat that developed in Cuba and then became very popular in the USA after Fidel Castro closed all of the casinos in Havana. James Bond’s favourite game, Punto Banco is considered to be the most glamorous of all casino games and due to its relatively high limits, many high rollers are drawn to play the game in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
Punto Banco
How to Play Punto Banco
The Dealer will deal 2 hands and the only decision you have to make is whether to place a bet on the “Punto” hand (i.e. the Player) the “Banco” hand (the Banker) or Egalité (a tie between the two hands). Punto Banco in the Fitzwilliam is played with 6 Decks of Cards.
The Minimum bet is €10 and the Differential is €2000 on any one round (i.e. this is the maximum bet the casino will accept on any one hand with both Punto and Banco sides added together). The Maximum for Egalité is €250 for the table (on a first bet down basis).
The objective is to bet on the hand that you think will come closer to a total count of nine. Picture cards and tens count as 0. Aces count as 1, and all other cards count as face value. If required, a third card is dealt to each hand (according to rules below). If the point value of the first two cards drawn for either hand is 8 or 9, that is known as a “Natural” and no additional cards will be drawn. Hands don’t ever exceed 9 (bust), because the first digit of a two-digit number is always dropped.
Winning “Punto” &”Banker” bets are paid even money. If both hands result in identical totals, the Egalité bet wins, paying 8 to 1. When Egalité occurs, all bets on the “Player” and the “Banker” are neither paid nor taken. There are certain Drawing Rules which must be adhered to:
PLAYERS HAND
| Hand holding totals after 2 cards: | Action: |
| 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | Is dealt a third card unless Banco has 8 or 9 |
| 6 or 7 | Stands |
| 8 or 9 | Natural – No further cards |
BANKERS HAND
| Hand holding totals after 2 cards: | Action: |
| 0, 1, 2 | Is dealt a third card |
| 3 | Is dealt a third card unless Punto third card is an 8 |
| 4 | Is dealt a third card unless Punto third card is an 0, 1, 8 or 9 |
| 5 | Is dealt a third card unless Punto third card is an 0, 1, 2 ,3, 8 or 9 |
| 6 | Stands unless Punto card is 6 or 7 |
| 7 | Stands |
| 8 or 9 | Natural – No further cards to play |
Punto Banco Card Game
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Punto Banco Rules
8 Banks or more in a row when you have the button and you are in the cash, regardless of the outcome of your hand!