Punto Banco is a variation of baccarat played with a shoe containing six deck of cards. The name of the game signifies two different sides players can bet on: punto, which stands for the player, and banco, which designates the bank.

At the start of a hand, bets are placed on one of these two outcomes. Alternatively, players can also bet on the tie, i.e. that both sides will end up with the same total.

Once bets are in place, the dealer will draw four cards from the shoe and distribute them to the two spots one card at the time so that both the player and the banker start with two cards. Card values in Punto Banco are the same as in all baccarat variations: 10s and picture cards are counted as zero while all other cards maintain their face values.

When the dealing is done, totals will be calculated for both hands. When the total is over 9, only the second number in the sum will be considered (for example a 6 and a 7 has the value of 3).

Depending on the starting total, both sides may be eligible to receive an extra card. Unlike variations played against other players, Punto Banco doesn’t require players to know these rules at all. The dealer is the only one in charge of handling all the cards and they will draw the third card as necessary.

After this, hands will be compared and the one with the higher total wins. All players betting on that side will be paid even money. However, when betting on the banker, the house will usually retain a 5% fee before paying out because this side has the lower house edge of just 1.06% compared to the 1.24% for the player side.

Punto Banco Strategy

There isn’t much to say in terms of strategy for Punto Banco. Although the game is very popular, players don’t actually get to do much after they had placed their bets. There are very strict rules in terms of when the third card is drawn and this isn’t the matter of choice like in some other baccarat versions.

The only real tactic in Punto Banco is to always bet on the bank because of that smaller house edge. Another thing to consider is the banker fee. In some casinos, it will be lower than 5% or waived completely, which makes the game that much more favorable for the players.

There are several reasons why Punto Banco is so popular among fans of baccarat. The first and the most obvious one is the simplicity of the game. There is basically no experience required to join a Punto Banco table and play the game. It’s virtually impossible to make any mistakes while playing as long as you know how to place your bets.

The game is quite fast-paced and hands don’t take too long to complete. This is an important factor for many experienced players who want to get as much play as possible during their stay at a casino and don’t appreciate too much downtime.

It is also one of the more popular variations of baccarat found online so there are more options in terms of stakes and different tables. Those who prefer live dealer games often want to play at a table where the dealer is very fast or very friendly and this is much easier to find with a game like Punto Banco than some other less popular baccarat variation.

As already explained, there isn’t much to say about strategy in Punto Banco. Stick to these few simple tips when playing and that should be more than enough:

• Never bet on a tie. Unlike the other two available bets, the tie bet in Punto Banco has the house edge of 14.4% so despite the seemingly attractive odds of 8 to 1, it’s not a good bet.
• Keep track of the cards. Although card counting isn’t nearly as effective in Punto Banco as it is in blackjack, you can still improve your odds slightly provided enough cards have been dealt out of the shoe.
• Look for games with lower or no fees when betting on the banker side. This is another very efficient way to improve your odds.