For the past few decades, Punto Banco has been the most popular baccarat variation you can find. It’s everywhere, both in land based casinos and social casino platforms.
Knowing how to play it is key to having a better experience. So stick around to learn:
- What is Punto Banco baccarat
- How do you play it
- Pros & cons, plus alternatives.
What is Punto Banco?
The definition of Punto Banco can be a little confusing – it depends on who you ask. Indeed, some people use the terms Punto Banco and baccarat interchangeably.
However, generally, Punto Banco is just one of the variations of baccarat, albeit the most common version of the game. It is perhaps the most common variation of baccarat you’ll find on social casinos online, and is sometimes called North American baccarat.
The name ‘Punto Banco’ translates as ‘player’ and ‘banker’. As such, this simplified baccarat game focuses solely on the player and banker’s hands. Outside of placing plays on one of these hands, players have little decision-making to be concerned about, as the drawing rules are largely automatic and dictated by the cards that are dealt.
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How to Play Punto Banco
Punto Banco baccarat is generally played with six or eight decks of cards. The dealer places two cards in front of each player and themselves in a specific order and fashion determined by the rules of the game.
Each card has a value assigned to it. These values can be found in the table below.
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 |
| 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 3 |
| 4 | 4 |
| 5 | 5 |
| 6 | 6 |
| 7 | 7 |
| 8 | 8 |
| 9 | 9 |
| 10 | 0 |
| Jack | 0 |
| Queen | 0 |
| King | 0 |
The values of the two cards are added together. For player hands, if the total equals 6 or above, the hand automatically ‘stands’ or ‘sticks’. If it equals 0 to 5, you must draw a third card.
For the banker’s hands, the third card draw is a little more complex. They stand when the initial two cards:
- To the banker or player hand equal 8 or 9
- To the banker’s hand equal 7
- To the banker’s hand equal 6, and the player did not draw a third card
They draw when the initial two cards:
- To the banker’s hand equal 0, 1 or 2
In addition, the banker must draw or stand when the player’s third card is a specific number, as follows:
| If the Player’s Third Card is The Following Number, The Banker | ||
| Banker’s First 2 Cards Equal | Draws | Stands |
| 3 | 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 | 8 |
| 4 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 | 0, 1, 8, 9 |
| 5 | 4, 5, 6, 7 | 0, 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 |
| 6 | 6, 7 | 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9 |
The winning hand is the one that equals closest to 9 overall.
Achieving a total of 8 or 9 with the initial two cards is known as a natural (baccarat).
If the banker and player’s hands both equal the same total, this is known as a tie. Players can place a play on a banker win, player win, or a tie.
It is worth noting that a hand won’t go ‘bust’ if it goes over 9. Instead, the first digit is dropped to reset the total back to a number between 0 and 9. For example, the adjusted totals would look like this:
| Total Before | Outcome |
|---|---|
| 10 | 0 |
| 11 | 1 |
| 12 | 2 |
| 13 | 3 |
| 14 | 4 |
| 15 | 5 |
| 16 | 6 |
| 17 | 7 |
| 18 | 8 |
An Example of Punto Banco
As with many card games, Punto Banco baccarat has a lot of numbers to get your head around. It will be clearer once we look at an example with actual hands.
| Player | Banker | Result | ||||
| Cards | Total | Action | Cards | Total | Action | |
| 10 and Ace | 0+1= 1 | Draw | 8 and 5 | 8+5=13 Removing 1st digit = 3 | Await Player’s Third Card | |
6 | 1+6= 7 | Stand | – | 3 | Draw | |
| 7 | Await Result | 3 | 3+3= 6 | Stand | Player Wins | |
Here, the player’s initial two cards equal 1, so they must draw a third card. As the banker’s initial two cards equal 3, the number the player draws next dictates if the banker draws too. With all three cards drawn, the player has the total closest to 9, so wins this hand.
However, Punto Banco is ultimately a game of chance. If the banker drew a 4 rather than a 3, this would result in a tie.
| 7 | Await Result | 4 | 3+4= 7 | Stand | Tie |
If the banker drew a 5 as their third card, the banker would win.
| 7 | Await Result | 5 | 3+5= 8 | Stand | Banker Wins |
Pros and Cons of Punto Banco
Let’s take a look at some advantages and disadvantages of playing Punto Banco baccarat.
Pros
- There is little input needed from the player other than to place their play on the player’s hand, the banker’s, or a tie, as the decision to draw or stand is entirely down to the cards drawn, making it great for beginners.
- It is the most popular variation of baccarat due to its simplicity.
- There are many online casino games that use Punto Banco baccarat rules (though they might not explicitly state ‘Punto Banco’, instead using the baccarat or American baccarat interchangeably).
- There is no need to worry about side plays.
- As there is a maximum of three cards per player, the game can be quite fast-paced.
Cons
- You are limited to placing plays on the main three plays. More experienced players may miss the opportunity to place plays on side plays.
- Winning plays placed on a banker’s hand often have a commission of around 5% which is taken from the return.
- There is no opportunity to make strategic decisions as the rules are fixed, determined by the cards drawn.
- Tie plays often have a high house edge of around 14.36%, which is not particularly attractive to many, limiting you further to placing plays on the player or banker’s hand.
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Alternatives to Punto Banco
Punto Banco itself has a couple of variations, such as:
If Punto Banco is not your style, or you’d like to try alternative baccarat variations, you might like to check out:
- Chemin De Fer
- Baccarat Banque
- Speed Baccarat
- No Commission Baccarat
- Mini baccarat
Conclusion
You now have all the knowledge you need to confidently join a Punto Banco table.
If you want to keep evolving as a player, check our other social casino guides before heading out to McLuck social casino and enjoying sweet rewards.
