Variations of Baccarat: Punto Banco
“Baccarat Punto Banco” or “American Baccarat” is the North American version of Baccarat. It’s one of the few popular versions of Baccarat alongside: “Chemin de Fer”, “Baccarat en Banque”, and “Mini Baccarat”.
Punto Banco is very popular in the Americas (hence the name), Australia, Sweden and numerous other countries. However the name will change depending on where it’s played. Europeans may refer to it as Baccarat Punto Banco and Americans may call it American Baccarat or simply “Baccarat.”
In Baccarat Punto Banco, the goal is bet on which hand (Player or Banker) will be as close to a 9 as possible (with 9 being ideal.) Unlike most card games, the object of Punto Banco isn’t to build the best hand but rather to wager on what will happen. Do you think the winning hand will belong to the Banker, the Player, or end in a Tie? Slap a chip on the appropriate spot on the Baccarat table and hope your choice wins. Because of the lack of choices after your initial bet, Baccarat isn’t a game of skill but a game of chance (unless your last name is Bond – ok, somehow, HE brings skill into it!)
After your bet, the Dealer deals four initial cards. Cards one and three are dealt to the Player’s hand and the second and fourth cards are given to the Banker’s hand. The game could end here if either the player or banker draws a hand with a score of 8 or 9. Normally, the game continues with additional cards. Since Punto Banco is a game of chance, nobody can request or refuse additional cards to influence the outcome. Whether or not a hand gets cards depends on strict rules the Dealer must follow.
If the Player’s hand has a score of 0 though 5, another card will be dealt. If the score is 6 or 7, then no more cards are dealt. The banker will then look at the Player’s card to determine if they get another card. If the Banker has a score of 6, they’ll deal another card for themselves if the Player’s third card is a 6 or 7. If they have a 5 as a score, they’ll take another card if the Player’s third card is 4, 5, 6, or 7. With a score of 4, they’ll take another card except in cases where the Player’s third card is 0 (face cards or a 10), 1, 8, or 9. Bankers will nearly always draw on a 3 unless an 8 is the Player’s third card. Bankers will always draw on a 2.
It sounds complicated, but it really isn’t – since it’s all automatic, all a Baccarat Punto Banco player has to do is make one of three bets (banker, player, tie) and wait for the result. Yup, it’s really that simple.
Good luck on your next Punto Banco wager!
