Punto Banco

Casino

The overwhelming majority of casino baccarat games in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Finland, and Macau, are "Punto banco" baccarat. In Punto banco the casino banks the game at all times, and commits to playing out both hands according to a predetermined system of drawing rules, unlike the other more historic Baccarat games where each hand is played by a separate person who can choose freely whether or not to draw an additional card. Customers may bet on either the "punto/player" or the "banco/banker", which are merely designations for the two hands dealt in each game. In some countries, this version of the game is known as "tableau" (French: "diagram") which refers to the rules for drawing cards which both hands are obliged to follow.

In punto banco, the "player" hand is not associated with the customer, nor the "banker" with the house; "player" and "banker" are simply two competing hands which the bettor can back.

Punto banco is dealt from a shoe containing 4, 6 or 8 decks of cards shuffled together. A cut-card is placed in front of the seventh-last card, and the drawing of the cut-card indicates the last coup of the shoe. For each coup, two cards are dealt face to each hand, starting from "player" and alternating between the hands. The croupier may call the initial total (e.g. "five to the player, three to the banker"). At this point the drawing rules are used to determine firstly whether the player should receive a third card, and then, based on the value of any card drawn to the player, whether the banker should receive a third card. The outcome is then determined by comparing the totals.

The tableau for punto banco

If either the player or the banker (or both) achieves a total of 8 or 9 on the initial deal (known as a "natural"), no further cards are drawn and the outcome is immediately determined by comparing the two totals. However if neither has a natural, the play proceeds as follows:

Player's rule:

If the Player has an initial total of 0-5, he draws a third card. If the Player has an initial total of 6 or 7, he stands.

Banker's rule:
- If the Player stood pat (i.e. has only two cards), the Banker regards only his own hand and acts according to the same rule as the Player. That means the Banker draws a third card if he has 0–5 and stands if he has 6 or 7.
- If the Player drew a third card, the Banker acts according to the following more complex rules:
  - If the Player drew a 2 or 3, the Banker draws if he has 0–4, and stands if he has 5–7.
  - If the Player drew a 4 or 5, the Banker draws if he has 0–5, and stands if he has 6–7.
  - If the Player drew a 6 or 7, the Banker draws if he has 0–6, and stands if he has 7.
  - If the Player drew an 8, the Banker draws if he has 0–2, and stands if he has 3–7.
  - If the Player drew an ace, 9, 10, or face-card, the Banker draws if he has 0–3, and stands if he has 4–7.

The croupier will deal the cards according to the tableau and the croupier will announce the winning hand—either 'player' or 'banker'. Losing bets will be collected and the winning bets will be paid according to the rules of the house. Usually, even money or 1–1 will be paid to the player and 95% to the 'Banker', 5% commission to the house (Commission Baccarat).

Should both the "Banker" hand and the "Player" hand have the same value at the end of the deal the croupier shall announce "Egalité—tie bets win." All tie bets will be paid at 8 to 1 odds and all bets on "Player" or "Banker" remain in place and active for the next game (the customer may or may not be able to retract these bets depending on casino rules).

Casino games

In casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, 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. The game is frequented by very high rollers, who may wager tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on a single hand. Minimum bets are relatively high, often starting at 25 USD and going as high as 500 USD. Posted maximum bets are often arranged to suit a player, but maximums of 10,000 USD per hand are common. When it comes to online casinos, usually high roller baccarat games are played in separate rooms. A player that wants to play high roller baccarat online can do so only with an invitation which is not easily acquired. Most of the time the invitations are given to players that spend lots of time playing baccarat for real money.^[1]

Because Baccarat attracts wealthy players, a casino may win or lose millions of dollars a night on the game, and the house's fortunes may significantly affect the owning corporation's quarterly profit and loss statement. Notations of the effects of major baccarat wins and losses are frequently found in the quarterly reports of publicly traded gaming companies.

The full-scale version of punto banco baccarat is played at a large rounded table, similar to chemin de fer. The table is staffed by a croupier, who directs the play of the game, and two dealers who calculate tax and collect and pay bets. Six or eight decks of cards are used, normally shuffled only by the croupier and dealers. The shoe is held by one of the players, who deals the cards on the instructions of the croupier according to the tableau. When the "player" hand wins, the shoe moves either to the highest bettor on the "player" hand, or to the next player clockwise around the table, depending on the casino's conventions.

Midi and mini punto

Smaller versions of the game are common in more modest settings. In midi punto, the table is only staffed by a single croupier and is generally smaller. In mini punto, the table is no larger than a standard blackjack table, and the cards are dealt by a croupier directly from a standard shoe. Table minimums/maximums are smaller.

Punto banco odds and strategy

Despite its simplicity (or perhaps because of it), the punto banco version of baccarat offers some of the lowest house advantage available in a casino. The player bet has a house advantage of 1.24%, and the banker bet (despite the 5% commission) has an advantage of 1.06%. The tie bet has a much higher house advantage of 14.44% (when using six decks) or 14.36% (when using eight decks)^[2], although most casinos in the United Kingdom pay the tie at 9-1 resulting in a house edge of around 4%.

Many baccarat players mistakenly believe that examining recorded deal patterns can indicate future outcomes. Popular tracking systems include "big road", "bead road", "big eye road", "small road" and "cockroach road". Traditionally players have made their own records with pen and paper, but now many casinos (particularly online casinos) display this information using audiovisual equipment.^[3]

Super 6/Punto 2000

A variation of punto banco exists where even money is paid, rather than 95%, on winning "banker" bets, except when the 'banker' wins with 6, when a commission of 50% is taken. This game goes under various names including "Super 6", and "Punto 2000". The house edge on a banker bet under Super 6 is 1.46%. Aside from the increased house edge, the Super 6 variation has the advantage of increased speed; calculating and collecting commission on winning banker bets in standard punto banco takes up a significant portion of the game time. Paying even money most of the time is much faster.