Punto Banco

The most common, purely luck-based form of baccarat, in which the player bets on Player (Punto), Banker (Banco) or Tie and all card-drawing follows fixed rules with no decisions.

Definition

In Punto Banco, two hands, Player and Banker, are dealt and the winner is whichever totals closer to nine, with tens and face cards counting as zero and only the last digit of a total mattering. Whether a third card is drawn is dictated entirely by fixed 'tableau' rules, so no skill or choice is involved. Bettors simply pick Player, Banker or Tie. Backing Banker gives the lowest house edge at about 1.06% but wins are charged a 5% commission; Player is about 1.24%; and the Tie, despite a tempting 8:1 payout, carries a much larger edge of around 14%. Because it is so simple and low-edge on the main bets, Punto Banco is a staple high-limit game worldwide.

Worked example

You bet $100 on Banker. The Banker hand totals 7 and the Player hand totals 5, so Banker wins. You are paid even money less the 5% commission, receiving $95 in winnings. Over time that commission is exactly what keeps the low-looking Banker bet at a 1.06% house edge rather than zero.

Why it matters

For learners, Punto Banco shows that a game can have almost no decisions yet still guarantee the house an edge through payout structure and commission. For professionals, the Banker/Player/Tie edges are core knowledge, and the 14% Tie is a classic example of a bad-value 'trap' bet.

Related

Note: Standard eight-deck figures are about 1.06% Banker, 1.24% Player and roughly 14% on an 8:1 Tie; a 9:1 Tie or different deck counts change the Tie edge.