When I worked in gaming then I never really had the chance to learn how to deal Punto Banco but it is a game that I only just learned to play some years later. It is a card game that is very similar to Baccarat which in turn is similar to Chemin de Fer. There are two sides to Punto Banco which are “punter” and “bank” hence the term Punto Banco. The rules are very simple, you decide on which hand beats the other before the commencement of the hand and you can bet on whether that is the dealer or the player or the punter or the bank.
As a rule the game is dealt from six decks from a shoe and players get to bet on which hand wins or they can place a third bet on if the hand is a tie. In terms of which hand is a favourite to win then Banco is the favourite over Punto but there is a 5% levy on winning bets. All wagers placed on the tie are paid out at odds of 8-1 but only 10% of all hands are tied as a rule which gives the house a huge edge.
Betting on Banco means that the player only has a very tiny 1.17% house edge against them which is less than roulette and far less than Casino Stud Poker. The only game the beats this for the player is blackjack when a player is using basic strategy.
