Punto Banco

Punto Banco is a version of the famous French game of Baccarat.

Punto Banco is a contest between two sides, called Punto (Player) and Banco (Bank). It is a simple game, whose attraction lies in its unique combination of precise rules and elegance.

Basic Play

Each side starts with a hand of two cards. The object of the game is to beat the other side, whether you back Player or Bank, by getting a higher hand. The best possible hand is a total of 9.

Cards are drawn by one of the players, from a dealing shoe. Everyone has his or her turn to draw the cards.

As in Blackjack, cards count at their face value, with court cards, 10's and any combination of cards totalling 10, counting as zero. Aces only count as one.

For example :

K+6 = 6 (not 16) / 2+7 = 9

The game starts with each player placing his stake in front of him according to choice (Player/Punto or Banker/Banco).

The player draws four cards face-up from the shoe. Four cards are dealt alternately, first to the player, then to the bank. Depending on the totals of these cards, the dealer will determine whether fifth and six cards are drawn.

The players at the table want the side they have backed, Player or Bank, to achieve a score as close as possible to 8 or 9, which are known as naturals, and win outright. But in the vast majority of hands, obviously, the totals vary widely.

Note that the players do not have any option whether to draw a fifth card or stay, because this is laid down precisely in the Table of Play.

For example :

The Player's Hand (Punto) has a total of 2+3= 5

The Bank's Hand (Banco) has a total of 4+10=4

According to the table of play, the Player would now be dealt another card. Suppose it was a 6. The Player's hand now goes down from a total of 5 to a total of 1.
Now it is the Bank's turn to be dealt a third card. Suppose it is an ace. The Bank's hand which was 4+10 (and is now 4+10+1) goes up to a total of 5.
The croupier now announces the result as "Bank wins".
Winning Player bets are paid even money. Winning Bank bets are paid at 19 to 20. If the hands are equal, the bets are a stand-off. But in a separate side bet, players can bet on a tie (known as "egalite") at 8-1.
Some players like to note down the sequence of results on a score card. One of the dealers will be happy to give you a card, to keep track.
The dealing shoe stays with the same player as long as the Banco (Bank) continues to win. When Punto wins, the shoe moves around to the next person on the right.

TABLE OF PLAY
Note:	There are no Optional Draws. Both Player and Banker must draw according to these tables:
	PUNTO
HAVING
1,2,3,4,5,0	DRAWS A CARD
6-7	STANDS
8-9	DECLARES HAND
	BANCO
HAVING	DRAWS WHEN GIVING	DOES NOT DRAW WHEN GIVING
3	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10	8
4	2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7	1, 8, 9, 10
5	4, 5, 6, 7	1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10
6	6, 7	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10
7	STANDS
8, 9	STANDS
BANK MUST STAND HAVING 6 WHEN PUNTO HAS 6 OR 7 ON INITIAL DEAL
NO OPTIONAL DRAWS