Cards used
In this card game, 4 to 8 French decks of 52 cards each are used.
Playing Table And Arrangement Of The Players And The Dealer
The table where Punto y Banca is played can have different shapes depending on the number of participants that can take part in the game. Generally, it will be semicircular in shape, with the curved part being occupied by the participants. This area of the table is divided into different sections, in front of which one participant sits at each section. Depending on the casino, there are tables where other participants are allowed to play even if they do not occupy a seat at the table.
The dealer stands in front of the participants and is in charge of managing the play once the bets have been placed. This includes shuffling and placing the cards in the sabot, removing the cards from the sabot, and using a paddle to move the cards and chips, as well as announcing each phase of the game and the resolution of the game.
There are Punto y Banca tables that allow a number of participants to be seated, ranging from 3 to 16, but it is possible to play even if there is only one participant, as is the case in online rooms. When playing in a physical casino and the table has more than eight seats, the dealer is accompanied by two other employees who are in charge of paying/collecting bets and exchanging chips.
As mentioned above, there is a space at the table reserved for each participant, where the betting sections are located. There are three of them and they are labelled with the names of the three bets that can be made: Player – Point, Bank and Tie. In addition, the payout rate is usually included in each one of them.
Betting Turn
The dealer announces the start of a new hand and the players place their bets.
Each participant will have to bet on the option they believe will be the winner, or on several options: the Point, the Banker or the Tie, placing their bet on the chosen section of the table. This amount of chips will have to respect the minimum and maximum limits established by the casino.
Resolution Of The Game
When all the participants have finished placing their bets, the dealer closes the betting round with a “no more” and proceeds to draw the hole cards, which is what we call the confrontation between the Point or Player and the Banker.
As we said before, the game is played automatically following established rules that will leave no doubt about the final result.
The dealer begins by dealing two hole cards to the Point and the Banker, one at a time, starting with the first one. If either hand totals 8 or 9 points, the game is over, with the higher hand winning or tying if they have the same score. When a hand scores 8 or 9 points at the start, it is called a “natural”.
If none of the hands has a natural, the dealer proceeds to play the Point and Bank hands, the first to “act” being the Point, which will have to follow the following rules:
If the point total is between 0 and 5 points he will have to draw a third card and stand. The third card is added to obtain the final value of the hand.
If the total is 6 or 7, you stand.
The dealer then turns the hand over to the dealer. This hand is played according to what the Point has done previously.
If the Point does not draw a third card, the dealer follows the same rules as above, drawing if he has 0 to 5 points and standing if he has 6 or more.
Let’s look at some examples of final hands:
- Play 1
If Punto has A-4, he makes 5, so he has to draw the third card. He gets a 3, so the final total is 8, which is 8 points.
Banker has 2-2, totals 4 and Punto’s third card was a 3, which forces him to draw the third card according to the rules. He gets a 4, totals 8.
- Play 2
If Punto has K-2, he scores 2 points, so he has to draw the third card. He gets a 9, so the final total is 11, and his value is 1 point.
If Banker has 2-8, he scores 10, which is 0 points, forcing him to draw the third card. He gets a 4, making a total of 4.
The dealer wins.
- Play 3
If Point has 7-9, totals 16, that’s 6 points, forcing him to stand.
Banker has 5-8, totals 13, that’s 3 points, which forces him to draw the third card. He gets a 4, totals 7.
The dealer wins.
- Play 4
Point has 8-Q, totals 8 points, a natural, so neither player draws a third card.
Banker has 4-7, totals 11, is 1 point.
Punto wins.
Paying Bets
Once the game is over, the dealer announces the result of the game and proceeds to pay the corresponding bets and then starts a new game.
If the Banker wins, the participants who bet on the Banker will be paid out at a rate of 1-1 minus the room commission, the others lose their bets.
If the Point wins, the players who bet on his hand will be paid at a ratio of 1-1, the others lose their bets. If there is a tie, the Point and Bank bettors get their bets back and those who bet on their hand lose their bets.
If the Point and Bank hands tie, the Point and Bank bettors will be paid 8 times the amount wagered while the other bettors will get their bets back.
