In Punto Banco, the general rules are the same as in traditional baccarat. Player and dealer both receive two cards. Cards are given points based on face value, with aces worth 1, while 10s and face cards are worth zero; should the total of the hand be greater than 10, 10 is subtracted. The object is to get as close a hand valued 9 as possible.
Baccarat and punto banco online deviate a bit from standard casino games in that the player may actually bet against him-/herself: He/she places wagers on either the winning hand will be held by player or “banker.” A third possibility allows the player to wager on a tie result, with a 9/1 payout on this outcome.
The frustrating thing about punto banco for those weaned on the classic game is that, in this version of the game, all decisions to take a third card or not are done automatically. Of course, in this simplicity lies the appeal for some...