This variation of Baccarat follows the conventional rules, but the difference is that when the bank wins, the pay-out is 1-1 (without commission), when the bank wins with six, pay-outs are half (1/2).
The game is played with 6 decks of 52 cards and the player can aim for a combination of “Punta”, “Banco” or “Egalité”.
The croupier takes 4 covered cards from the shoe, the first and third for the Punta, the second and fourth for the Banco. The cards have face value, in other words face cards and 10s are worth 0 and the points of the hand are calculated adding the values and subtracting 10 whenever it is reached.
The Punta player who has received the cards has the first call, asking or refusing cards based on the points in his hand. Following the rules, i.e. taking a card if the total is 0,1,2,3,4,5, and sticking with 6 or 7, the croupier then shows the bank’s cards, taking further cards with 0,1,2 and sticking with 3,4,5,6 or 7.
Scores of 8 or 9 (“natural”), obtained with the first 2 cards, must be declared by player or banker straight away, denying anyone else the chance to take another card.
The game of Punto Banco is made more stimulating and higher in pay-outs with an optional further game called Lion Bonus.
The player can play the Lion Bonus betting on the winning Punto or Banco, but not on both. To do this he will have to place the bet must be placed in a box situated by the side of the Punto and the Banco.
The Lion Bonus can also be played as an individual game separated from the normal bets for Punto, Banco and Egalité.
Lion Bonus bets must be between a minimum of 10 euros and a maximum of 50 euros and must be place before the cards are dealt.
The dealer, for every game, must first pay the Punto and Banco winnings and only after that the Lion Bonus.
The Lion Bonus bets are determined differently depending on whether a natural has been obtained (8 or 9 points with the first two cards) or via taking
further cards:
1. If the hand is won with a natural, the relative Lion Bonus wins and will be paid equally;
2. If the hand with natural is equal, the Lion Bonus will be repaid to the player;
3. If the hand wins after pulling the 5th or 6th card and the discard between points is equal to or reater than 4, the relative Lion
Bonus wins and is paid following this table:
Score | Payout |
---|---|
9 | 20:1 |
8 | 8:1 |
7 | 4:1 |
6 | 4:1 |
5 | 2:1 |
4 | 1:1 |
4. All other Punto and Banco wins will be losses for the Lion Bonus.