Card game and prediction game, Punto Banco is played by one to seven players simultaneously. To win, the player must anticipate the result.
This card game is akin to a prediction game in which players must anticipate the result.
The game is played around a semi-circular table, served by a dealer who uses 6 decks of 52 cards. The rules that we present to you concern the Punto Banco with 7 players, also called mini-baccarat.
The game is played out between the bank (Banco) and a “virtual” opponent, the pundit. The players bet either on the victory of the bank, or on that of Ponte, or the equality between the two.
Each player, represented by a number, has three boxes to bet. 3 scenarios:
The player bets on the square where his number appears, he bets on “PUNTO WINNER.”
The player bets on the Banco box located above his number; he bets on “BANCO WINNING.”
The player bets on the Tie box bearing his number: he bets on “TIE.”
He can also bet simultaneously on TIE and one of the other two chances: PUNTO GAGNANT or BANCO gagnant.
To forecast well is to win.
Once the cards are dealt, they are turned over.
Card distribution stops.
The dealer compares the 2 games:
if Punto has the highest score, it is PUNTO WINNING
if Banco has the highest score, it is BANCO WINNING
if Punto and Banco have the same score: TIE
NEITHER PUNTO NOR BANCO ARE WORTH 8 OR 9
If Banco has a total of 7, he does not draw a third card (Banco is said to stay).
If Banco has a total of 0, 1, or 2, he systematically draws a third card.
What is the value of the cards?
The cards have a face value: the figures and the ten are worthless, the ace is worth 1.
For example, 8 + 7 = 15 => 5 is the total, 6 + 4 = 10 => 0 is the total, in this case we say Baccarat.
How much do we earn?
Players who bet on the right forecast win and get their initial bet.
Tie: the player wins eight times the bet, the others also get their starting bets (draw for Punto or Banco)
Banco winner: the winning bet is paid 19 for 20 (ex: a player who has bet 20 euros wins 19 euros and gets his 20 euros). The others lose.
Punto winner: the player wins once the stake. The others lose.
The Free Odds / Lay bet
The house edge on single bets in craps is already low enough for a casino game. But don’t throw yourself on the table already, you can do even better!
There is a bet that is not even indicated on the table; it is the additional bet (Odds Bet). An Odds Bet is an additional bet that you place on top of your single bet. Once a point has been established, you can place odds on any single bet.
The Free Odds bet has zero advantage for the house: the casino does not make any profit on this bet, it is also the only bet that has this particularity at the casino.
How does the casino allow these kinds of bets to be made on which it does not make any profit? Simple: most players do not know it, and the dealers will not spontaneously tell you because the casino prevents them from guiding players if the players have not specifically requested it. If all players were only playing on these bets, the casino would not be able to offer this game!
How does it work?
Of course, this bet is not completely free, there is a subtlety: this bet is only valid once the Point has been determined. For this (as explained in Article 337, the first phase must be passed, and you must place a Pass, Don’t Pass, Come, or Don’t Come bet before making your Free Odds bet.
Example with a Pass Line bet:
You place a Pass Line bet, the thrower rolls the dice, and a Point is established (4,5,6,8,9, or 10). You can now make a Free Odds bet, by adding tokens under Pass Line. If the thrower realizes the point again, you win your Pass Line bet, and the Odds bet. If a 7 is rolled first, you lose.
Why is the house edge zero?
The house has no advantage because this stake is paid out with the same ratio as the probability of this bet being made: if there is a one in two chance that the bet will be made, the payout will be. two to one. The casino makes a profit on the other bets and the fact that to have access to this type of bet, it is already necessary to determine the point by betting on Pass Line.
Why are Free Odds limited?
The amount you can bet on Free Odds is limited; generally, it is a multiple of the Pass Line bet: the maximum bet amount is from 2x to 100x the Pass Line bet.
Example:
If you have bet € 5 on Pass Line, and the maximum amount of the Free Odds bet is twice the Pass Line bet, you can bet € 10 on the Free Odds bet.
Winning at craps
To win (or not lose too much): bet on Pass (or Don’t Pass) until the Point is determined, then bet as much as possible on Odds (or Lay) to dilute the advantage of the casino. This is the only way to limit the casino’s edge and win at craps (it’s not for nothing that casinos don’t promote this game!).
This strategy, which will give you a reputation as an expert in Craps and which will reduce the odds of the house to the bare minimum, is to make single Pass or Don’t Pass bets and always call with as high bets as possible.
All other systems, martingales, or dice roll control stories are either nonsense or scams that only benefit the casinos and the vendors of those systems.