The game of baccarat has for a long time been a game of the wealthy and the high rollers. The game is over 600 years old. Today, baccarat is a popular casino game. Punto Bunco is one of the variants of baccarat. It has the gameplay and the rules of the classic baccarat and anyone who has ever played baccarat will find the game easy to play.
Punto Banco is different from Chemin de Fer (the classic baccarat) in that you do not bet against other players. In Punto Banco, you bet against the dealer. The word “punto” refers to the player while “Banco” refers to the bank. The dealer deals the player and the banker hands, and you choose which hand to bet on.
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Top Online Casinos for Punto Bunco
You can play Punto Banco live online and have so much fun. The game is available in several casinos online and all you have to do is pick the best casino. All casinos are not the same. Although the casinos may all have the game, some do not offer the security and safety that all players need. As a player, the best casino for you should provide all the features and all the games you need. This way, one casino will be sufficient without you having to register in hundreds of casinos for the hundred games you play.
We take our time when picking the best on line casinos because we must create accounts and play a few games in all of them. Before we recommend a casino, we have experienced what the casino offers. Check the list of top casinos for Punto Banco below.
How Do We Select the Best Casino Sites for Blackjack Switch?
Below are some of the features we consider before we recommend a casino:
Bonuses & Promotions
Although this is not the first thing we consider, we realized that most players love bonuses and promotions. Casinos offer bonuses and promotions as a way of attracting new players and retaining the existing players. Bonuses allow you to play more games from your money.
All bonuses are not equal as the rules that regulate them are different. When choosing the best casino, we consider the following:
• The range of bonuses and promotions offered, including welcome bonuses, first and consequent deposit bonuses, loyalty bonuses, and many more
• The wagering requirements of those bonuses – how many games you have to play (and which games) to withdraw your bonus winnings
• The duration of the bonuses and other terms and conditions
• Who can access the bonuses and promotions
Security and Safety
The first thing we consider before signing up on any casinos is licensing and regulation. All casinos we recommend have a license from a recognized casino licensing authority. With a license from Malta Gaming Authority or U.K. Gambling Commission, a casino will offer fair games.
The casino further must be open to audits from agencies such as eCogra. These audits check the gaming platform and the safety and security features among others. Most online casinos employ security features such as:
• Player verification
• Two-step account authentication
• Data encryption
We all want to play in safe casinos, and we ensure you are safe in all casinos we recommend.
Selection of Casino Games
While you may only want to play Punto Banco today, there are other games you may want to play too. Most casinos offer several games, but are they the games you love? We ensure that a casino offers a wide range of casino games, including:
• Hundreds of slots from different software providers and their variations such as 3D and Progressives
• Table games such as blackjack, poker, craps, and roulette
• Video games and live dealer games such as live dealer poker
• Specialty games such as Keno, lottery games, bingo and scratch tickets among others
Device Optimization
The best casinos should allow you to play on different devices from your PC to your smartphone. You can play almost all casinos on your PC or laptop, and we ensure that you can play on your mobile device too.
The casinos may have a mobile app, or they may be offering games that you can play on the web from your mobile device. We ensure that whatever platform the casinos allow, the games play as perfectly as they do on PC. Further, we ensure that you can access all games variants on mobile, including live dealer games.
Banking Options and Fast Payouts
Casinos accept players from different parts of the world. All these players need to have a way to deposit money and withdraw their winnings. This is why a casino with several banking methods comes in handy. There are different banking methods as follows:
• Credit, debit, and prepaid cards such as Visa, MasterCard, and American Express
• eWallets payment options PayPal, Neteller, and Skrill
• Bitcoin payments
• Mobile money payment
• Cash payment options such as PayNearMe
• Bank transfers
With several banking options, you can choose the payment option based on the duration it takes to transact, the fees involved, and the ease of use. You can also pick the method available in your region. Most methods allow instant deposits except some such as wire transfer, which can take a few days.
When it comes to withdraws, most methods also allow instant withdrawals. However, the casinos may have a long withdrawal process that takes a few days. We recommend casinos with fast payouts so that you never have to wait for your money for weeks.
Customer Support
When you are new in a casino, there may be so many things you may not understand, and this is why customer support comes in handy. We ensure that a casino offers several support avenues, including:
• Live chat
• Email/ticket system
• Phone call support
• FAQs and knowledge base
• User forums
It is important to test each of these methods to ensure that the customer support team is responsive.
Playing for Free vs. Real Money
Why Play For Free?
1. You do not have to risk your money
2. You have access to most of the games accessible for real money
3. You can play longer
4. You get to learn new games
5. You can try out gaming strategies without losing mone
Why Play for Real Money?
• Stand a chance to win big money, especially in progressive games
• Access bonuses and promotions only available for real money players
• Enjoy higher quality games
• The casino will offer you better support
• Join the casino VIP program and enjoy so many benefits
The History of Punto Banco
Punto Banco originated in Argentinian casinos before it spread to other parts of the world. The game entered the USA casinos in the 1950s and then spread to the UK and other countries. At first, the game was only available in VIP casino halls and accessible only to high rollers.
With the advent of online casinos, the game is now accessible to every player online and offline. After the success of Punto Banco, other variants of baccarat came up, and they are all referred to as Punto Banco.
Rules of Playing Punto Banco
Punto Banco follows the classic baccarat gameplay. The only difference is that you play against the house and not other players. You can play it as a live casino or live dealer game and experience the fun of playing in a land-based casino online.
In Punto Banco, 10, Jacks, Kings, and Queens, have zero value. Aces offer one point while all other cards have the same value as their face value. The dealer deals two hands, the player and the banker hands. The value of a hand is the sum of the two cards drawn first. If the hand’s value is a two-digit number, the dealer subtracts 10.
Assuming your cards are 9 and 7, the value is 16. If you subtract 10 from 16, you get 6, which is the value of that hand. The hand that wins is the one closest to 9. You can bet on the banker or the player’s hand. You can draw a third card if the total is less than five for player or less than three for the banker hand.
Our Top Tips to Maximize Your Punto Bunco Strategy
Below are simple strategies to try:
1. Manage your bankroll as you do not have much input on the outcome of the game – know when to stop
2. Apply the positive progression system where you increase your bet after a win and reduce the bet after a loss
3. Avoid the negative progression system where you increase the bet after a loss and reduce after a win as it is riskier than positive progression
4. If you cannot apply the positive system, go for a flat betting system and keep your bet constant
5. Instead of card counting, which casinos do not allow and the edge you get is small, concentrate on bankroll management
Punto Bunco FAQs
How is this variation different from traditional Blackjack?
The gameplay for this version of the game is very similar to the old-school card game. However, instead of one hand, you’re getting two!
Is Punto Banco a game for high rollers only?
No. Everyone can play Punto Banco and win. The game is available in several online casinos, which give you so much control over your betting. You can bet as low or as high as you want. Many decades ago, baccarat was a game for VIPs, but that has changed.