Baccarat
Punto Banco — the same game James Bond plays, minus the tuxedo. You are not making decisions. You are picking which side of a coin flip you like.
How it works
Two hands are dealt: Player and Banker. You bet on which will end closer to 9. Card values: aces are 1, 2–9 face value, 10s and face cards are 0. Only the last digit of the total counts (so 7 + 8 = 15 → 5). If either hand hits 8 or 9 on the first two cards it's a "natural" and both hands stand. Otherwise the third-card rules determine whether either side draws.
You don't have to memorize the third-card rules. The dealer applies them automatically. Your only decision is which side to bet.
Payouts
- Banker win: pays 0.95:1 (a 5% commission on wins).
- Player win: pays 1:1.
- Tie: pays 8:1.
House edge
- Banker: 1.06%
- Player: 1.24%
- Tie: 14.4% — never bet the tie
Strategy
Bet banker. Every hand. That's the whole strategy. The 5% commission is already priced into the 1.06% edge and it's still the best bet on the table. Betting "systems" that chase streaks on the scoreboard (the big Chinese-style bead-plate readouts) do not work — every hand is independent.