In Punto Banco there is always two hands dealt out one for the banker and one for the player’s hand. The goal is to guess who will win the hand prior to any cards being dealt. The players around the table will all place bets on whether they think the banker will win, the player will win or the hand will tie. Once the bets have been made there is nothing else for you to do as both hands are played out according to set rules.

The goal of the game is to have the hand closest to nine and you can’t go over the total of nine which means there is no busting in baccarat like there is in blackjack. Every card has a value which you need to know before playing so you can calculate the totals or you could just sit back and see if you win the hand.

* Ace – 1
* Ten/Jack/Queen/King – No Value
* 2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9 – Face Value

When you’re calculating the hand values it’s important to remember that if the hand total goes over ten you simply drop the first digit to get the actual hand value. For instance, if the two cards dealt to the banker equal fourteen then the actual value of the hand would be four.

If the banker or player is dealt a natural which is when the two cards total eight or nine the hand is over right away. If both hands are a natural and one is eight and the other is nine then the hand with the value of nine would win the pot. If both of the naturals are the same value then the hand is a tie and the bets are sent back to the players. If you bet on the hand being a tie then you would win if both the naturals are the same value. The payout for a tie varies between casinos but is typically 9:1 or 8:1.

As mentioned earlier both the baccarat banker hand and the player hand have set rules in place for hitting and standing. The player hand must stand with a total of six or higher and must take a card with a value of less then five. The banker hand will draw a card with a total of five or less whether the player hand stood or not. If the player took a third card then based on the value of that card will determine whether the banker hand takes a card or not.

If you’re the banker at Golden Palace then you’ll need to pay a 5% commission at the end of your session or after every shoe has been completed. Winning bets are paid out 1:1 and in the event of a tie all bets remain on the table for the next hand dealt.

Many of you have undoubtedly heard or put into practice more generally accepted methods of slot machine “strategy.” For the most part, I just can’t get behind the idea. You want a smart strategy, it has nothing to do with the machines themselves – all it has to do with simple self-control and money management. Set monetary limits for yourself within a certain time period. Like all forms of gambling, but slots especially due to the speed, ease and repetition, can be deceptively addicting. You can be sitting at one for an hour without winning a single pull. Eventually, I guarantee you the little voice in your head will start telling you the machine is “due” or “warming up” (neither are true), and you convince yourself to stay until the big jackpot comes. Or until you realize you still need money to eat dinner that night.

However, in the interest of conversation, here’s a strategy that many have implemented in numerous different ways (and in an episode of Full House!) since the inception of the game of slots. It’s commonly referred to as Play and Run. I will say there’s little I agree with here, except for the strategy’s dependence on the player not allowing gut feelings to sway their commitment. What you do here is assign a certain number of pulls to each machine, or a number of dead pulls (ones where you win nothing) before moving on to a new machine. What you’re looking to do is maximize the number of slot machines you gamble on and, thus, increasing your probability of hitting a “hot” machine.

Of course, the odds don’t change from machine to machine or pull to pull at any casino, including The Bellagio. I’ve actually read so-called experts say you never end on a win…that you don’t want to walk away from a “hot” machine, which is surefire way to give the casino back everything you just won. And hey, why don’t you pump another quarter into that progressive slot while you’re throwing money back at the house? I’m sure the casinos appreciate it, and that incorrect line of thinking.