In a Punto Banco game, two parties compete - the player and the banker. The goal of the game is to get the closest count to a total of nine (9). The player initially starts off with a maximum of two cards and should the total exceed nine (9), then the first digit of the total is removed. For instance, a combined score of 16 is reduced to 6.
The player has three cards - "Punto" or player, "Banco" or banker, and "Tie". At the start of the game, the croupier presents two hands; one hand of two cards for the player and another for the banker. Before the cards are dealt, the players get to choose which side - the player or the banker - they believe will attain the highest total.
The croupier then deals out the cards - two for player and two for banker. If the total of the player's hand is 8 or 9 points, then the player wins and the game ends. If the total is less than 8, then the player can draw an extra card.
The player and croupier can also use the "Tie" card which allows them to tie with the banker. This means that players can win either by getting the highest value (9 points) or by tying with the banker. If the total of both players' hands are equal, then the game ends in a tie.