Punto Banco is one of the most popular and oldest games played in casinos, originating in Venice, Italy during the 1700s. This game is offered in real-life casinos, as well as online casinos, and now mobile casinos in Venezuela. In the game of Punto Banco, players can bet on either the "player" (Punto) or the "banker" (Banco). The goal of the game is to guess which hand will have a higher score.
Punto Banco is a game of chance, as the hands are decided by the luck of the draw. Players are only able to place their bets; they cannot influence the game or the outcome in any way. The game is played with eight standard decks of 52 cards and each card is assigned a numerical value. Face cards are worth zero, aces are one, and cards 2–9 are their face value. The highest possible score is nine.
At Venezuelan mobile casinos, Punto Banco is mainly played between two players; one playing the role of the "player," and the other as the "banker." This might be against the house, or against another player. Each hand consists of two cards; the total of the two cards determines the winner. If either the player or the banker's hand totals eight or nine, they both stand. If the total is five or lower, the player must draw a third card.