Chemin de Fer vs. Punto Banco
added 31.08.2011, 4:32PM
When it comes to casino baccarat, the most common version you'll find is punto banco - a.k.a. North American baccarat. However, a few people in the world are also used to playing another baccarat variation called Chemin de fer, or French baccarat. Assuming you've played one game or the other, and want to know the differences between the two, the following comparison should be very useful.
Starting with punto banco, this baccarat version takes a lot of action out of the players' hands because the dealer shuffles cards, and players are merely betting on one of three outcomes: the player winning, the banker winning, or both hands tying. Most people don't mind the lack of involvement, and punto banco remains an extremely popular version of baccarat.
Interestingly enough Chemin de fer, which allows players to be more active in the game, isn't nearly as popular as punto banco. In fact, it's hard finding casinos that offer the game outside of France, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense considering that Chemin de fer blackjack spawned the more modern game of punto banco.
In any case, Chemin de fer gives players a chance to shuffle and deal the cards, the cards are dealt face-down instead of face-up, and people can draw for an extra card if they want to. In short, this is more of a hands-on, thinking man's game, and it involves more baccarat strategy with players deciding whether or not they want to draw for another card.
However, you also have to consider how Chemin de fer's house edge can vary since players are making their own decisions. Contrast this to punto banco, where you can simply bet on the banker to win every time, and you'll lower the house edge to 1.06%. Since the punto banco house edge is far more static, it's best for beginners to stick with this form of baccarat.
But for those looking for a challenge, Chemin de fer gives you more freedom to make your own decisions. Of course, the real challenge might be actually finding the game, so keep this in mind before you begin the search.
