Baccarat

[stratocasterman]

Hi Stratercasterman

"...I expect to see a huge playing rise in the e-stadium seating chairs.."

I agree--though its surprising we don't see the stadium baccarat in more casinos, especially the smaller casinos where they seem to be more reserved about adding full-time employees.

Windcreek casino (former sands) in Bethlehem, Pa has approx. 120 stadium seats--which is the most of any cas in U.S.


Continued success to all,

Hey Tgold!

Stadium seating here is roughly 50-75 seats depending on the casino size with $2 minimums. I have often found myself the ONLY one playing or maybe a couple others at most.

I did send you a PM reply the other day but, not sure it went through. The PM function sometimes just hangs in my Inbox for some reason.

Cheers!

[Tgold]

Hi Stratocasterman

I didn't realize you had that many (50-75) Stadium Games in one casino.
Are they all Bac only or several other games: roulette..etc?
Are they Interbloc Stadium with live dealer?
Do most casinos there have midi and big bac tables?

In U.S. very few have that many Stadium games, like the (120) at previously mentioned WindCreek. Most have maybe 6-12 Stadium seats(at least that's my experience).

Im ok playing the Ibloc Stadium Bac with LIVE dealer. Im not in favor of playing the IBloc Video or their StarBar for Bac.

Thanks for info

[stratocasterman]

Tgold,

It's Live Dealer Baccarat, Roulette and a stupid Wheel Spin game (ripoff for sure). Some casinos just have one huge Stadium seating area. Others have multiple Stadium seating areas of 6-12 seats scattered throughout the casino.

Big Baccarat tables are the norm because the Asians REALLY like playing Baccarat. They would go nuts if the casinos took away the big tables. They are super serious about they're Baccarat play. I've seen many play entire shoes betting every hand...crazy IMO. Most lose as I have seen. They bet BIG BIG! Mostly the Chinese and young Koreans seem to come here with lots of money! The big casinos have anywhere from 15-40 big Baccarat tables, usually with $40 minimums anymore.

I'm with you on the Stadium seating play...I will only play LIVE Dealer Baccarat. Here, the Stadium seating Baccarat games are exactly the same as the big tables. Regular Dealer, hand dealt, hand shuffled shoes...NO auto Shuffle-master dealing. There still are a few casinos that have SOME $20 minimum tables with the auto Shuffle-master dealing. I hate those endless constantly shuffled, rotating hand shoes. I refuse to play them as well ALTHOUGH, they seem to produce more long run hands from years of observation (my favorite shoe type).

Strangely enough, I don't remember the name of the new Stadium seating in the casino I frequent the most. They used to have Ibloc system with live dealer but, they got rid of it and remodeled. Next thing I knew they installed a completely new area for the Stadium seats and replaced the old area with 12 new big Baccarat tables. Oddly, the new Stadium seating area used to be for Blackjack and a few other card games. They reduced those to very few and mixed them in with the big Baccarat tables across the floor now.

I'd venture a guess that in my favorite casino, 35-40% of floor space IS big Baccarat tables. People here just love it!

People DO play the slots but really, not that many except for late night. I go to the casino anywhere from 7-9 AM mostly, evenings if with my wife. I've seen mornings with NOBODY playing slots. The slots take up 50% of the casino. Everyone is playing Baccarat at the tables! When I go with my wife at nights, the entire casino is packed and it is almost impossible to play ANYTHING. I HATE it! We usually just watch the open bar band, people and drink a few.

Several years back, when I first started playing craps and learning from the APC site here, hardly anyone played craps. They play BACCARAT! Hahaha! That was always great really. You could ALWAYS get a spot on the craps table. They did have two craps table way back, until an idiot decided to rob and set the casino on fire. He succeeded and they did away with the entire second level of the casino which included the second craps table.

I will say over the past couple of years, people have really started playing craps here. Yes, there is usually only ONE table at each casino. This makes it very difficult anymore to get onto the craps table.

What is the usual layout at the Indian casinos in OK?

[Tgold]

Hi Stratocasterman

Thx for the elaborate details on gaming conditions in Philippines. You may give Macau some competition with all the big-bac tables. Im a little surprised the Stadium seats(50-75) aren't utilized at a higher rate. I prefer mini bac though I frequently play midi/big bac--just not in favor of the significantly fewer hands per hour from players taking so long turning the cards.

Many casinos in the Midwest have almost the exact opposite ratio of slots/e games -to- tables. In other words many slots/few tables.

For example states like OK have 100+ casinos ranging from the worlds largest casino(allegedly) to probably the smallest casinos. The largest casino has probably 8,000-9,000 slots/e games in a gaming plaza prob one mile in size, with only 100 or so table games(total).
The smaller casinos(at least they are classified as a cas) may only have a few hundred slots, bingo parlor, and 5-10 tables. I would estimate most casinos have 20-30ish table games(total) which usually means 1-2 craps and 1-2 bac tables. The Reg Craps table is usually packed w 12-14 players.

Though they offer Class III gaming at all(or most I would guess), each indian tribe has individual contracts with the state and until the passage of HB3375 in early 2018 could not have "dice/balls" (i.e., craps/roulette). They played craps/roulette with cards til 2018'.

The smaller cas often have all kinds of ridiculous rules, vig, antes, only open craps/bac tables 2pm--3am on mon-thurs,..etc . Some have (or had) the craps Egame Shoot-to-Win Craps. An administrator at one cas near OKC said it was very popular. However, they removed it after a few months because employees found it annoying /they had to walk over and dislodge the dice(stuck against the glass bubble) every hour or two. Go Figure.

Most daily or frequent players tend to travel to the larger instate casinos as well as travel to nearby cas just over state line in Ks, Mo, Ar, or a 6-8hr trek to maybe tunica/kc...etc. The smaller cas aren't worth the aggravation noted above, IMO, unless one prefers to play only slots.

The business model at many of the cas seem to focus on bringing in the Texans, slot players,, a lot of concerts(eagles, zztop...etc), WSOP events, professional sporting events like championship boxing..etc, with less attention to craps/bac players.
They seem to always be full. So maybe their business model is producing exactly as intended.



Continued Success ,

[heavy]

Yes, I'm back on Baccarat again. For the month of December I ran a special on my Baccarat Battle Plan strategy and sales were great - PARTICULARLY among Dark Side Craps Players. Finally, they get it. PLaying the Banker Bet at Baccarat is very much akin to playing the Don'ts in Craps.

The thing I like about Baccarat is that is gives me a sit-down option when my legs give out on me from a long session at craps. Being old, overweight, and diabetic I have more than my share of foot and leg issues, and can't stand at the tables for hours on end like I used to. That means that when I'm off on my "lone wolf" trips I frequently seek out alternate games to play in addition to craps. Although I'll play blackjack, I'm not really a fan. I do enjoy roulette - particularly when the table is filled with attractive young ladies. Even more so when I'm on a cruise ship and they have a single zero wheel. But Baccarat by far offers the best odds.

Many craps players are put off by the table limits at Baccarat. Don't be. Look at how much action you're spreading on the craps table. It's not unusual for most of us to have over $100 action on the table at any given time, yet we're scared of a $25 minimum mini-bac game, and a $100 game makes us crap our pants. But baccarat is a game of streaks and trends, and it's essentially a 50/50 game, like craps. Whereas craps has the Pass and Don't Pass, Baccarat has Banker and Player. If you forget about all of the "carnival" bets and side bets then that's all you need to know.

In this month's newsletter I'm running a special on Baccarat Battle Plan. Originally priced at $499, I reduced the price on the program by 50% when my partner DiceTrkkr passed away a few years back. I frequently offer it on sale for $199. But through the end of the year I've been running it for just $99 with what I'll call "damned near instant fulfillment" via e-mail. Order it through the newsletter and I'll e-mail you the ebook version of the manual by return e-mail within a few hours (depending on whether the bride has me off running honey-do errands or not). Just go up to the Attend a Seminar - Buy Heavy's Stuff sub board and look for the Newsletter Topic, then go to the last page and click on the last post for the link to the December Newsletter. You'll find the ad for Baccarat Battle Plan there.

[stingray]

Playing on a big table is the only way I play baccarat.
Mini baccarat has too many decisions per hour and not at the pace I prefer.
If I can't bend and do what I like with the cards then there is no interest in playing. The big bettors mostly the Asians are slowing the game down to have less decisions per hour. Why play at the decision rate per hour that the casino would like. You are still being rated the same if you are betting 25 hands or 50 hands per hour. These players are betting $500 - $2500 a hand.
The big table is $100 which makes a neg progression tough with a two thousand buy in. Target betting and knowing the stats for the spots you bet is the way to go. You have to win more money with two winning bets compared to three losing bets.

[Tgold]

I agree Stingray.
I too prefer the Big Table mainly for the fewer decisions per hour. Im not one to spend three minutes peeping at the corner. However, I do like the slower pace. I also like that players are more serious and there is more discussion between players at the big table/midi vs mini.

In past ten years it has become increasingly more difficult to find a big table in the midwest( a few midis avail). Even vegas has limited the availability of the big table.
IMO the casino was really smart(From an increasing-casino-profits perspective) when they started increasing the number of mini to big table offerings/ coupled with allowing back betting--over the shoulder bettors...etc.

One of the most important things a player can do is limit their wagers to <50% of the decisions per shoe.

Continued success,

[House of Orange]

Love $2 bac at the Palace, $3 at the IP!

[House of Orange]

Nobody playing Bac theses days? Where is Bones? Did we not get warned about betting on something that eats and shits?