Baccarat is the number one casino game in the world, and a favorite of high-rollers. It’s played in casinos from Monaco to Macau, and attracts patrons of all ages. But can baccarat maintain its prominence as casino patrons evolve? GGB asked two prominent industry experts for their opinions.
A major challenge facing baccarat operators is maintaining consistent bankroll growth and a healthy mix of mass and VIP play. The average bet size for baccarat is considerably higher than the minimum bet for other games, and it can be difficult for a casino to find a balance between high-end players and the general customer base.
The best way to address this issue is to offer a range of betting options and limit levels for the game, from low-limit tables to premium high-limit rooms. This will help attract and retain a diverse player base, and reduce the volatility in a casino’s income potential.
Having a variety of betting limits also helps to avoid skewed bankrolls, which can have a negative impact on the game’s overall profitability. For example, a large percentage of free hands drawn in baccarat are “non-revenue events,” which can dramatically reduce a game’s decision-per-shoe rate and damage revenue generation during the standard gaming day.
Another factor that can negatively impact the game’s long-term success is its reliance on pre-shuffled cards. Traditionally, when eight new decks of cards are introduced to the table, they must be inspected, fronts and backs, by both the floor supervisor and dealer and then scrambled or “washed” together prior to being inserted into a shuffling machine or manually shuffled. However, a number of casinos have adopted the use of pre-shuffled cards to eliminate this time-consuming inspection process and speed up card control.
The rules of baccarat are relatively straightforward: there are three possible outcomes: Player win, Banker win, and tie. Each hand is dealt two cards, and the player or banker bets on which will have a greater total value. The values of the two cards are added together, and the winning hand is the one that is closest to nine. Picture cards and Tens are worth 0 points, cards numbered from 2 to 9 have their face value, and the ace is worth one point.
When betting on a specific outcome, it’s important to keep in mind that past wins and losses have no bearing on the next hand. For this reason, many casinos will display a lightboard that charts recent outcomes for players to reference. Unfortunately, these boards aren’t always updated, and their representation of trends isn’t necessarily accurate. Alternatively, some players may choose to keep track of their own results by keeping a notebook and comparing it to the lightboard’s data.
The baccarat game is highly social, and it’s not uncommon for all players to bet on the same hand at times. This is sometimes done in order to increase the chances of a big win, but it can be risky, as the banker or player could have a bad run and lose their money. Nevertheless, it’s still an exciting game to play.