The game of baccarat is perhaps the most mysterious on the casino floor. Despite its deceptively simple rules and relatively straightforward structure, it attracts an unusually high percentage of high rollers, and some players engage in all sorts of strange rituals to maximize their chances of winning. This includes keeping score, tracking trends, and divining patterns. These rituals might sound a bit like superstition, but they can actually have a significant impact on the outcome of a hand.
In fact, according to Bill Zender, a former Nevada Gaming Control Agent and a longtime casino dealer, executive, and consultant, who literally wrote the book on managing table games, baccarat has grown considerably in popularity over the past twenty years. He says that Asian high rollers, in particular, have made the game their top choice, and this is because it is uniquely suited to their culture and preferences.
For many people, baccarat is the least intimidating of all casino table games, because there is just one decision to make: whether to bet on player or banker. And that choice is essentially a coin flip (
However, the game can still be intimidating for some customers who are not accustomed to the pace of the game or the rigors of the dealer’s training program. This is why casinos now offer a range of scoreboards and prediction screens to help players keep track of the results and anticipate future outcomes. These can include a variety of different colors, fonts and sizes, and even animations. Some offer different options for displaying the current total of the banker and player’s hands, while others display a pattern that will repeat based on previous results.
This kind of scoreboard can help speed up the game, and it can also minimize confusion when a player is making their choice between player, banker or tie. In addition, some of the more advanced versions of baccarat have added features to help speed up play. For example, some have reduced the number of decks used, and this can reduce the house edge and the probability of a tie.
At the Manufacture, there is an extraordinary complicity between craftsmen who transform the four elements of nature – earth, air, fire and water – into crystal that never fails to astound. Baccarat’s exceptional heritage is embodied in its craftsmanship, which is constantly evolving. Each piece has been touched, refined and contemplated.