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[Ted009]

I have been playing baccarat almost every day since 2004 because I really like the game. Yup, losing a lot of money but I refuse to quit knowing that the game can be beaten. I was hoping for the holy grail. Well, there was no holy grail that I found. However I have seen a lot of player styles of play. Most players are playing with the shoes and some are playing the cut or against the shoes. A few have used some kind of systems.
Based on my observations and my experiences at the table, I have concluded that I am my own enemy at the table. Winning or losing is solely my responsibility. I failed miserably at the table because I was unintelligent and stupid. I am a lot better now.
It boils down to 99% of what has been posted on this forum. Quite a few of you have been so kind to me in answering my questions and helping whenever I need help with the post. My sincere gratitude to those who have helped me. Alrelax, I like your straight forward and honest styles.
Here is what I learned from the experience and observation: I must know my game plan. I must know how to act at the table. I must know what to do when I am losing. I cannot bet like a robot. This means I must wait for what I want to bet, etc. I also change the table immediately if I don't like other players there or the dealer. Winning small or losing small is OK with me because I only aim a small win each day. I don't get into bet selection and money management because they are already written in this forum. Anyone can apply his or her own styles. I stay away from betting big when losing.. Good luck to everyone!!

[alrelax]

Ted, You are not stupid. You fell into a false conception and spirit of the game.  The game was originally conceived by the Europeans and when the Asian 'adopted' it so to say--they took it all out of aspect, concept and aura. The Asian people instilled superstition and belief into the game and both were false concepts that gave tons of false belief as to what the game was really about.

I know plenty will argue with this, but the game has nothing to do with all the magical and mystic belief in dragons and many other things Asian, etc. That was al brought on by the casinos when the Asians started to play the game back in the 90's.  Yes, some Asian played it prior but nothing like the upswing of Asian attachment that came in the later 1980's.  All the layouts had nothing to do with dragons, Fortune's', Pandas, etc., all that came about because of companies that saw a niche and marketed the conversion to the Asian and did it ingenuously and spectacular, period. 

The numbers, the result of such and such, the cut because of a certain point total, how winning hands happen and how losing hands come about, why and how a trend happens or cancels, it is all ingrained in most of you through the falsehood of Asian belief and magical theory that everyone thinks they have defined, and in realty they do not and are exactly where the casino and the private developers of the game want you guys. Sad but so very true!

In western society baccarat's reputation was a glamorous game, but has largely faded.  Because the Chinese and the other Asian countries believed in all the propaganda brought about from the casinos as well as companies such as LT Gaming and The Tailsman Group who revised and renovated the original baccarat game into what it is today.  There are no deep rooted history of the game into Asian culture, the game came from France and Italy where it was first developed in ancient European culture in the Monarch days.  Long story short, believe it or not, the game made it's way to the casinos of Cuba and then to Las Vegas.  Asia never saw it before that. And that was in the 1950's.  So all the brew-ha-ha of ancient dragons and pandas and all the roads and slang, is all modern day marketing. 

The Asians simply love the characteristics of the game, because they have a false belief in the 'fate' of the cards and compare that to numbers and other characteristics that really have nothing to do with how the hands will be dealt in each shoe. But the magical and mystic believes have overcome most.

That is why any mistake by the dealer or perhaps another player, will chase players from the table, because of their evident false beliefs.  All those beliefs and magical knowledge each player attempts to decipher and cash in on, is laughed all the way to the bank by the white as well as the Asian casino owners.

In the past the reasons baccarat attracted so many non-Asian players was due to the tradition in relation to big table baccarat.  The dealers were in tuxedoes, all the players were dressed up, their casino hosts present in exclusive and high limit rooms.  Everyone had respect for each other and the atmosphere was totally different than it is today, enormously.  Those traditions and the aura of the elegance of baccarat had pretty much gone by the wayside with the onslaught of Asians entering into the player field because of the way the game was presented to them and the non-historical history of being deeply rooted in Asia, etc.

In realty, and here is where all the disagreement will come from, the game is nearly 100% luck, the only skill is really how you wager your win money in progressions, money management, and a few other things.  The game has no bet selection that can be correct al the time or even nearly all the time.  Lots of people capitalized and will capitalize on systems and training because the game is easily exploited for something it is not with many different ethnicities of players.  Not just the Asians. But so many fake and similar systems or training can be related back to Asian beliefs. Like I said before, the sad part is, there is no ancient deep rooting of the game baccarat to any Asian country. 

[Ted009]

Well said Alrelax! Thank you.

[alrelax]

I brought it up before with a piece I wrote about the Midi/Mini tables Versus the Big Table Baccarat we see less and less of today.  Why is that.  The quick answer from everyone is it is too labor intensive of the casino.  IMO, not exactly.  It is to the casino's best interest to have mini and midi tables only.  For the sole reason, the highest majority of the players and I do mean the highest like 99% of the times, will not capitalize on streaks and runs or pure chop-chop.  The table gets decisive amongst itself and the casino just sits back and watches the players, self-police almost all of themselves from taking much money out of the table's chip rack! 

Seriously, when the big tables got on a roll, it was real dangerous to the casinos, real dangerous.  Suits would come walking in in twos and threes to monitor and watch hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars quickly vanishing from the tables bank rack.  And, most of the players would walk with large amounts of money and then re-set in a few days or a week and return.  There was a much different mind set back prior to 2000, that is for sure. 

The aura, the speed, the tolerance for negative thinking and drama of the players is welcomed by the casino today and it is the key for their profits at the baccarat tables.  The whole scene normally benefits the casino and that is the way it is designed, stop being so naïve and thinking it is not!  The whole adherence to Asian Culture is nothing but sheer bull-stuff and made up marketing ploys. 

[AsymBacGuy]

Baccarat is for entertainment only.
It's up to us not to transform an entertainment into a nightmare.

Trying to consistently win at baccarat is another matter.

as. 

[alrelax]

Baccarat is for entertainment only.


as.

Yeah--free entertainment, just got to eh casino and watch.  Better than anything on TV!  LOL!

[Ted009]

Yes, it is for entertainment for sure unless you are yearning to be a pro. My intention is to be a pro on this game. Can I do it? Only time will tell.
I would love to hear from all the pros about how they are doing it every day.

[AsymBacGuy]

Yes, it is for entertainment for sure unless you are yearning to be a pro. My intention is to be a pro on this game. Can I do it? Only time will tell.
I would love to hear from all the pros about how they are doing it every day.

Hi Ted!

The only way to be a pro at this game is counting the side bets. Period.

Surely there are players doing well at this game betting B and P but nothing even close to be pros.....quoting an 80s song...it's just an illusion

as.

[Ted009]

Hi As,

Thank you for your advice. I would love to learn how to count the side bet.
Alrelax has written numerous times about how he plays the game. I think his playing styles make perfect sense.

I just think it is suicidal to play the game like a robot. Like last night the gentleman sitting next to me and he caught a good streak of players run. He made quite a few large units and when the shoe turned against him, he lost it all. I only made 6 units the whole session and my unit is $15 lol

[21 Aces]

Been very much tied up with other matters away from the game and it can not be stated how much your outside life will screw your game on many levels.  A lot of great notes on here and looking forward to reading them.

[Mars Rocks]

Yeah--free entertainment, just got to eh casino and watch.  Better than anything on TV!  LOL!

You don't have to just watch.  Bring a 4 colour biro and sit at one of those terminals (that is called Rapid Baccarat here) and play with play money (by writing it all down).  Can't lose real money and can have great entertainment.  You get to enjoy the casino environment too.  You can test your systems too if you want and confirm that yes your system does also lose like any other too.

[AsymBacGuy]

Hi As,

Thank you for your advice. I would love to learn how to count the side bet.
Alrelax has written numerous times about how he plays the game. I think his playing styles make perfect sense.

I just think it is suicidal to play the game like a robot. Like last night the gentleman sitting next to me and he caught a good streak of players run. He made quite a few large units and when the shoe turned against him, he lost it all. I only made 6 units the whole session and my unit is $15 lol

To possibly win at this game you have to build a strict mechanical attitude.
I mean to know to control the variance without thinking that an human factor can alter the random flow of the game.

About the side bets vulnerability I'd strongly suggest the "Advanced advantage play" book by E. Jacobsen. You'll get a mathematical advantage.

For a BP betting strategy albeit never leading to a strict mathematical advantage, I've written a book on the subject.
It's available only in Vegas.

as. 

   

[Ted009]

Thank you AS. I sincerely thank you for all your help. I want to read your book. Can you please make an exception to sell one book outside Vegas?
Regards,
Ted

[AsymBacGuy]

Thank you AS. I sincerely thank you for all your help. I want to read your book. Can you please make an exception to sell one book outside Vegas?
Regards,
Ted

Hi Ted!

I have to ask Vic if we could make an arrangement about offering the book right on this site.
At least I'll be insulted by people who I know. 

as.

[Eight Iron]

I would love to learn how to count the side bet.

According to Eliot Jacobsen Ph.D., counting the Dragon bet in E-Z Bac gives the player an 8% edge.

Articles on counting:  https://www.888casino.com/blog/apheat/all-apheat-posts/