???Machine Shuffled, Pre-Shuffled, or Hand-Shuffled Shoes??? Which do you prefer and why?

Link below from reddit has several interesting opinions/comments.

https://www.reddit.com/r/baccarat/comments/1dk27k7/psa_warning_machine_shuffled_shoes/


Continued Success,

The list below was updated 8/2/25. It appears that folks age 50+ can receive a few extra bonus offers.

Continued Success,


https://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/shop/players-club-bonus-points/

Does any one subscribe to this coupon book? It seems like for $50 a year(I "think" that's the price) it would pay for itself within one trip to Vegas. Im not advocating for or against the site: Las Vegas Advisor. Any thoughts ? Any experience with this? 
Thx in advance for sharing your opinion.

https://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/member-rewards-list/

Link at the bottom.

I found the following article "spot on" as to the profiles of winners and not winners. Although the article is referencing poker the same "Winner" profile is often observed in Bac (et al) games as well.

I play with several professional and semi-professional Bac players that first started in Blackjack and after the Blackjack payout changed a few years back they moved most of their action into Bac. The way they study the game(& apply) their research /knowledge, is impressive. They play for the money and view time in the casino as a job. Nothing more and nothing less.

They approach other areas of life with the mentality of a gambler(investor) and are always looking for advantage play scenarios(e.g., Investing, raffle drawings, lottery, purchasing item @ discounts, sports betting, rebates,...etc). I have learned alot from them.


Key passages noted:

"...

*But the reality is that strategic patience is one of the most underrated edges in the game...

**The players who win over the long run aren't the ones constantly in the mix. They're the ones who know when to wait. They pass on marginal spots. They stay composed when the table is in chaos. They make fewer emotional errors, and that adds up big over time.

It's about playing deliberately and with purpose.


***It means knowing when:

A spot isn't worth the risk even if it's technically "close."

Your emotional state might sabotage your decision-making.

You need to wait for better information or better conditions before acting.
In other words, strategic patience is a mental skill blending discipline, timing, and emotional control.
..."



https://www.casino.org/blog/strategic-patience-in-poker/

A very successful group of gamblers It would be interesting to know the NET +-  from gambling at the end of their careers. Its all about Net retention.

https://www.casino.org/blog/top-10-richest-gamblers/

I know we have discussed this topic in the past. A couple good thoughts in the link below.


https://www.casino.org/blog/winning-streaks-in-poker/

10-Day 10- Casino Four-State Casino Cash Extraction

     I hope everyone has been winning bigley. Its good to see the forum is back online. A table mate told me during the trip that the forum had dissolved.  I'm not sure where he heard this obvious nonsense. He(Mostly plays in Wichita, Ks I think) , and had mentioned that he followed posters Gr8 and Asymbacguy. I asked him if it was a forum called betselection. He responded: Yes, but that forum was shutdown/no longer exists.  I had not logged on in 10-15 days due to long hours at the tables and travel. When I returned from my trip, I was unable to log on for some reason.  I'm guessing just general maintenance by Vic. Anyway, it was good to learn from a forum member a few days ago the forum had been reactivated. I think most will agree there is a couple of decades of great content on this forum. Many experienced players who have left the tables, perhaps permanently, spent years sharing valuable Baccarat content.  Many long-term early posters such as Asym are still contributing Bac wisdom as well.

Four-State Bac Trek:

I like playing in states like Kansas and Colorado as many casinos and most offer higher limits (5k and 10k). Most of my casinos in Midwest have Tmax of 2k (which means approx. 3900 is max one could wager). If one is allowed to cap another player's wager. Plus, many casinos in the Midwest require a wager (No Free Hands), or maybe only three FH per shoe, ...etc. Plus, I thoroughly like the option for monitoring several shoes at once/selecting the one I perceive is optimal. Though I'm fortunate to live in a casino market with a hundred casinos within 3 hours of driving. I would like to see more Stadium multiple-shoe (Live Dealer) setups within driving distance.

Six other Bac players caravanned with us/ made this trek playing in several states as we navigated toward the Rocky Mountains. We met four others (two dealers and two of my relatives), at our destination in the Colorado casinos (We spent seven days here). All of us play mostly Bac with a few also playing Roulette, Poker, and Craps line bets. All of us are experienced and serious gamers. I primarily play Bac, but I sometimes participate in ETG games such as roulette when they are available. etc.).

Some Personal Highlights of the Trek.

     +67.5 Units (Base units) for the trip. I have been on a seven-week winning streak without busting my buy in(I've lost some shoes but able to recoup and get a win in the session. Sometimes it took 2-3 shoes to grab the W). The winning streak persisted during the trek.  However, I returned home, took a day off from the tables and four days later did finally bust a buy in.


     +23.4 Units(Max win in any one session). A session was sometimes >=1 shoe.
-13.6 units (maximum drawdown recorded during a single session).  Approx 2.5 shoe session. I finally pulled ahead about 4 units/it was almost midnight. So decided to call it  a night.  I had mostly been (-) for the whole duration of the session.

     *I saw a player hit two out of three consecutive wagers on the Dragon7(3c7 B win). He jogged toward the cashier's cage a couple of hands later.

     *I played with a young lady (approx. 25—30yo) mostly wagering for Panda and or Dragon take an approx. $1500 buy in to approx. 3500—4000. She seemed to mostly win from a clumping of Bonus-Wager hits. She told a relative, possibly her father or uncle, that she was leaving to go to the bank and pay off her $2,200 car loan.  I wanted to high-five her but just told her "Smart move." . She had won several Base Bets in a row as well as a couple bonus bets in close proximity (It seems like it was the Panda8, 8-6, or 9-7 two card bet win).

    * I was playing next to a lady that seemed to mostly wager bonus bets and had been wagering for the Panda8 (I believe), nearly every hand then "erroneously" placed her wager on the 8-6 Bonus and hit it (She had almost busted), and this produced something like a +2K in front of her. She thought she had lost, and it wasn't until the dealer started paying her bet that she realized it was a big W.  She parsed out 200/ locked up the remainder. She departed about 15mins later with most of her winnings it seemed.

     *I wagered two sports bets (Wimbledon) and went 0-2 on this trip. I seldom wager sports bets unless I get a tip from comrades that have more expertise. Both tennis bets were my picks.


Most interesting/entertaining extended session (2.5--3 shoes/approx. 4-5hours).

     I saw a narcissistic player increase what appeared to be a $15k-17k buy in to just over 40k(twice). Then, departing the table with only 3k—4k. He incessantly claimed expertise in numerous subjects and frequently placed wagers, often verbally stating the outcome of the next hand to those at the table(He was equally right and wrong). 

He was another one of those "been-there-done-that" kind of guys that shared his expertise nonstop. My group are veteran serious players that are all about making money. Though friendly and more than happy to celebrate with table mates we generally don't offer advice unless solicited(& then only in brief).
His expertise spanned stock markets, luxury cars, gold investing, real estate, cyber security, computers, relationships, and being the world's greatest Bac player.  A friend who traveled with us, and owns a cyber security company, would frequently nudge me whenever this "expert" shared views on cyber security or government surveillance,..etc.. We had some laughs later on.

 One lady mentioned to a lady next to her (and Opp end of table from the "expert"), they had sold their home and looking to relocate locally. He proceeded to tell her how the real estate companies "get Cha", and one should do like him and just sell /buy your home (Without a RE agent), like he does, and on and on.
 I'm not sure I have ever met a more arrogant/narcissistic player or any person (At least not anyone over 15—25yo or so). He was in his approx. 40s. Most of us would have probably ignored his behavior if he was in his 20s and we probably would have concluded his euphoria/narcissism was due to getting an atypical big win or maybe on drugs...etc. or simply being young /naive. He didn't seem to be on stimulants nor inebriated (though drinking a few beers).  Sadly, it seemed to simply be a chronic personality trait.  At least with drug-induced Euphoria or narcissism it generally dissipates.

OMG, this guy would not stop talking about his Bac prowess et al expertise. He had all kinds of crackpot theories on Bac. He once told us the casino arranges the cards to beat players that wager only Bank (& why he NEVER wagers B). Then, a couple hands later he was wagering on Bank.

He frequently wagered a large bet on (B or P), coupled with a 2-3 bonus bets, all at the same time. He seemed to do a negpro when losing and a pos pro with similar aggressiveness when winning. He wagered very erratically and seemingly didn't care about following a smooth curve with his progressions. HTwice he had to wager a (make or break) wager that if lost he would have a remainder of approx. 2k--5k. He survived both but kept pushing his luck.

He wagered significantly more than others at our table (often 1k—5k per hand. A typical base unit for most of us was a starting wager at $100–300. etc. and followed a reasonable progression. So, he frequently touted his wins and demanded to "hold the floor" on any topic mentioned at the table. Once he won a large bet (and most others lost), he proceeded to stand up and give the touchdown "arms up" gesture all the while looking at nearby tables to see if others may have seen his big W. Because he undoubtedly had the highest IQ in the room, lol.

A few times I considered asking him to just shut up for about 3 minutes and let my brain rest a little. We constantly scanned the tote boards at four adjacent tables for a possible departure. I saw a potentially good shoe profile nearby, but it was too crowded with zero chairs available, and the event was nearing the end.  However, they were all mostly similar to ours and mostly in line with expectation. So our option was to endure this table (& expert) or go to a different casino.

Though, we should never wish bad or bad results at the table upon anyone. Several players appeared thankful when he slinked off after losing his wins back to the casino. His wife was almost in tears at one of the two brief moments he had over $40K in front of him. She whispered to him "let's go now", and he scolded her that he wanted to push his totals to $50K. She responded, "We would still be down from the last two days". Two of the ladies were still laughing about him an hour later in the next shoe (as well as next day). They seemed to resent how disrespectful he was to his wife (often scolded her/ also flirting with other females). After losing almost all (approx. $3k remaining) he slipped off at a chip refill/ tried to act like he was going to another table. He stated he had won "over a 100K" just a week earlier,.etc../ the casino was watching him, and trying to get their money back, etc. You know, because according to him he was such a big winner,lol.
They headed to the cashier's cage/exited the casino.

A classic on what "NOT" to do at a bac table. In other words, never become too haughty /narcissistic and perceive one has nothing else to learn at the bac tables. Same as in life. Most everybody can do at least one thing better than us.


Biggest Single Bet/Session Win from a Tablemate.

     The cyber security friend I mentioned above mostly plays Bac and Craps line bets. He once was a very skilled BJ player for a couple decades but after the payout changed from 3:2 he stopped playing. He has mostly played Bac Base Bets/Craps Line wagers in the past decade.
 
     He took a $275 craps line bet: 275,550, 1000,1825, 3650. I didn't play with him at this Craps session, but he indicated a mix of P and Dp produced the W streak. Then he brought it to the Bac table the next day and wager $5k after seeing one of his favorite triggers (Won it on a 1-0 outcome). He brought it all down and locked it up. He is typically a very stoic/serious person and seldom talks or shows any excitement. He yelled out "YES", as he told me later, he had initially thought the hand had lost (or tied). That was a large win for him as he most commonly wagers between $250--toward $1K if he wins several times in a row.

My largest wager(s) outcomes.
     As some of you know that have played with me.  I mostly play in the Midwest with lower table max vs larger markets such as CO, MS, NV. Most of my casinos are less than or equal to 3900, which is the maximum on $2k tables, while the range is approximately 5800–5900 on a $3k table. 
Whenever I have at least three wagers at a Tmax of about 3800–3900, I reserve one for a future trip to a casino with a larger Tmax. For example, if I get five wins at Tmax, I set aside two; if at least seven wins at Tmax, I set aside three, and so on.  It doesn't happen very often and sometimes takes weeks or months to accumulate at least three of these larger wagers(to warrant a trip). So, this trip I had three "set aside" wagers that would be $5K on their next placement. On this trip, the three wagers finished: 1-1, 0-1, and 0-1.  So, I was a little disappointed as I was optimistic, I could go at least >= 1-1 performance on at least one of them. I'm always optimistic that I can get at least one to slip through the cracks and continue onward/upward. It was not to be.
     Besides the above carried-over wagers my highest in-session wager was $1480.It won.

I saw an old bac comrade at the CO tables.

     I use to frequently play with an elder Vietnamese guy in the Midwest and he frequently plays in Wichita area. It seems every time I play in either of the Colorado cas markets I run into him. He speaks English just slightly better than I speak Vietnamese (approaches zero). So, Bac is our primary shared language.  He seems like a veteran player and wins more than he loses by far. He is very patient and generally will only wager B or P. Maybe only 5-10 wagers in most shoes it seems. It was great to see him/ I enjoyed sharing the tables with him several times on this trip.

     *Awhile back I arrived at a casino in Colorado and approached the Bac pit  on my first day. Upon entering the table pit and baccarat section, I observed an individual standing and signaling for my attention, motioning me over, and indicating that he was experiencing a winning streak.  P had won 11iar(in-a-row) , and it appeared that he caught most of them. He had approx. 8K in front of him. I believe he typically buys in with $2k or so. He indicated he caught most of them and pointed his wins out on the tote board.  After, the 11th P he then switches to B (and wins), then immediately colored up. As we walked to the cashier's cage and then to a different table I asked him why he switched to B after the run reached the  11th P. The response in his best English: "It was done, over."  LOL. I was expecting him to give some logic or explanation of how he interpretated that turn (and end of the P streak).


Thx for reading/ have a good week.

I have been on a multi-day trip and will try to elaborate more within a couple days.

I have been on a multi-week winning streak at my home market. Meaning, I have not busted a buyin in several weeks. Often I bust a buyin every 4-5 days or so in part due to my aggressive pos progression approach. I prefer not to boast or speak of winning streaks(During the ongoing streak) as not to "jinx" them. I know that's a superstition on my part.

I did bust a buyin on my current multi-day trip.


A highlight shoe on this trip was a shoe that produced 15 B singles in a row. Meaning B was stuck on 1iar(In-A-Row). Unfortunately I did not catch 15 wins in that run. Just prior to that I saw each side with approx 7iar runs. I will show the outcomes/elaborate more on this later.

Have a good week,

Personally, I will not be placing a wager on this event. It is my opinion this type of wagering is not a good look for the gambling world(or society).

To each their own I guess.

https://www.casino.org/news/polymarket-allows-gambling-on-new-orleans-jailbreak/

This is a quote from the link:

"...What's Allowed and What's Not
You're good taking one or two quick selfies just about anywhere on a casino floor these days. Most tourists do anyway. But photograph an active-play table, even in the background of your selfie, and you're taking more of a chance. In addition to potentially violating guest privacy, the casino may be concerned that your photo is part of a cheating scam.

If you want to gauge the speed of a casino's security response, then photograph one of its cashier's cages. You may not even get a warning before being escorted out. There's almost no justifiable reason a casino can see for snapping such a photo other than plotting a future robbery, such as the ones committed at Resort's World and Gold Coast in November 2022.   ..."


https://www.casino.org/news/vegas-myths-re-busted-its-illegal-to-take-photos-in-a-casino/

The following excerpt from the link below was funny:

"...What has been banished from most resort websites are those laughable descriptions of what resort fees are and why they exist.

Most resort companies claimed they were a "convenience fee" that was "requested by our guests." These mythical guests loved resort fees because they preferred not paying separately for amenities including Wi-Fi, gym access, and local phone calls.

Because you never know which travelers could be time travelers from the 1980s lacking cell phones.   ..."



https://www.casino.org/news/vegas-myths-busted-resort-fees-are-now-illegal/

This will be a good transformation for Rio. I may actually visit Rio the next time Im in LV.
It has been awhile since I gave Rio any Bac action. The last time I was at Rio the best attribute was the wide variety of Keurig coffee pods in the room. The room was adequate as best I recall(Just nothing memorable).
Same with their gaming area(Adequate but nothing memorable). Just my opinion.


https://cdcgaming.com/brief/rio-las-vegas-unveils-new-baccarat-room-in-ongoing-transformation/

The link to the whole article is at the very bottom of this post. Much of the article is mostly "elementary-level" info and suggestions. However, a couple of interesting suggestions on betting systems down about 2/3rds of the article. Though I don't wager in this manner/I'm not an advocate for any type of hedging. I still found it interesting.

Any of u play a similar approach to suggestions in the article?
Any thoughts or comments? Yea or nay??
Thanks in advance,
---------------------------------------------------------------

How to Win at Baccarat: The James Bond Strategy

This fixed betting system, inspired by Ian Fleming's character, involves covering multiple outcomes:

Place 70% of your total bet on the Banker
Place 25% on the Player
Place 5% on the Tie
For example, with a $100 total bet:

$70 on Banker
$25 on Player
$5 on Tie
This approach guarantees a win if Tie hits (typical profit of $35 with 8:1 payout) and a small win if Banker wins (profit of approximately $40 – $25 – $5 = $10). You lose only when Player wins ($70 loss offset by $25 win = $45 net loss).

The system offers frequent small wins but doesn't overcome the house edge in the long run.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Exploring the 3-2 System
This straightforward approach focuses on diversification:

Bet 3 units on the Banker
Bet 2 units on the Player
Skip the Tie bet entirely
For example, with a $50 betting round:

$30 on Banker
$20 on Player
Outcomes:

Banker wins: Profit $30 – 5% commission – $20 = $8.50
Player wins: Profit $20 – $30 = -$10
Tie: Both bets push, no gain or loss
This system produces a small profit more than half the time but still has a negative expectation over time.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

https://www.casino.org/blog/how-to-win-at-baccarat/

Hopefully the consequences for the perps will match the crime/ be rendered expeditiously. Society runs more efficiently when that occurs on a consistent basis.


https://www.casino.org/news/robbers-who-targeted-casino-winners-face-life/

This is an interesting list if one likes the luxury treatment. Link at the bottom.

*Probably the nicest I recall is Bellagio in L.Vegas. I was with a group that included two high rollers and the other four of us in the group were avg. So the casino treated our whole group with extra niceties. 

It was a couple levels above my typical room. Though not a penthouse suite or multiple bedrooms suite,..etc.


Another time I was in Tunica and the lady checking me in asked: Would you like an upgrade to a Penthouse luxury suite? Me: Yes that would be OK.  .

 I wasn't a high roller and hadn't given them much action that year. However, I thought it was a classy move (& smart business) on her part. It was during the week. I'm sure they had several luxury rms that were going to be empty anyway.
 

https://www.888casino.com/blog/worlds-poshest-casinos


Continued Success,

Where to Play Single Zero Roulette in Las Vegas.

I found this factoid concerning: "..It may seem like triple zero roulette has taken over Las Vegas. There are almost 100 triple zero tables in the market these days and over 200 double zero ones...."


More ways to win, 


The following was Written by John Mehaffey on Vegas Advantage.

https://vegasadvantage.com/single-zero-roulette/

I concur with the courts on this one. Any thoughts or opinions??

From the link below:

"...Court upholds that MGM Resorts isn't legally obligated to prevent compulsive gamblers from betting

Plaintiff Sam Antar lost nearly $25 million on MGM platforms

Lawsuit claimed MGM violated the Consumer Fraud Act by offering bonuses despite his addiction

A New Jersey federal appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling that MGM Resorts – and US casino operators in general – have no duty of care toward compulsive gamblers...."



https://www.casino.org/news/mgm-no-duty-of-care-towards-man-who-gambled-25m-court-affirms/

It is my opinion FREEPLAY is very important to most players. Although I do not play to get free play or more free play. However, in recent years I do pay attention to free play and that may sway my decision about playing at a particular property vs another(less free play) property. All other variables being equal. I never play any more or less(wager size or play longer) as a function of free play. So if two casinos require a 50mile drive in opposite directions and one offers $200 and the other $100, then Im likely to visit $200Casino. If Bac tables are the same,...etc.

E.G., I'm currently on a multi-day gaming trip. On the first day I had the following FreePlay amounts at three casinos shown with my net conversion: $100--163, 100--100, 60--99. Historically, I have always played the same wager size and buyin at each of these properties.
These amounts may seem miniscule. However, the EV is obviously very high on free play/
FP should be optimized as a part of any serious gamers' arsenal. Although one shouldnt play above their budget just for FP, IMO.

*I once received a $500 free play(and the casino allowed one to take back the free play voucher on a win). My point of view is that I would prefer free play/a free room over all other incentives such as food offers, giftshop, upgraded room, special dinner/drawings, limo rides, chocolate/fruit basket in the room..etc.


An excerpt from the article:
"...The study doesn't necessarily label free-play as categorically bad or ineffective, Lucas said, it just shows that casinos are not doing a very good job of measuring it...."


https://vegasinc.lasvegassun.com/news/2024/aug/05/are-free-play-offers-a-waste-of-money-for-casinos/


Continued Winning To All,

I find the part in bold very interesting:Baccarat hold was 26.7% versus 16.4% in the prior year...

Baccarat offering wagers with a H.E. at approx 1.15% yet a hold of 26.7%.


 Nevada/Las Vegas first quarter
"...For the Las Vegas Strip, table game hold was 18.9% versus 14.8% the prior year. Baccarat hold was 26.7% versus 16.4% in the prior year..."



https://cdcgaming.com/wall-street-bets-vegas-strip-room-rates-golden-entertainment-penn-entertainment-nevada-las-vegas-first-quarter/

The old western world adage: "God Created Man And Colt Made Them Equal."
Of Course referring to Sam Colt(In the mid 1800s he formed what later became Colt Firearms Co.).

A link below showing the best concealed carry weapons for 2025.

*Do any of you put forth extra effort to protect yourselves traveling to/from your casinos. What do you do if you have a large win and must walk or travel to your hotel off premises? Maybe you don't want to leave Front money at that particular casino/don't want a check,..etc. Maybe traveling home at night with large sums of cash? ETC??

Obviously one is not allowed to carry a weapon into a casino(At least not that I've seen in the USA).

**An interesting incident at a casino. Several years ago I was playing at a casino near Joplin,Mo. USA.
This was a small casino and the only two Bac tables were adjacent to the only Craps table. I was positioned approx 20' from the  craps table and my view faced most of the Craps players from the front. So I could also see the floor area behind them. There was a large floor area and all of a sudden I see three large security guards walking across the casino floor. They were rapidly approaching /toward the backside of the craps players standing three to each side of the stickman.

I could tell something was about to happen from the focused and serious look on the security officers face. However, I just thought maybe someone had stolen other players chips or maybe a pickpocket had been flagged by security cameras,...etc. The three security officers walked directly behind one of the stuff players without hesitation. One officer on each side of the player and positioned their legs against his and placed their hands on top of players shoulder as if they were going to face plant him over the craps table. The third security officer pulls his gun(looked like a 38 or similar revolver). He puts the barrel into the players back and says: "If you move an inch I'll kill you."
Of course everyone was watching at that point and all table games nearby had suddenly stopped. They secure him against the table/ remove his gun that was in a concealed small-of-back holster(That I guess was showing through his jacket). He also had what looked like a 15" hunting knife on his side in a leather holster. They walk him away after removing his weapons and contents from pockets. I heard later through a dealer the arrested player just claimed he "forgot" to remove his CC weapon. The knife was legal. I recall thinking this is like the old wild west days. Supposedly that casino utilized some sort of metal detection and the main entrance but this guy entered through the parking garage area. I have never noticed metal detectors at this particular casino(To this day). I heard they banned him for 90 days/ he received a fine.


---------------------------------------------------
https://gundigest.com/handguns/concealed-carry/best-concealed-carry-handguns

2025 Best Concealed Carry Guns
     I own two of the Overall Top Pick(Sig Sauer P365 9mm CC(Concealed Carry). I find them satisfactory as they are easy to conceal in a belt or leg holster.


Overall Pick: Sig P365
Runner-Up: Springfield Hellcat
Best High-end Carry: Wilson Combat EDC X9
Best Classic Carry: Glock 19
Best Budget: PSA Dagger
Best Carry Revolver: Ruger LCR in .327 Federal Magnum
Best .357 Magnum: Ruger LCRx 3-Inch
Best .380 ACP: Ruger LCP MAX
Best Easy To Manipulate: Smith & Wesson Equalizer
Best Backwoods Carry: Glock 20

Don't Hate Good Promotions, Embrace Them

  A good article about playing more efficiently, maximizing offers, and incentives during peak promotional periods.   

https://travelzork.com/don't-hate-good-promotions-embrace-them/

Unbelievable Luck: Witnessing the Biggest Baccarat Wins of All Time

This was a good read. I play with a gentleman that deals Bac in Tunica. I once asked him what was the best win he ever dealt. He said it wasn't the largest ever win but a young guy about 25yo bought in with 3K and in about 45mins walked with 80K. He said the player didn't appear to be following a predetermined system but seemed to be just guessing and relying on intuition. He had never seen this player before or after and he declined to show a players card at buyin.

https://cardpaymentguru.co.uk/biggest-baccarat-wins/

Key statements from Konnikova:

"...Maria Konnikova isn't afraid to call out the cheating that goes on in poker, and casinos' unwillingness to deal with the problem. .."


"... Her book about cheating includes poker, baccarat, and sporting events; tennis has had some problems. Even fly fishing has..."


"When I meet people and they ask what my new book is about, I say cheating. Their faces light up and say they have a story for me." Konnikova said, laughing.  ..."



I speak with a lot of casino executives and one of their main concerns is the collusion between player/dealers. This goes on all the time and often is a large syndicate or group of players in a specific region of the USA.

I play Bac with an octogenarian that has played with many of the all time greats in poker. Most of  you from the Poker circuit would readily recognize his name. According to him many players constantly try to cheat or "fudge" a little(Not just poker players but Bac, roulette, craps,..etc). It is his opinion most casinos know who they are but just choose to monitor for awhile until they can ID more in the syndicate.


https://cdcgaming.com/maria-konnikova-poker-champ-describes-humble-beginnings-and-cheating-problem/

This is the main point of the link:

BetMGM and Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City are announcing the launch of Dual Play Baccarat. Customers on BetMGM Casino can now play at the same tables with players that are at the physical Borgata Atlantic City.

Evolution Gaming is partnered with both BetMGM and Borgata, which will bring the action to those who wish to play at online. Cameras will be displayed at the tables, making it a first-class, and real-time experience for those virtually. The game is played with a human dealer at the Borgata.


     Personally I would find this acceptable. IMO this could be the wave of the future. I have been discussing a similar setup with an indian tribe in the Midwest. They have several casinos within one region of one state/another just across the state line. The above would be easy to implement. The feedback Im receiving is the CEO of gaming operations does not like the volatility from the Baccarat Hold vs other table games. Meaning Bac players wager much larger vs other games.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

https://www.playnj.com/news/betmgm-and-borgata-atlantic-city-introduce-omnichannel-dual-play-live-dealer-baccarat/87823/

Top March Madness Contests and Bracket Challenges in 2025

Im a big fan of college basketball/ will watch many games during the next couple weeks. I will enter several of the following contests(Most are free) so the EV is great. Good luck to all.



https://www.thesportsgeek.com/blog/best-march-madness-contests-free-real-money/