Get rid of your False Hopes-False Confidence and Blindness within your baccarat play.

Put the time and trouble into improving yourself/your play.  I read it takes an average of 60-90 days for self improvement change to begin.  As far as application of change to gaming, I am not sure, but it's worth a try IMO.

1) Begin with a ritual of REFLECTION on your play. Please see my thread:  https://betselection.cc/index.php?topic=11679.msg71756;topicseen#msg71756.

2) Push the fallacy out!  Misleading and deceptive data, stats, methods and beliefs are super dangerous to your play. Be careful whom you listen to and trust.

3) Do not get hung up on certain triggers as a wagering point. You must learn and deeply understand randomness and how it is presented with or without any clue from a shoe.

4) Dedicate time each and every day to learn about the game.

5) Engage in a real Money Management Method (MMM) that benefits yourself, your play and control with the  sessions you engage in. But engaging in it with a solemn adherence.

6) When Frustration, Emotions and Stress sets in at the table note it and write about it later on. Find the reason so you can ultimately reverse it. It is more than a lost wager, I promise you.

7) Concentrate on yourself, as in You-Vs-You at the table. It is all about you and only you. Do not let yourself be distracted with all the verbal and physical doings at a table.

-8- Allow your Money Management Method to have the last words at a session. Win, Lose or Draw. This is different than engaging in the MMM, (#5 above), this is the faith, grace and priority of applying a session closure, which is vital and the most important.

9) Do not have expectations when you sit down. Learn how to center yourself with extreme and dedicated focus.

10) Engage yourself in the reversing of negative actions you learned you have in regards to playing Baccarat.

Recognize and Practice.  Learn what real consciousness, focus and neutrality mean and how you can possess them and apply them at the table with your decision making ability.

Do not hold yourself down with anything you cannot control. But you MUST be totally conscious of the fact every wager and  decision you make, you can control.

Well guys, it's almost here! Hope to meet with a few forum members, once and for all.  Although we are not a heavily trafficked forum, mostly because I refuse to have/allow the drama, spam, systems solicitation and posting all types of nefarious links, etc., we do have some great members here and lots of readership.

Wishing everyone a fantastic year filled with love, laughter, along with all your favorite things and lots of $$$ from gambling! May this year be your best one yet, full of amazing surprises and great moments of all types.

For all of you to have a wonderful year filled with good health and success!

Alrelax
Administrator & Forum Owner

QUESTION TO ME:

"Say you target streaks of 3s and 4s (or 2s and 3s or anything like that): when a superior streak happens (that is a 5+ streak) you have to reset the plan then waiting for new streak classes in the hope they'll come clustered (obviously singles and streaks of inferior lenght do not count).

Long streaks are relatively rare to happen, so it's likely that inferior streaks will come out clustered; sometimes (often) an entire shoe is formed by streaks not surpassing the 4 value.

Now we'll play with a 'sky's the limit' approach because the number of shoe rich of low value streaks overcome those rich of long streaks.
Sections!!!

It's a plan derived from what you've written in your posts."

MY ANSWER:

You say target. I do not 'generally' target in anything-except what the shoe is doing when presentments are forming with something I can detect and/or just plain feel good about placing a wager on. 

Streaks.  Yes-5/6 iar begins the streak, 1s, 2s, singles-chop, doubles, triples, quadruples are absolutely the most common with/within every shoe. Anyway, with that said......

I have a written about it before. I like to reiterate-as reiterating, reinforces!

Here Goes:

Long streaks 9-10-12-14, and more.  Certainly do happen. Posted many of them when I can snap a picture.  True not every session. But they certainly do. 7-8-9 iar, is almost common, not every shoe, but again not rare by any means at all.

I have adopted the, "It Is What It Is", play persona-protocol. Might not mean much to most, but helps on the frustration and emotions end with myself.

'Skys the limit'.  That has to be based/applied around your MMM and wagering win/risk chips already in your possession, or a small piece of your buy-in, etc.  But..........and However, when it happens you do want to be right there, on it, with a few positive progressive wins prior to the take off and then just pull down each win, only losing the last one when it does cut to the other side. 

Here is an example just below.  (I have attached 8 B&M score board pictures to reinforce what I am trying to get across).

P-BB-P-B-PP-BB-P-BBB

Then:  P-BB-P-B-PP-BB-P-BBBB

When it's like that or anything similar and you see one more two more iar forming, I sure want to be on it!  So many will risk wagering on/for the 'cut' again and again and get sucked into-the 'cut' has to come, etc. But......shoes do not operate that way. Shoes do everything  and anything, at anytime. Shoes are weak, clump strong, stay strong, weak and strong in distinct patterns, as well as spread out although-out the entire shoe, etc. Take that into consideration and being conscious of that, onward.

I have caught so many great longer streaks 7/8-10/15 + iar because of being on it when it went one more and then just continued iar repetitiously.  Then after a few positive progressions, I just enjoy pulling down each win and gladly surrendering the last one in the streak.

Ref 'One More' Mentioned In The Above Paragraph:

One More, as what I described above are 1s, 2s and 3s, and then a 4th was made. Or 1s and 2s, 3s and 4s and then a 5th was made, etc.  Just throwing a written explained picture out there.

You have to remember, you cannot control what the shoe is producing, but you can control the way you respond to what is happening, if you are conscious of it. So many players fail to practice what I just said the the previous sentence.  Why do I say that?  Because everything comes and goes in the game of baccarat and thus, confuses the highest of the highest amount of players.  What the shoe is producing, what the shoe has not produced, what the player desires, what they player believes in, what the reaction is by others present, etc., etc., etc., and many more. 

And you truly want to know something? When I have two really good options to choose from, I challenge myself to wager with the one that scares me the most.  (And I am not just referring to a B or P wager, might be a small or large wager, a flat Vs a pos progressive, a series of wagers, etc.  Because seriously, that is likely the one(s) that is/are going to help me grow. Re-read the paragraph I just wrote, think about it in detail!

I do not know, probably our methods of play are different, but I generally 'look for/wager with' whatever is happening.  Doesn't matter chop-chop, doubles, streaks, triples, 1s and 2s, etc. But I do look for those traditional streaks which are long repetitious iar Bankers followed by repetitious iar Players.

With all that said/laid out, let's go back to the above example:

P-BB-P-B-PP-BB-P-BBBB

Now let's say one of those 9 iar Bankers came along.  It would look something like this:

P-BB-P-B-PP-BB-P-BBBBBBBBB-P

(For example purposes, I was wagering $250.00 as a base risk wager)

Banker bet 1) $250 win $250. ($250 back to buy-in)

Banker bet 2) $250 From win. 

Banker bet 3) $500 Full parlay press from #2.

Banker bet 4) $1,000 Full parlay press from #3.
              $1k win pulled down.

Banker bet 5) $1,000 Pull down the $1k win.
             
Banker bet 6) $1,000 Win pressed to bet #7.         
Banker bet 7) $2,000 Pull down the $2k win.

Banker bet -8- $2,000 Pull down the $2k win.

Banker bet 9) $2,000 Pull down the $2k win.

Banker bet 10) $2,000 Lose as Cut to Players.

$8,000 won.  Initial $250 recouped after first wager. 

My reasoning is, if I was at least ahead the win of $250 after hand 1, hands 2 and 3 are on the casino, not affecting my buy-in at all. 

My reasoning regarding hand 4, pulling down the $1,000 all win money, I would have a complimentary 4 additional attempts on the casino to build out 4 wagers of $250 each.  That is playing a bit conservatively, we all agree it's tough after hand 4.  But a lot of the times, not all, I would stick with that wager amount. 

If that happened, I would set my buy-in sideways for hold. The $8,000 won, I would dedicate $2,000 to 8 additional $250 attempts. I would put $1,000 additional into my original buy-in (of $1,800-$2,500)and lock up, no double thoughts whatsoever, the $5,000 remaining from the win money.

Once again my 1/3rd, 1/3rd, 1/3rd (about) with win money. That is what I call a M.M.M.  It has to govern you. Not maybe, not possibly, but has to 100%.

Conclusion:

Adjust. Be totally conscious. Be super careful of desires, but don't forgo a trend-pattern-happening, etc., that is flowing and you see it or are capturing it easily. Most will say those are intangible events to be involved with, but they are not. To myself, they are tangible, but we just do not know when they will begin and end while we are in play at the table in front of a live shoe.

Eight attachments posted below from previous brick and mortar live shoes.

4th one down.  Note the 5B and the 5P next to each other in the beginning.  Then the 7 iar B, 6 iar B, the 5 iar B, the 4 iar B.  No one basically believed, most saying, "no way, players coming out next strong", over and over.  I did extra handsomely on all those  bankers!  Then the 4 players right next to the last 4 iar Bankers to match their 5 iar side-by-side in the beginning.  Note the extreme weakness for the rest of the shoe, all 1s and 2s. 

6th one down.  Classic and exactly what I was attempting to convey to you above.  WOW-O-WOW!  Beautiful!!!  Bang it on the 3rd winning one down with a nice parlay to the 4th hand. Then just pull down each winning payout. Stack one more time at least around the 7th or 8th hand and 'happily' lose the last one, when it cuts to the players. What's the problem?

7th one down.  The 9 iar Bankers, I gave in the example above, I have regularly experienced 8-12 iar, not rare at all IMO.  Yes, said countless times, not every shoe, but not in the rare department at all.  Anyways, here is a 9 iar with 3 5-iar Bs as well.  One players with 7 iar, but otherwise players 3 or less.

Insights From My Experience:

BECOMING CONSCIOUS OF YOUR EXPERIENCE

Now, IMO, comes the hardest things to become habitual doing.

You have to break the habit of allowing yourself to automatically interpret every experience by believing, what happened-happened for a reason, (because within the game of baccarat, it simply does not). That is what turns off so many so quick and so ruthfully off. Period. Plain and Simple!

Interpret every experience by practicing anchoring your attention, your attention solidly within the instant experience.  Notice any physical sensations and emotions that are rising from yourself and observe the state of your mind. Is it racing, agitated, fuzzy, becoming emotional, or is it perfectly clear?

Become conscious of what you are feeling, because your feelings will not keep you consistent solid and profitable play.

RECOGNIZE YOUR GAME

Your conduct produces the result of your decisions. Those decisions will either generate losses or wins, simple. You have to remember you are the one that makes the decision if you win or lose.

Majority of baccarat players fall prey to what the game represents and how it is presented by most all casinos. Players become senseless, callous and outright stupid. There are no rhymes or reasons that could make sense for doing things that seemingly could never work.

Realize you cannot change what is going to happen with any shoe. When you genuinely do, then you accomplished what the highest majority of players take a very long time, as well as cost to realize. 

Look at the scoreboard and see what has happened, do not believe it will reappear or continue.  Dive much deeper into the possibilities of presentments happening for continued and upcoming hands. 

The bottom line is, being able to clearly see and focus using the game presentments and your recognition of the flow and outcomes that are being formed.

BRICKS YOU PLACE IN FRONT OF YOURSELF

Every single brick that you place on the wall in front of you-makes it harder to penetrate-makes it harder to profit-makes it harder to stay with the shoe presentments.

Information that is worthless and absolutely false in many senses, will be a brick YOU ALLOW to be inset into a wall in front of you-directly between you and every hand, every group of hands and every shoe you play itself.

When those bricks are there-they are there. No matter what, no matter how strange, weird, not ordinary, against all odds or how much you believe in them and how great they seem; They are bricks and will be there as well as remaining there.

Bricks are intangible. Same as systems, counts, data, mechanical wagering based on anything, charting, etc., etc.  Because none of it will allow guaranteed hand after hand wins. None.  In fact, none of it can even guarantee one for sure win. 

You know, but you really do not know. That's what you have to remember and be totally conscious of.

Think about it. 

If you do not play, you cannot win.

If you play, you will not always win.

If you play, you also have to lose. 

If you claim you do not lose and/or you always recover and walk even or with a little win, I say you are lying. 

Simple and Period. 

Thought I would go ahead and post what pump number I got gas at this morning on the way to the casino in Kansas City. Is there any other pump number but this one that's appropriate?

My buddy is with me and he's got all the songs programmed in for the ride and it starts something like this; Twilight Zone, Radar Love, Funkytown, I want a new drug, The Pusher, Cocaine, Another one bites the dust, Dude looks like a lady, Money, Walk this way, and lots more should get us over to the casino.

You know it's just after 2 AM and he's got the Twilight Zone song playing, how appropriate. If you know the words to the song, you would understand what that means.

Later.

I was Kansas City the other night and I must say, I had been involved in a couple of shoes, that were absolutely incredible! The vibe was way north of infectious, 100% bad a*ss show of passion for the game by several of the players. The back-and-forth was ridiculous in every way, every shape and every form!

The table was Macau/Midi style. The limits were $50-$10,000. It was a 5 Treasures bac game, so there was a Panda 8, the Fortune 7, the Blazing 777s (three card seven ties both sides 200:1 or two card 7 ties both sides 50:1, and the Heavenly 9s (three card nine ties 75:1 or three card one side build out 10:1, as well as a 6:1 coverall wager which covers all for the side bets.  Also the standard tie bet 8:1. 

Sat down at one of the numerous active bac tables.  It was probably around hand 70 with about 10 hands to go. Won a few, lost a few, upped my bet to about 10 times what I was wagering. I think it was like 35P, 30B and 5 ties.  I placed my wager on player because it was 1s in 2s and there were 2 Bs showing. I turned over and 8 and then an Ace and B responded with a face card and a friggin 9.  I said out loud, "Fu*k can't even win with a Natural 9"!  I increased my wager again and kept it on the P. I turned over a pair of fives and the B responded with a total of 6. I got the Ps third card and upon looking at it, said out loud it was a 3 line card. 

There were two other very large wagering players that were also on the P side. They didn't desire to handle the cards because they were losing, as they so stated to me. So I did. I turned the card and saw there was not a dot in the middle and said, we either got a 6 or 7. I turned the card to the opposite side and those two guys are now standing up and calling for a 7.  I saw it was a 6 and threw it down. Banker drew and returned a face card. Tie hand again.

Both of those guys increased their wagers to table max. I increased my wager again considerably. Once again I got the cards. First one was an Ace and the second one was another Ace. Banker returned a 7. I got the third card and saw it was another 3 line card. I tell everyone, 6, 7 or 8. Of course they were saying no snowman-no snowman then started yelling, no snowman. I peek at one end of it. There is a dot. I see now I either have a 7 or an 8.  I say I have a 7 or an 8, they are both repeatedly saying 7 extremely loud. It was a 7 for a beautiful total of 9, high-fives happened! 

They asked me join them down a few tables and not play the last few hands where we were at. I did and we all moved, sat down and got the other table opened. 

We start the shoe. The camaraderie is starting to be in the air which I absolutely love.

I am trying to lineup in my mind everything I write about on the forum, not easy. With my win I am nicely  ahead.  And I've just taken 1/3rd of my win and locked it up.  Put 2/3rds of my win in a separate stack for my play money and my buy-in, off in separate stacks as well.  So I employed my 1/3rd, 1/3rd, 1/3rd MMM. 

Staying conscious of too much time playing is what I was trying to really focus on. I even wrote on my scorecard off on the side, TIME-TIME-TIME, three times and kept outlining it with my pen.  The other things I was focusing on was not going overboard with negative  progressions if losing started, hand after hand. As well, several other things were bouncing around in my mind-frame. However, I am also conscious of the powerful win possibilities and hitting it hard and fast if it is being presented.

It was late at night and the casino floor had a large amount of people on it.  This was in Kansas City and it was one of three largest casinos there out of all the gaming properties in the metro area. 

We were all wagering heavy on the P, as we were all in agreement that P frequently dominates the beginning of the shoes.  At the table there are the 3 of us plus one other person that walked up and sat down.  The 'outsider' places a small wager on the B side.  The other guy opens the cards and a beautiful Natural 9 is slammed down.  All 3 of us high five.  The other guy on B had a face card and a 2 or a 3. 

Both of the guys increase their wagers to table max.  I am not there yet for some reason I can't define.  Mine is increased, although not anywhere near table max, still heavy though.  We return a 4 and an 8 for the Players side.  B returns a 7.  Our third card after much peeking and peeling, was a 7.  Once again we are all high-fiving and standing up now.  Interestingly to note the music overhead was by The Talking Heads, Burning Down The House.  So appropriate in every sense!  The aura was building in a real physical manner. 

Now, we all agreed just to leave our wagers on the P and pull down the wins.  We kinda prayed for one of those 8-10-12-14 P streaks in the beginning.  Next hand was a Face and a 6 for our P side.  The B side had a 10 and a 5.  All of us and the outsider were on the P side.  The dealer flips an 8 for the B side.  Again beautiful!  Feeling good.  Floor supervisor joins the pit manager close to our table behind the dealer.  Watching without doubt. 

Once again,  we all agreed to leave on the P in hopes of a streak.  Visions of really stacking it up and with no real risk of my buy-in was flashing in neon lights in front of me! 

All of us are on the P side.  We get the cards and a 4 and a 7 is flipped over.  The B side got a Face and a 4.  We got our third card and it was a 6.  Of course a total hand of 7 against a 4 was in our favor.  The Dealer flips a friggin 4 for the B!!!!!  WTF! 

Now the board is looking like this:

P-P-P-B

So we discuss and all agree on the Player to continue. One of us mentions the B to even out or streak, but we decided to stay with P mostly because of the stigma following the board and following the shoe, as well as changing up on initial decisions, etc. We all stick on P. We return a 7 and a 10 for the P.  B returns a pair of 9s and we lose once again! 2 out of 3 of our wins now go right back to the rack!!! Damn! Slipping a little bit and we could physically feel it.

We all look at each other. Once again we agree on the P side. Not heavy wagers, but considerable amounts nonetheless.  We turn over a face card and a 5. The B side has a 9 and a 10. We lose a third time. We look at each other all quiet, just shaking our heads.  Won 3 in a row, lost 3 in a row, gave it all back. Embarrassing!

We all agreed once again, 3P and 3B. Once again we stick on the P. We all increased our wagers with a negative progression Martingale.  We turn over an 8 and a 7. The B turns over a face and a 4. We are all saying monkey out loud of course. We turn over a 5.  We are saying, "WTF", "Really" and "Oh Come On", etc.  The B turns over a 7 for that 100% insulting nasty 1 to Zero win. Now I lost like the others, four in a row. Keep giving it back. 

Almost all the win money except for a very small amount from the other table, and the previous three hands as well, was given back to the house.  Those wins totaled up to be sizable!  Gone back!  I was seriously considering leaving with a small amount of my win money. Both of the other guys were just about wiped out. Their wives or girlfriends were standing behind them. They held her hands out and moved their fingers, as if saying give me more cash. One did and the other one said no.  An outlandish verbal confrontation happened right there at the table, when the player stood up and demanded more money to play. It wasn't pretty. I was really going to pack it in and leave with my little win and get the hell out of there.

Seriously again, I was just about ready to pack it in because the aura turned totally against the game. I started to get up and the guy next to me says, stay—it is coming I promise. I've been around this well known block way too many times and it was nothing new. But for some reason undefinable to me I stayed. Call it getting sucked in, call it being a fool, but I stayed right there.

The guy's wife or girlfriend eventually gave in after a few minutes and slammed down a stack of cash in his hand.

The board looked like this now.

P-P-P-B-B-B-B

The lyrics from Golden Earrings song, 'The Twilight Zone', are repeating themselves in my head over and over, "I'm falling down a spiral, destination unknown.  Can't get no connection, can't get through".  At times it is wrong to play every hand, but without thinking I was and there was no turning back.  I was hell bent on some kind of sizable win.  The emotions, frustrations and those well known 'I Want It'(s) were building up inside of me.

NOTE:  Bear in mind while all this is going on, I am a heavier Bankers side person then Players side. And I also love that equalization and the last four hands that drained my win money, really messed with me. Bear that in mind so you understand where I'm coming from at this point.  The win was taken away from me just as fast as I won it. 

So the buy-ins were completed for the other two gentleman and I am back using the last of my win money and some of my original buy-in is back at risk.  We quickly discussed P or B wagers. We all agreed on P once again. At this point if we lost, I highly doubt we would have jumped on the B that was forming. We all been there and done that way too many times!  Playing for something to happen and changing up and jumping on something different after losing numerous hands, such as we just did almost always is the path to greater loss almost every time. 

The other guy that bet on B three times with a small wager, pushes out a large wager greater than 5K on the B now. We are all wagering between 2K and 5K on P once again. We return a natural and win. Smiles and high-fives start once again. The three of us are now once again on the P and the other guy is at table max and throws it on the P instead of the B.  So now all four of us are in concert and on the P. 

Another few people quickly come over from the other tables and wagers are placed on both P and B by them.  We get the cards and we have two face cards and the banker turns over a black jack. Our third card is a 10 and we're sitting with a total of a miserable zero. The banker gets its third card and the guy is turning it and turning and turning it and finally peels it back and flops over a 9 and we got our first tie hand. LOL! 

So now after the tie, I dedicated myself to $225 a hand on some side bets which was going to be $100 on the Fortune 7 and $100 on the Golden 8 which is also known as the Panda 8 and $25 on the Blazing 7s which is either a three card seven tie for both sides for 200:1 or a two card seven tie for both sides for 50:1.

NOTE:  I want to stress how I was feeling for the experienced players that read these threads. What was running through my mind, extremely consciously was hit and run and I was kind of passed that point, but also was this one of those elusive great shoes that I can really rack up six figures plus?  I've done it in the past although not common, but can happen especially with the $10,000 table max limits. There was good camaraderie and that is a key point for myself to really stack up the wagers.  What happened earlier before things turned around, whereas I gave back everything I won plus I was using my original buy-in a second time, was really haunting me. 

FOR REFERENCE WE ARE AT:

P-P-P-B-B-B-B-P-T

Now, we all stacked it up with the win and had a total positive progression on the P side.  We got the cards and had a total of 6. The B returns less than a 6 (my notes are messed up I can't read what they had) and gets its third card. The guy peaks at it who's wagering on B and quickly turned over face card after seeing the black line I guess. Again we all high five and are verbally boasting ourselves and the P side.

We all have extremely heavy bets on the P side. Two people had small bets on the B side I think one had $75 and the other one had $100. The guy next to me, that had table max was asking the two people to pull their bets down and he placed a black chip at each one on the rail side to cover them, if the banker won and we lost. He didn't want their money up on the banker for them to handle the cards and they both agreed. Pure superstition but it is all good. 

We noticed the music once again overhead and it is Rod Stewart with that song, Da Ya Think I'm Sexy begins.  We got our cards and the guy flipped over two 10s after much ado thinking one was a 9 or they both were. The dealer flips over an ace and a 5 for the B.  We get the third card for the P and the guy is working it and says it's a three line card when he looks at it horizontally. We all have money on the Fortune 7 and the Golden 8.  Although if it was a 6, it would've cost us all our side bets probably but the bank would have had to draw to see if it was a tie or possibly a bank win with another Ace, 2 or 3.  Anyway he turns it vertically and says, it's a 7 or an 8 and of course we want that snowman for the P side to win plus a Golden 8 win.  This is no exaggeration; I'm telling you the guy starts singing, come on sugar let me know, come on honey tell me so, just let me know, just reach out and touch me and his wife is behind him hugging him and singing along with the music. The guy still has the card face down, but we all know it's a snowman. The guy  reaches over and grabs the $75 and $100 the other were going to bet on B, along with his two black chips and throws it up to the dealer and says that's for you. Guy slams down the snowman and says, "do you think that snowman is sexy"?  We're all happier than a pig in poo!  $2.500.00 plus the P base wager won.  The game is getting real! 


















***NOT FINISHED YET***






>>>STILL TYPING—NOT FINISHED<<<

Link to article.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/foreign-syndicate-taiwan-malaysia-baccarat-formula-mbs-casino-3938776

Best Wishes to all on my forum here, members that contribute, those that continuously browse and all the people coming on to read without signing-up as well!

Happy Thanksgiving 2023! 

Alrelax
Administrator and Forum Owner

I wish to spell it out.  Plain, simple and clear.

There is to be NO posting Links or Advertisement(s) of anything/any kind on my forum without the following:

1). You contact me and you are verified and certified through myself;

2). You become a sponsor of my forum;

3). The links and/or advertisements are verified and certified by myself as well.

If you are legit, responsible and care about your fellow forum member/potential customers, you would have zero problem with this.

If you post without contacting me the way many attempt with links and advertisements, I will immediately delete them and ban you in several ways.

This is my policy and it is never going to change.

I am open to sponsors and sponsorships if you wish to venture down that road.  So, that leaves out all the spammers, phishers, scamsters, drama link posters, etc., etc., etc.

Sincerely,
Alrelax
Administrator and Forum Owner

The following will be a continuing series of posting.

Long and hard research here. Analyzing countless past play with why I did what I did, textbook study and a lot more. Now I will start this thread with the goal to allow you to change your response to what you cannot control, which is the presentments of the shoe.  But you can allow yourself to grow stronger and understand your decision making, which affects your buy-in, bankroll and producing a higher profit.

Know what is really happening at the game of baccarat, relying on your experience; is it a negative advantage? But truly using interpretation can be to your advantage.  You must know what the differences are and how they both affect the decision making process. 

Sit down and seriously measure yourself against your wins, losses and the decisions you made with the reasons you did. Interpretation of your experience is what will clearly give you real advantage with your decision making process in the game of baccarat. 

Interpretation occurs as the result of a combination of several factors. The mind has an automatic tendency to interpret an experience and create a story/a fallacy about it based on your memory, past realizations, and situations you have encountered yourself or with others when you were present. Your mind then selectively gathers data from within the experience(s) to support its interpretation. It may seem to you that your mind is simply trying to figure out your experiences, but really it's screening for evidence to support the decisions you are making from your story it is clinging to. However, your story is delusion because your mind is being clouded by extremely strong emotions brought on positively or negatively with each hand presented from the shoe.

Therefore, a crucial skill for minimizing emotional chaos and sustaining clarity in your baccarat game is the ability to distinguish between your experiences and your interpretation of your experiences. Your experiences are simply whatever is happening at the moment; the hand, the wager won or lost, the camaraderie, high-fives or fist bumps, the long faces and the banged chips against the table, etc. etc.

Your interpretation is your minds reaction to those  experiences. One way to understand this difference is to picture that when you are directly experiencing a moment similar and you are within it. When you are truly interpreting it, you will put yourself outside of it and give yourself a true advantage.

You must become committed to a particular and interpretation regime to the point that it becomes a habit, a story that you repeat in related circumstances. For example, your interpretation generated by your reactive mind usually will become your primary experience which will usually be opposed to whatever is actually happening in the game of baccarat that needs your full attention and be considered advantaged response. Then what normally happens is we continue on with the shoe, but our attention is split and far less than complete. That causes us to allow frustration, emotion and disarray to sit in fast which will add poor decision making forcing us to revert back to our experiences having no direct correlation to the shoe we are playing.

The shoe is not your battle ground! Your mind is your sole battle ground you face at the table. It is the place where the conflict resides, the place where we develop habits that put us in direct opposition with the reality of the shoe being played. It's where the things we figured would happen, never happen; or were the things we believed and desired to happen actually happen. But we fell prey to our own train of thought because of direct opposition with reality. Therefore, if we were right we tend to repeat and we all know the game of baccarat will never repeat itself over and over the same way we want it to. And on the other hand, if we were wrong then we correct ourselves and the shoe reverts back to producing what we believed was wrong. 

That is what you call direct opposition with reality in the game of baccarat.

It is where our expectations get the best of us and we fall victim to our own trains of thought, again and again and again. It is our own fault within our own mind, not the shoes fault, or the shuffle, or the cut, or the other players wagering against us, or the dealer, etc. etc.

Truth be told, in the game Baccarat we will receive a unique set of unexpected and unknown limitations and variables within a shoe. The advantaged question is:  How will you think and respond to the hands being presented?  You can either focus on the lack thereof (experience), or empower yourself to play the game resourcefully with full and real advantage, making the very best of each outcome as it is presented (interpretation), even when it's hard to accept with a loss of your wager.

The bottom line here is, that you cannot control what is happening around you and with everything that has already been set. So you challenge yourself to control the way you respond to what is happening to straighten out those habitual, spiraling patterns of thinking that clearly the highest majority of all baccarat players engage in. But that is much easier said than done though, for all of us. Because it is hard to change the habits we engage in mostly at a subconscious level. But we can get better by bringing more awareness to what we are doing through our own experience and proper interpretation of such that will give us viable advantages with our decisions concerning wagering.

Will post again when I finish my next part.

The questions are tough, the questions are ones that most never find the answers to, never really want to deal with, or ones that are quickly dismissed as unanswerable.  But they MUST be!

I desperately struggled for years to engage into finding answers and just thinking about it stressed me out countless times. So I simply avoided the questions and the soul-searching it demanded of me. Until............Recently.

The tangled and the misunderstood realm of the game entered my mind and remained in the forefront at the end of every single session I played. The presentments, the shuffle, the dealer, the amount won or given back, the published and written Q's & A's and stories. All ran through my head on the way out of the casino after each session.

Think about it. The shoe produces presentments that fall within the sphere, the domain within which anything and everything can occur, prevail, sometimes dominates the field, or fails to produce anything recognizable. Other times the presentments are totally recognizable and they match our beliefs, desires and decisions spot on, sometimes even allowing us to win like 7 or 8 times out of 10 leading us to fantastic wins. 

And with that said, onward with what this is really about, decisions and making them while winning.  How would it have been great if we previously left? Think about it, sure we are after anything to protect our buy in and a small or smallish win.  But IMO and experience, the greatest wins and 'great' sessions come after an 'up and down' of my buy in.  Which means, a drawdown of my buy in, evening out and getting a little bit ahead, once even twice, like being on a roller coaster ride. 

Larger wins take a climb, meaning a bit back-and-forth, winning, losing, pushing back-and-forth, etc. Parlay and positive progression wagering really boosts the person's chip stacks, visually and physically which will definitely assist in relieving the person's emotional downturn and stress factor, making it easier for clearer and more focused decision making.  It does for myself every time I get within the event of a nice ongoing winning session. 

IMO there is no magic percentile when to stop or continue play when you are winning. But one thing for 100% certain, if you stop, you cannot win more. And the more you win the more you want to continue playing. I don't care who you are, that applies to each one of us.

One example comes to mind that happened to myself not long ago. I arrived at my regular casino and no one was playing and one of my absolute favorite dealers was sitting there bored to death. We engaged in some quick small talk and I was gonna go get something to eat and kill an hour or so and come back. Anyway I took out only $100 from my buy in risk capital I brought and I laid it out on the table. She said, 'WHAT'?  I said, one hand be nice, just checking you out before the real play when I come back from eating. I put $80 on the banker and $20 on the fortune 7. She gave me a fortune 7 for an $800 win. I played a few more hands, and I won most of them. Not many hands later she gives me a second Fortune seven. A few people sat down at that time. By the end of the shoe I had over a $2,000 profit, got up to well over $3,000 and gave back about $1,000. She is telling me to take it and leave. Not a bad return on the next to nothing investment of my only $100 buy in.

But I felt something and not just because I had a huge return on my $100. So into the following shoe, I reached well over $8,000 of win money and I called it quits once I drop down to $7,000 of pure win. All of it off that next to nothing $100 buy in. 

And I remember her, seriously telling me to take the money and leave when I was at the $2,000-$3,000 mark. Thinking back on that, at least twice I almost did, but the ups and downs were quick and I stalled out at that $1,800-$2,000 mark and again at $2,900-$3,300 mark as well. Then I took off again with winning most all parlays and positive progressions for 1-2 or 3 hands and losing only those when I backed down to my base unit wagers.

So if I left with say $2,500 I never would have reached the $7,000 to $8,000;mark. I was basically doing a 1/3 risk of what I was winning once I reached the $3,000 level which I have written about countless times in my money management method, that I normally use.

Here are three quick examples of what I am talking about here actually was applied and gave me clear advantages.

1)


2)


3)



NOTE:  Reference #3.  I have several pictures of the scoreboard and will post them.

So many believe it is an easy decision to make. I guess it depends on your experience, outlook, desires and goals. For myself, I love the point of working my drawdown, getting a bit of profit, working that into my money management method and looking for the 'takeoff'. And for me that is where the money is really at. At least it is for myself and most of the people that I play with at the casinos. Buy in safe-a but of profit. But I do know playing on all win/won money is what I strive for.  But, it gets confusing at times. How much longer to quit, risk the win money further, leave even if winning fails to continue, etc., etc.

So many repeatedly write/say on the forums, win 1 to 3 units and leave. Lose 3 to 5 units and stop. I can't fathom that and I don't play that way. I don't have those kind of win stop, loss stop rules. I can never see making anything substantial if you play like that. Maybe I'm wrong? However mine are like so many. They want to win sizable amounts and I do, quite often. My loss stop is my buy in money. My buy in is my risk capital for the session. My win stop is unclear without definitive numbers. Once I takeoff, if I do, I govern myself by my 1/3rd, 1/3rd, 1/3rd Money Management Method.  Which works like a rock-solid rule manuscript maintaining success or having further profitability 1,000,000% of the time!

It works extremely well and I know it does, because I have no regrets if I was winning nicely, then gave back 1/3rd win and continued my play with my second 1/3rd of my win as my playing money. If I took off again, great, that is what my 1/3rd sectors are designed to do. If I lost a 1/3rd sector and struggling with my second 1/3rd sector, I am normally done. I have my buy in plus 1/3rd to 2/3rds of my win.  Cash out, leave, done and that emotional, 'I shoulda and coulda' doesn't exist!!!

So many win and see their session as unprecedented and a labored win they so rightfully deserved. They get into a zone, tuning everything out and become their own worst enemy most every single time they win or when the wins are happening for them. But they have nothing to govern themselves with.

It is easier said than accomplished at the table, but the only way to really excel is to focus, be extremely conscious and forget the past and what the shoe has produced or failed to produce in the past hands. Wager with the shoe's presentments and do not wager for your own desires as to what the shoe should produce or what your desires are. 

We talk about it all the time, especially with the ones we actually gamble with. The questions go something like; "How long do you play" or "If you are winning how long do you stay" or "If you are losing, how long will you attempt to come back" or "If you keep winning do you just up and leave at a certain point". And so on and so forth.

Tough, real tough if you soul search. By theory, so simple. If you are winning and start to lose, leave. If you were losing and can't get above your buy in or your buy in is depleting, leave.  But, it is not easy because we all know the presentments can certainly match our decisions and blast us into the positive if we were losing, or if we were winning, can blast us even further ahead. 

There are no easy, simple answers and never will be. However, you will wish you left much more than staying when losing. Because you experience the loss of your funds if you lose them. However, if you win/won or broke even and left, you probably will not really know what would have happened to really come about with a definitive conclusion. 

The 4 things I found that give me advantages into my play.

1). DO NOT ATTEMPT/LIVE to beat the game/session.  You can't and will never do it!  I promise you that;

2). TRULY UNDERSTAND what you are up against;

3). CALM AND PATIENT.  Hard as heck to do with losses, but you must.  Don't dwell and don't have the mind frame to recover and win something; 

4). UNDERSTAND AND REMAIN CONSCIOUS of the following.  Anything and everything can happen in no particular order or protocol whatsoever. 

Well back in Atlantic City prior to the close of the Atlantic City Hilton (previously was Bally's Grand) our casino hosts used to walk around and hand these out for extras, besides all the comp they arranged, etc. 

Sure we had promo chips, which were always play until you lose, unlike todays, one time use style.

We used these primarily at the gift shop or restaurants when we didn't want to get a hold of a host or we could give them to our non-comped friends.  They were valid for any bearer. 

Like I said, unlike today!

Recognizing Suspicious Activity - Red Flags for Casinos and Card Clubs

PDF
fin-2008-g007.pdf    85.46 KB
FIN-2008-G007
Issued Date
August 01, 2008
Guidance Subject:  Recognizing Suspicious Activity - Red Flags for Casinos and Card Clubs

This guidance is intended to assist casinos and card clubs1 with the reporting of suspected money laundering, terrorist financing and related financial crimes. This guidance contains examples of circumstances or "red flags" - based on actual reports, the observations of examiners and the experience of law enforcement - that may indicate the presence of money laundering, terrorist financing, and related financial crimes.

Casinos that are subject to the federal Bank Secrecy Act ("BSA") have an obligation to implement anti-money laundering programs that include procedures for detecting and reporting suspicious transactions.

Casinos are required to implement risk-based anti-money laundering programs that assist with the identification and reporting of suspicious transactions, including employee training and written procedures on recognizing and addressing indicia of suspicious activity and vulnerabilities that may arise in the provision of particular products and services.

Recognizing Suspicious Customer Activity

Casino employees who monitor customer gaming activity or conduct transactions with customers are in a unique position to recognize transactions and activities that appear to have no legitimate purpose, are not usual for a specific player or type of players, or are not consistent with transactions involving wagering. Many casinos routinely obtain a great deal of information about their customers through deposit, credit, check cashing, player rating and slot club accounts. These accounts generally require casinos to obtain basic identification information about the accountholders and to inquire into the kinds of wagering activities in which the customer is likely to engage. Attempts to Evade BSA Reporting or Recordkeeping Requirements

Be alert to customers who try to keep their transactions just below the reporting or recordkeeping thresholds, such as:

Two or more customers each purchase chips with currency in amounts between $3,000 and $10,000, engage in minimal gaming, combine the chips (totaling in excess of $10,000), and one of them redeems the chips for a casino check.

A customer seeks to cash out chips, tickets or tokens in excess of $10,000, but when asked for identification for completing a CTRC, reduces the amount of chips or tokens to be cashed out to less than $10,000.

A customer pays off a large credit debt, such as markers or bad checks, of more than $20,000 over a short period of time (e.g., less than one week), through a series of currency transactions, none of which exceeds $10,000 in a gaming day.

A customer receives a race book or sports pool payout in excess of $10,000 and requests currency of less than $10,000 and the balance paid in chips. The customer then goes to the cage and redeems the remaining chips for currency in an amount that is less than the CTRC reporting threshold.

A customer, who is a big winner, enlists another individual (who is not a partner of the customer in the gaming activity), to cash out a portion of the chips or tokens won to avoid the filing of a CTRC, IRS Form W-2G or other tax forms.

A customer attempts to influence, bribe, corrupt, or conspire with an employee not to file CTRCs.

Using a Cage Solely for Its Banking-Like Financial Services
Be alert to customer activity involving unusual banking-like transactions at the cage, such as:

A customer wires funds derived from non-gaming proceeds, to or through a bank and/or a non-bank financial institution(s) located in a country that is not his/her residence or place of business.

A customer appears to use a casino account primarily as a temporary repository for funds by making frequent deposits into the account and, within a short period of time (e.g., one to two days), requests money transfers of all but a token amount to domestic or foreign-based bank accounts.

Minimal Gaming Activities Without Reasonable Explanations

Be alert to customers conducting large transactions on the floor with little or no related gaming activity and without reasonable explanation, such as:

A customer purchases a large amount of chips with currency at a table, engages in minimal gaming, and then redeems the chips for a casino check.

A customer draws casino markers (e.g., between $5,000 and $10,000) which he/she uses to purchase chips, engages in minimal or no gaming activity, and then pays off the markers in currency and subsequently redeems the chips for a casino check.

A customer makes a large deposit using numerous small denomination bills (e.g., $5s, $10s and $20s); and withdraws it in chips at a table game, engages in minimal gaming, and exchanges remaining chips at a cage for large denomination bills (e.g., $100), a casino check or a money transfer.

While reviewing computerized player rating records, an employee determines that a customer frequently purchases chips with currency between $5,000 and $10,000, engages in minimal gaming, and walks away with the chips.

A customer using a slot club account card inserts $2,990 of paper money (or an amount just below established thresholds) into a bill acceptor on a slot machine or video lottery terminal (e.g., contemporaneously inserting $5s, $10s and $20s), accumulating credits with minimal or no gaming activity, presses the "cash out" button to obtain a ticket. The customer goes to three other machines and conducts the same activity for $2,990 at each machine. Then the customer redeems the tickets for large denomination bills or casino checks with different cage cashiers at different times in a gaming day.

A customer transfers funds to a casino for deposit into a front money account in excess of $5,000; and withdraws it in chips at a table game, engages in minimal or no gaming activity, and exchanges remaining chips at a cage for a casino check.

Unusual Transaction Characteristics or Activities
Be alert to transactions with any unusual characteristics, such as:

A pair of bettors frequently cover between them both sides of an even bet, such as:
- Betting both "red and black" or "odd and even" on roulette;
- Betting both with and against the bank in baccarat/mini-baccarat; or
- Betting the "pass line" or "come line" and the "don't pass line" or "don't come line" in craps; and,
the aggregate amount of both bettors' total wagering is in excess of $5,000.

A customer routinely bets both sides of the same line for sporting events (i.e., betting both teams to win) and thus the amount of overall loss to the customer is minimal (known as hedging).

A customer requests the issuance of casino checks, each less than $3,000, which are made payable to third parties or checks without a specified payee.

A customer furnishes a legitimate type of identification document, in connection with the completion of a CTRC, or the opening of a deposit, credit or check cashing account, which:
- Does not match the customer's appearance (e.g., different age, height, eye color, sex); or
- Is false or altered (e.g., address changed, photograph substituted).

A customer presents information for the completion of CTRCs for different gaming days that contains conflicting identification information, such as:
- Different address or different spelling or numeration in address;
- Different state driver's license number; or
- Different social security number.

A customer makes large deposits or pays off large markers with multiple instruments (e.g., cashier's checks, money orders, traveler's checks, or foreign drafts) in amounts of less than $3,000.

A customer withdraws a large amount of funds (e.g., $30,000 or more) from a deposit account and requests that multiple casino checks be issued each of which is less than $10,000.

A customer arranges large money transfers out of the country which are paid for by multiple cashier's checks from different financial institutions in amounts under $10,000.

Criminal Activities
Be alert to a customer conducting illegal activity, such as:

A customer conducts transactions that the casino believes to be the result of some illegal activity or from an illegal source (e.g., narcotics trafficking).

A customer or a group of individuals forge signatures or use counterfeit business or personal checks to obtain currency, chips or tokens.

Questions or comments regarding the contents of this Guidance should be addressed to the FinCEN Regulatory Helpline at 800-949-2732.

1 See 31 U.S.C. § 5312(a)(2)(X) and 31 C.F.R. § 103.11(n)(5)(i) and (n)(6)(i). In this guidance, the term "casino" is used to refer to casinos, card clubs and other gaming establishments that fall within the BSA and FinCEN's regulations, unless otherwise noted.

Financial Institution
Casinos

OMG!  I received this gift yesterday.  Absolute Beauty with its Leather Binder.  Brand new! Gold Gilted Pages!  Silk Marker Strap!

The Special Edition Of:
THE BACCARAT CASE

FROM: The Notable Trials Library

This edition was published in 1992.  Originally published in 1933. 

This Special Edition has a introduction by the very well know, Alan M Dershowitz, Esq. 

The Baccarat Case is about A British Nobleman and close friend of the Prince of Wales that had cheated at baccarat.  The trial in the law courts, Queens Bench Division of London during 1891 about playing Baccarat the year before in 1890. It is about slander of William Gordon-Cumming against Mrs. Arthur Wilson and others.

Going to be a great read of historic legal history involving baccarat.  A nice addition to my book collection!

Nothing to beat the house ITLR.

OK let's admit it. That statement is correct. Frequently written, frequently sided, frequently argued about.

Books, systems sellers, forums, etc. Plenty of written material out there. Tons and tons of promises, guarantees, sworn by reviews and so on. There are a handful of good basic books no doubt, but deciphering through what's available to find those is kinda like draining the swamp to see what will benefit you.

In my opinion and that of others I respect, admire and know are experienced and serious players, is the following. There is no secret, magical, developed, mathematical or scientific protocol-formula or procedures for winning at any casino game that will guarantee wins each and every time you sit down by employing them.  Period! 

With that said here are just a few of what a random search of casino gaming books provided from the dust covers, by the authors or a customer review from a 'verified purchase'.

FIRST ONE I READ:  "I am not going to claim you can win every time but reading this book allowed me to win $987.00 starting with only $100 after reading the book. The next time I made $375.00 starting with only $50.  So over three days I made over $1,300.00.  Simply because I followed what the book said that I paid only $29.00 for!"

NEXT ONE:  "The book I just mentioned is how to control the dice so you can hold them on average 15 to 20 minutes every time you step up to the table. Sometimes you can hold them for 45 minutes. You learn how to set, grip and throw to get predetermined numbers."

NEXT ONE:  "The power betting strategy pays for the book thousands and thousands of times over and over. No questions about that."

NEXT ONE:  "This fast reading best seller is updated to show beginning and intermediate players how to beat the casino at all the popular games including the latest slot machines."

NEXT ONE:  "I'm selling my secrets for under $100 because I care about my fellow player, I dislike the casino that takes most all players hard earned money. There's no doubt about it you will win large amounts of money with my system."

Now with the above said, with passion-purpose and experience you most certainly can profit from table games within the casino. But it is never going to be by reading a simple book or following a system you purchased with all kind of enticing promises and so-called 'proven results'. Never ever, seriously.

How do people survive writing and publishing worthless books, systems and related information? Because of money. People will buy them and believe in the written promises as proven, real, and so called 'proven' ways to get over on the casino as factual, researched and luckily made available. 

But in true reality most all of the information, systems and conversions of data and techniques and of course, the 'deciphering of statistical results' are wrong. Their promises of what most everyone of them publish is more than obnoxious, it is offensive and wrong. Especially for playing sessions at a casino consisting of anywhere from 1 to say 8 shoes each time.

Of course the carelessness and neglect of the consumer comes into play.  Which are all the people that believe it is math and statistical technique applied to any game, which will allow them to profit thousands and thousands of dollars with the easy winnings just waiting for them.

Bottom line. This sensationalized information turned into 'How to beat the casino' or 'How to win easy money', etc. etc., are coming from authors that are well aware their material can never be the definitive protocol to consistent, easy, repetitive and for sure winning sessions.  Never ever.  Period. 

Those making the type of statement and promises, "read my book or follow my system" and "you will make easy money, guaranteed wins, beat the game" and so on, are all inappropriate and unprofessional in every way whatsoever.

Baccarat.  Our wagering decisions are frequently and enormously fueled by lies from others as well as our own beliefs that most would be better off without.

To understand how to win, what might happen and how presentments probably will not-but might follow something; you will never find definitive answers to.  Baccarat is unlike all the scholastic, mechanical and technical/industrial teachings, the way we were/are taught-instructed, whereupon there is a definitive solution for most every situation or problem.

Coupled with, "I have won previously by wagering so-and-so after such and such", or the event of "XYZ almost always appears and it has not yet", etc. Those are powerful subconscious things that do influence most all players at the baccarat table. Every single time.

There are basically three modes of wagering at the table. 1)  Your decision based on what you believe;  2) Follow others because they are winning or seem to be in the groove; 3)  Sit and watch.

Let's look at those three modes.

1)  When it works it's great. Adds win money, adds emotional positiveness and confidence. However, our beliefs, which you must realize, are well less than 50% in most every session that will come about and we can capitalize off of. And that is the key, see explanation below. (#1 Explained)

2)  Usually works for one or two wagers, but the absolute highest percentile of time fails after those and your frustration level will be compounded with large amounts of, "why in the F*** did I do that?".

3)  If hands develop and win that you picked, you will become frustrated and add to a larger clouded judgment you already had.

#1 Explained.  I will state that in all the years I have played, my wins are most certainly less than 50% of my wagering. Not one doubt about it. That is why flat betting will never prevail in the highest of the high percentile grouped any way you care to analyze it. Positive Progressions will add advantages and fuel to your play if you know how to develop and apply a Money Management Method that works in your favor and to your advantage when you win.

And of course we attempt to duplicate our wins with reasonings. Such as equalization, naturals cut or stick, ties cut or stick, chop chop, etc. etc. And if we start to win numerous Wagers (more details at: https://betselection.cc/index.php?topic=11605.0), we open ourselves up for, "I knew it-I found it-It's going to happen again without a doubt", and those types of self promoting statements. And most mistakes are made if flat betting again after initial wins—then it happens and you win again, so you are further convinced the parlay and use progressiveness should be employed but the highest majority of all times, it falls off and you lost the wager. Of course because you convinced yourself you found it and were right, etc., you wager once again with progressiveness on the same and another loss amounts. And that becomes the typical, "I gave it all back and I lost my win money as well as my buy-in money scenario.

There are so many false hoods and so many lies that are either published, sold as systems, talked about with great drama on forums  or sold in books, that it is pitiful. Take all the statistics you want. Attempt to deduce those down to one or two or three or four or five shoes and the odds of being able to win the wagers preached, session after session after session are so totally in favor of the casino, I hate to think about it. 

Sure, whatever you are believing in by using some kind of statistics might occur, but it will not under any circumstance, be consistent and repetitive shoe after shoe or at any time within a session continuously, session after session after session. And the few times it works gives you such fuel and motivation to continue the attempt, if you don't wind up continuously losing your buy-in risk capital, you put huge amounts of strain and unnecessary risk on your buy-in and/or previously won profits.

Here's what happened.  At the Baccarat table.  We were all winning (our group of 5), mostly playing together for a couple of shoes.  Full table with plenty playing over our shoulders.  All spaces have 3 spots, one seated and the other 2 standing.  Anyways, like I said we were all winning.  Dealer change and we were working on 3 Winning Bankers hands and the dealer gets tapped out.  New dealer, we all look at each other and mouth the word 'Players'.  (For some unexplained reasoning, most of the time it does fall off or cut from Bankers with the new dealer coming in.  Why?  No reasonable explanation, but it certainly does.)   

A second look at each other and we are all at table max wagers, we mouth the word Bankers.  Okay, we are all on the Bankers.  Players return a Natural 8 and I say, "Houston, we got a problem".  Then the Bankers return a Natural 9. 

The 5 of us get paid, color up and walk away.  We cash out and decide to go off property to get dinner.  Once at the restaurant and seated at the table the others look at me and say, "Houston, we got a problem".  Laughs and high fives.  Good times.  So I say, let's all name as many famous movie quotes and whom they are from within 5 minutes each without stalling and the winner, second and third runner up pays nothing for dinner and drinks.  The other two pay the entire bill.  We all agree.  We all had steaks or seafood and the drinks included cognac, brandies and other premium types.  The bill is always over $100.00 each.

I got second place and here are mine.

Batman:  "I'm not going to kill you.  I want you to do me a favor.  I want you to tell all your friends about me"

Superman:  "I'm here to fight for truth and justice"

Clint Eastwood:  "But being as this is a . 44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?"

Al Pacino:  "Say hello to my little friend"

Clark Gable:  "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn"

Judy Garland:  "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore"

Strother Martin:  "What we have here is a failure to communicate"

Robert Duvall:  "I love the smell of Napalm in the morning"

Pat Welsh:  "E.T. phone home"

Sean Connery:  "Bond.  James Bond"

Cuba Gooding, Jr.:  "Show me the money!"

Jack Nicholson:  "You can't handle the truth"

Alfonso Bedoya:  "Badges?  We ain't got no badges!  We don't have to show you any stinking badges!"

Arnold Schwarzenegger:  "I'll be back"

Tom Hanks:  "Houston, we have a problem"

Sylvester Stallone:  "Yo, Adrian"

Tom Cruise:  "I feel the need for speed"

Those were my 17.  Other guy got 22.  Someone jotted down mine and I copied it last night. 

One for the books.   

From my heart and soul. Winning is everything, but you must handle it with complete consciousness. Most all will shrug off everything I'm saying here and lose not only their winnings each time, but continuously their buy-in amounts.

Winning is nice, of course. But winning is what leads to danger in the game. Without a doubt, the number one largest cause of immediate and aggressive losses. Newbies will never understand so just skip the article because it will probably only confuse you.

Yes, without any doubt whatsoever, without winning there would be zero reason to play. With that admitted, said and laid out, read on if you want to learn.

1). Winning feeds large amounts of positive emotions into the player.  Most have no idea how to handle the influx of winning within a shoe or at the end of it. 

2). Winning tends to override all plans, guidelines and paths all players believe they have and plan to play by.

3.  Winning alters thought.

4.  Winning fuels additional play which is almost always based upon emotions and hype.

Winning convinces most all, that whatever came about allowing the win or wins, will continue or will be repetitive within the shoe. And most of the time it was probably a coincidence. Hard to decipher at the table, I agree, but factually and statistically true beyond a reasonable doubt.

So many players, both new ones as well as experienced, never recognize the concurrence and casual connections between their reasonings and the appearing outcomes from the shoe with winning hands. Sure there might be a few that were absolutely planned, but the majority of them were not at least how they came about. If you care to admit it, you're honest.  Those that link the concurrence and label it factual and statistical are dead wrong and causes great future losses trying to be repetitive with those. 

Would've-Could've-Should've. We have all been there, honestly. No purpose served, only adding frustration and bad emotions every single time. Reference what is coming out of the shoe, the total additions and/or reductions to each hand, how long the same trend lasts, how a series of hands were formed, etc. etc. etc., the list is long and that is what I mean, Would've-Could've-Should've, frustrating yourself into another world.  Especially after a series of wins.

The win is extremely powerful and absolutely convincing to the person playing. And without even knowing it, that is what changed your mind, thought process and will cause you to give it back and begin the ugly chase to regain it. That is exactly what happens the highest majority of all times with players capitalizing nicely during a shoe.

***Because winning is the most influential event of the game. Nothing else compares. Huge psychological subconscious and some conscious beliefs are immediately formed from winning. Be careful.  Those beliefs normally take over and altar most all players thoughts, don't be one of them.

We normally follow what has won us something. Naturally we don't follow or wager on what has lost us money. However, we tend to forget about the 'change up', that so frequently happens. When you win, stop a second and think about what I just said, consciousness and not following only what has just caused the win. 

How are you engage or disengage is the key and because there are no written protocols, that will always work in your favor, remember that. Wins and further wins are capitalized on by being able to continue and stay in the groove, knowing how to cope with drawdown and using win money as capital, will work in your favor. Allowing win money to alter your emotions, clarity and picture will force you to give it all back and jeopardize your buy-in aggressively.

***Unfortunately, expectations and characteristics of what has happened, as well as what has not yet happened with the shoe are usually the largest factors most players allow to govern their play. Reread that and hopefully you'll understand it.

Unfortunately wins are not a clear path to additional wins, what so many truly believe each and every session. It is because those very same things that caused the win, do not and will not at work other times. And unfortunately any way you slice it, the reasoning to your wins work less when you tally the characteristics of them up.  Hence, is why I say, win and give it back and chase for the loss.

Understand winning and how it comes, why it came, why it doesn't and most of all, how to apply it to your Money Management Method.

How you engage or disengage with the winning process is the absolute key.

The table was almost full, there was a pure chop chop happening.  Probably about 7 or 8 hands and it was about 25 hands into the shoe.  Sat down, bought in.  Only one available seat next to a guy not many like at all.  He is pretty much a consistent players side bettor, the highest majority of the time.  Nothing wrong with that, but it is his constant obnoxious comments and actions that get under most other peoples skin that are playing.  For example, most people might be on the bankers side with plenty of black and purple chips or larger stacks of green, and he will be on the players  side with the table min to $75-$100 at most.

A typical hand would go something like, players first two card total 1 and bankers first two totals 3.  As the dealer is pulling a 3rd card for the player, he would certainly be saying out loud, 7 or 8–gimme 7 or 8, in sharp loud broken English. 

He is ALWAYS OBNOXIOUS, not one doubt about it!  He is S.E. Asian and talks extremely limited English, but recites numbers and select words well, the rest of his talk is always in S.E. Asian. 

Seriously, no real problem most all the time.  To each his own.  My personal way of acting is, unless I am on a side where everyone is on or I am the largest or darn close to being the largest bettor, I rather not say anything until the hand is over.  $4,000-$5,000-$6,000, etc., on one side collectively, then a sole person wagering &15-$25-$75 on the other side is perfectly acceptable, but why say something before the hand is over hoping everyone losses with considerably larger money than myself?  Compounded with extremely seldom does that guy wager with everyone on a sole side. 

Okay.  But the other night, like I said I believe everybody was on the bankers, several covering the Fortune 7 bet as well. It was 2s and 3s in the beginning 15 hands or so with maybe one single and then the chop chop when I came in, with a couple of ties. I believe there were seven maybe eight chops and a Banker when I bought in just appeared.  I put my bet on the bankers and several others did as well. Others went with the chop for the players side. It was a players, lost my first hand. Of course the guy laughed and talked  something I did not understand. Still no real problem, just normal.

The next hand he does not do anything. Most all go on the bankers because of the chop, a few did not bet. The guy does not wager. It was a Bankers, Still with a consistent chop chop. Now, the next hand. The guy wagers first and immediately starts his small talk; chop, continue, win-win, etc. Most do stay out. A few on the players side. Myself on the bankers and wagering on the fortune 7. The others have no Fortune 7 wager.

Players first two cards totaling 3, bankers first two cards totaling 2.  Mister Obnoxious stands halfway up and leans in a bit and says five, give me five card. Players get an ace. So naturally as the dealer is ready to pull the bankers card, Mister Obnoxious says, monkey monkey monkey coming out.  Okay, the song is definitely playing in my head, I don't know why I came here tonight. I got a feeling something ain't right. I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair.  I actually said those three lines out loud.  The dealer is holding it back, she is making eye contact with me because she knows how Mister Obnoxious operates. 

The dealer is about ready to bust out laughing but controls herself.  Now normally with anyone betting the opposite side, I don't call for cards.  Maybe if I am on the banker side and covering the Fortune 7 and the players having less than seven with the first two-three cards, I might call for a six or seven if the bankers have a zero or one and bankers are drawing their third card. 

But with things going the way it was, I just had to say, give me that 5, yes ma'am give me a 5 please. The dealer pulls the card and put it on its edge and she could see it before we see it and she quickly blinks at me and I can feel it in my heart that it was a five. As she blinked her eye, I immediately said, I got a feeling something ain't right (you know, from the song by Stealers Wheel) and just about everybody bust out laughing because they all got what was gonna to quickly happen except for Mister Obnoxious.

She flops the 5!  Fortune 7 time!  So I say very loud, there it is that 5 you called for, beautiful! And the guy went FRIGGIN Berserk!!! Oh my God, totally berserk. Loud, screaming, yelling and of course all in S.E. Asian. No one answered him, not one person. Dealer was holding it in, very obvious. It was one that I will not soon forget.

 

Found these earlier today stuffed into an old notebook I was going through. 

As most of you know, I was in New York/New Jersey for many years.  One of my primary and favorite properties of the 90's was Bally's Grand, later known as The Atlantic City Hilton Casino. 

Tons and Tons of memories of all kind!  Anyways, I was back there playing Thanksgiving week of 2008.  My host at the time comp'd me a seat in their private suite box  to go and enjoy the Philadelphia Eagles game.  Limo from Atlantic City as well of course.  Remember the casino's butlers from their private suite floor at the casino hotel also there, prepping and serving all kinds of catered in food and beverages.  On the back of my box ID, I wrote down Eagles 48 Cardinals 20.  McNabb threw 4 TDs as well.  It was a cool game, especially for the Eagles fans and it being the home field.  Great memories!

The second one is a 100.00 comp the executive hosts would hand out to use at their gift shop or elsewhere on the property.  Their gift shop had some pretty good stuff in it, unlike most these days.  We got pretty much anything we wanted, within reason, but the executive hosts would walk around and throw these 100.00 'use as you please' self comps on the tables to their players in the high limit room.  Usually 3, 4 or 5 of them at a time to their players.  Again, great memories!

It involves everything a casino must do and does concerning player buy-ins, cash outs, refusals to produce ID, CTRs and SARs, and much more.

The reason I am posting this is because the other night a guy won about $8,000.00 at the table. He bought in for at least $5,000.00 that I saw. He cashed out $7,500.00.  He returns to the table and plays a few hands. Grabs $5,000.00 in purple chips and goes back to the cage. Returns back to the table and I asked him why he didn't cash them out all at one time. Told me he didn't want a CTR created, so he cashed out well under $10,000.00 and the second time gave them $5,000.00 and will get a check in a few minutes for that. So he was smiling and said, he just avoided a CTR. I told him it does not matter he is still getting a CTR filed. Years ago correct, but not no more my friend. $7,500.00 cash and $5,000.00 check equals a $12,500.00 CTR. And probably an SAR for doing the split transaction as well. He told me I had no idea what I was talking about.  (And transactions are most certainly figured cumulatively based upon the casino's 'gaming day' by the financial compliance department, no matter what the clerk at the cage or VIP counter tells you)

Please note as so many argue about and cause drama on the forums, it all starts at $3,000.00 of transactions by the player.

If you click on the link you can read it all.

Here is a copy and paste of just one little section concerning the starting threshold of $3,000.00:

(9)

(i) A separate record containing a list of each transaction between the casino and its customers involving the following types of instruments having a face value of $3,000 or more:

(A) Personal checks (excluding instruments which evidence credit granted by a casino strictly for gaming, such as markers);

(B) Business checks (including casino checks);

(C) Official bank checks;

(D) Cashier's checks;

(E) Third-party checks;

(F) Promissory notes;

(G) Traveler's checks; and

(H) Money orders.

(ii) The list will contain the time, date, and amount of the transaction; the name and permanent address of the customer; the type of instrument; the name of the drawee or issuer of the instrument; all reference numbers (e.g., casino account number, personal check number, etc.); and the name or casino license number of the casino employee who conducted the transaction. Applicable transactions will be placed on the list in the chronological order in which they occur.


The Entire Act Referencing Casinos:

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-31/subtitle-B/chapter-X/part-1021

By the way, I have several letters from casinos with their inquiries to FinCIN with relation to bills-in (slots) as well as players cards (rating cards) and what is or should be considered a cash transaction. You will be amazed at the inquiries and protocols! I will post some interesting sections of those letters later today.

Research.  Be Creative.  Adapt.  Be Smart.
                            Win! 
      Learn What to do When You Win.

One of the paradoxes of creativity is that in order to think originally, we must first familiarize ourselves with the ideas of others. Thomas Edison put it this way, "Make it a habit to keep on the lookout for novel and interesting ideas that others may have used  successfully.  Your idea needs to be original only in its adaption to the problem you were working on." 

So understand what problems you face and why you face them, that is the research you must engage in to have a clear picture of what you need to adapt.  Adaption is a common and inescapable practice in creativity.

Here are 10 things you should be asking yourself and have answers to.

What else is like this?

What other ideas does this suggest?

Does the past offer a parallel?

What could I copy?

Whom could I emulate?

What idea could I incorporate?

What other process could be adapted?

What else could be adapted?

What different contexts can I put my concepts in?

What ideas outside my field can I incorporate?


Remember.  When you place things in different contexts and situations, your imagination can stimulate new ideas. 

The importance of remaining neutral.

It takes making decisions in the game of baccarat in order to wager.  Making decisions entails many things and so many players never really understand their own process they employ.  One of the most positive, supporting and clarifying things you can engage in for decision making in Baccarat, is neutralism.  And here is why.

First of all this is a very serious subject and one that I think everyone can benefit from, if you understand how and why you make your decisions.

The action is super influential at the table.  People winning, people losing, events happening while repeating and no one is on them, to continue, to stop, etc. And there you are, thinking you were the average and just trying to fit in while keeping to your own agenda.

The other day I was playing and there were all 1's and 2's. It went on for almost half the board approximately 35 to 40 hands. I sit down and as soon as I sat down there was five in a row Bankers with one fortune seven. Everybody else was wagering on the players side except for myself. Just one example.  After that, it went back to ones and twos, but eventually both sides got much stronger and everyone remained winning one or two, while losing several in a row because they were hell bent on the thought of the continuation of ones and twos. 

The other day I sit down and finish the shoe and with the brand new one that first started there was about 10 to 12 pure chop chops and I couldn't get it in my head to keep parlaying and moving my bet back and forth with the pure chop, especially in the beginning of the shoe. Coupled with the majority of the hands losing and wining by one point or one natural wining over the other opposite side having a natural as well. 

Approaching limits. To be limited and something else begins. Because there is certainly deviation in most all shoes and the majority of the times it is multiple deviations, not one or two or even three times.  So misunderstood with the exact ring of failing to believe in and practice, neutralism.

People in my opinion, confuse following and going against the shoe in a huge way. Reread that and understand that sentence.

To me, with the correct mindset, they are both the same way because I am ultimately following only presentments. I am not following a trend or a pattern until after it already happens and if I play that way the highest majority of the times I will not recover what I have already lost in the attempt.

Here is another one from the other day:

BPBPBPBP (then) BBBPPPPBBB (then) PBPBPPP

4 things or 2 things?  Think.  Hands 1-8 chop chop one thing.  Hands 9-17 repeating another thing.  Hands 18-21 another thing, chop again.  Hands 21-23 another thing, starting repeats again.  Or is it two things with hands 1-8 as well as hands 18-21 one thing, all chop chop?  And hands 9-17 as well as hands 21-23 and some after also one thing, repeating hands? 

Learn how and why what you believe the shoe should produce, because in my opinion too many feelings and desires influence most all wagering.

There is a message the scoreboard sends out. This is what has happened. Are you smart enough to wager on what will happen? And to most, that would be the opposite. In someways it is, but in so many ways it is not.

At the table almost always, others will be focused on issues and possibilities opposite what you believe and desire to occur. Something to be totally conscious of, is hitting one or two wagers and allowing that to influence your trend of thought. Remain neutral!  Your most prized possession for so many reasons you never even thought possible.

Neutralism

After much thought, strong reading, thinking, playing, looking back with total open mind, I have finally realized the ultra importance of true neutralism.

Get rid of all the preached bull stuff, ask and ask yourself honestly if you have viewed the occurring event(s) differently, meaning from an absolute neutral position, would it have been much more profitable to you?

Interactions between the results and yourself should be neutral in regards to visual and physical exhibits and feelings.  But usually at the baccarat table it is far from that.

A hand is a trait, consisting of a winning side and the losing side. The physical and behavioral characters so repeatedly affected by the hand must be unaffected. 

Neutrality is the independence for your knowledge and experience, shy of any fallacy and desire, to make judgments and/or facilitate decisions independent of any bias (Fallacy-desire-supposed to be's) which you go along with, emphasizing on the process rather than the outcome.

It is rare but somewhat possible. But implies tolerance regardless of how disagreeable, unusual a perspective might be or not be. So, in neutrality decision making you will be expected to make judgments that are independent of any bias whatsoever, emphasizing on the process rather than the outcome. Why? Because the outcome is forming, But first the presentments and continued presentments must be made. 

So in my opinion and extensive experience, it does best to get away from favoritism from sides and distinct tendency to act upon that favoritism. Why? Because favoritism will promote ignorance, huge bias, double thinking and the simple disability to follow presentments from the shoe no matter the order they are coming out. 

Ignorance, bias and double thinking will, the highest majority of times, not allow you to exhibit neutrality and when you do, most likely you will feel bias and choose not to act on it. A neutral person can be very well-informed and act upon his views with clear thoughts and positive financial thought without being bias into ignorance, decision bias and double thinking. It's that simple.

Therefore the difference of a person with and without neutrality is, that a neutral person can use information, sight and knowledge without being ignorant, not being biased causing double thinking and sway with a quality to his own unbiased thought process. 

NOTE:  Doublethinking.  Accepting both sides as correct. Equality. Viewing both sides equal.  No matter what, no deviation. 

Neutrality requires tolerance. No matter how disagreeable and/or unusual a bias might be presented.  Do not confuse this with a 15 or 18 hand streak of something.  I'm talking about before you get to that point in order to be able to recognize a presentment with its following event, that it just might turn into. 

You must remember, ingrain within yourself, it is the process rather than the outcome. Outcomes must be set aside while the presentments are occurring. They will get you nearly 90% plus of the times.

HIGHLIGHTED NOTE:  Notes, clipboards, stats, pen and paper, etc. etc., that is why it is permissible with notetaking at the Baccarat table!  BE CAREFUL OF THINKING.......'SHOOT, I CAN FIGURE THIS ALL OUT AND SET MY TRIGGERS JUST LIKE THOSE YOUTUBE VIDEOS SHOW', etc.

Neutrality is classically expected to make judgments independent of biases, counting on the process rather than the outcome. But baccarat confuses that. Simply because players confuse themselves. Some will tell you to wager with no bias, others will tell you to wager with bias on the 'deficient' or against the 'too many' for example. Both can be correct and both can be wrong. Often, the difference is incommensurable with no real factual way for pure measurement.  Think about it.

Incommensurable.  NOT ABLE TO BE JUDGED by the same standard as something. Having no common standard of measurement.  Plain English = What happens as a result of something one time, fails to do the same thing another time or several times in a row thereafter or sporadically, but might happen consecutively for a bit. 

Basically in the game Baccarat, commensurability is a concept of science (gambling) whereby theories would be commensurable and we could lay out and discuss those theories to determine almost 100% of the time which one is more valid and useful to be in the winning favor.  The one that won, right alongside the won that lost. 

However, in reality-factual 100% reality, theories in baccarat are incommensurable because all of the reasonings, counts, cards burned through, cards not burned through, events occurred and events not yet occurred, etc. etc., do not sufficiently overlap with any type of complete justification with conceptual framework. Another paragraph read it and understand it!

That is why the gossip and belief happens from empirical evidence favoring one theory over another and inventing the wagers that become muddled, confusing and the winning hands will go on by the way of unforeseen contexts and consequences.

Empirical evidence might be fine in epistemology and law, but in baccarat it should not be allowed at the table!  And it continuously happens over and over and over. 

And if you desire to understand epistemology go Wikipedia it.  Learn the sub fields that make up the theory of knowledge, such as philosophy, ethics, logic and metaphysics. Then, take your knowledge, belief, truth, justification and attempt to package them into a reliable process which will turn acquisitions into true belief which can in turn become a reliable positive process working in your favor while actually wagering on only assumption.

To myself, the value problem is vitally important to assessing the advocacy of theories of baccarat knowledge that are played, preached and talked about.

I go by the following. According to Jonathan Kvanig, an adequate account of knowledge should resist counter examples and allow an explanation of the value of knowledge over mere true belief. Should a theory of knowledge fail to do so, it would prove inadequate.

Knowledge is valuable, but usually used wrong at the baccarat table because knowledge at the Baccarat table is usually absent of all sorts, if not completely of neutralism. Instead, focus on understanding without perception and reason, while hovering afloat between the knower and the mental state of believing.

Think!  Seriously Think!

Success.  Not easy and if it is, it's not really success of any real type.  At least in my experiences anyway. 

Success in Baccarat, seriously not easy. But always trying to accomplish greater, quicker and better wins in new ways, same game.

I spend a lot of time, maybe you do too, thinking about greater profits from the game of baccarat. How can I get those additional profits? Then there are other times when I just think, it cannot get any better the cards are just too slick and as fast as I win it, it will go right back. Okay, a bit exaggerated but point made.

Sometimes I compare myself to others. At different times in a casino, out of the casino, while driving as well as watching TV. Not where I sit and dwell and become envious of anyone or proud I am not them, just a general 'think through' for various reasoning.

But I am what I am. It is what it is. I have the history, I do. I'm sure you do too. I try not to be locked into any certain idea, gambling or otherwise, unless it is working flawlessly. Few and far I admit, but nonetheless.

I don't think I ever said this before but I will put it into clear words. Handling stress and everything affiliated with it; pressure-anxiety-suffering-pain-worry-etc., etc., etc., is something like this.

I think stress is the ultimate feeling to master, tough tough tough. At leaves some people alone, but it hits most of us whether we create it or we subject ourselves to it, more than others. Stress is unrealistic, dismissive, demanding, cruel and certainly ways far in excess than a ton of bricks sitting on your shoulders.

In Baccarat, stress is watching your well-placed Wagers, hard earned money, risk capital buy-in funds, your chips that represent actual cash dollars that can certainly purchase all kinds of goods-services and fully pay bills outside the casino, go from your stack to your wagers to the dealers rack, hand after hand after hand.  That is pure unrelenting stress.

Stress is a gut wrenching, stabbing that radiates from your head, to your heart and right down into the pit of your stomach. Stress blurs your vision, dries your mouth out, stops your brain from a normal thinking process and disallows your hands and feet to remain perfectly still. Stress is strong and stress is uncontrollable to most all of us. Stress pushes us to the limit, as well as beyond the majority of the times when it sets in each of us.

Stress does not flee the body even with a few wins, or once you're to the even point, because stress is real and stress is not a light switch where anyone can really turn it off it will. If it was, it wouldn't be stress at all.

Stress, honestly I hate it. But it's a part of life because of various things I engage in, casino and otherwise. It's okay, my doing. I don't blame anybody. But I have to admit when I do lose my buy-in and risk capital, especially the larger sums, and others say; "better luck" as you were getting up, or "thanks for playing with us", or "don't worry there's always next time", etc., should really just keep quiet because their words are like pouring salt directly into an open wound in my opinion.

I know without stress, there is really no success.  And for myself, I would rather in so many ways talk to, go out to eat with and Q&A someone for hours, that knows the game and what stress really is. Why? Because in my opinion and experience, those people are by far more realistic, smarter and well ingrained with, 'life goes on-improve', type of personality and frame of mind rather than that, 'I'm better just follow me if you really want to win', type of person. 

Seriously.