The smaller baccarat table is in vogue these days
The Times They Are a-Changing
The elegant game of baccarat has become a popular game on the casino floor , and everyone must be aware of the advantages and pitfalls of a game with such a small house edge
By Bill Zender
To most North American casino customers , baccarat is considered an unusual gambling game . Many players compare baccarat to that more popular card game of blackjack . In blackjack , the customer plays against the dealer and has the option to make decisions on his hand such as hit , stand , double down , split , and then some .
The same blackjack customer who sits down on a baccarat game is somewhat dumbfounded with the lack of ability to participate in determining the outcome of the hand . Based on a standard “ third card ” rule , the dealer makes the decision to draw a card or stand . To many North American card players , this limitation makes the game somewhat unattractive .
In the past , a large portion of casino baccarat play in North American was attributed to customers from south of the border . Baccarat has been very popular with Latin American players from Mexico , Central America and South America .
Most of baccarat customers in Las Vegas during the ’ 70s and ’ 80s happened to be the wealthy class from Mexico — players out of Monterey and Mexico City , looking to vacation in Las Vegas and gamble at baccarat . Unfortunately , Latin gamblers started to diminish as the U . S . dollar got stronger and the Mexican peso suffered through periods of terrible inflation . Enter the 1990s and the Asian customer . Based on the Asian gambling psyche , baccarat is the perfect casino game . Once the cards are shuffled , cut and placed into the dealing shoe , Asian players feel their fate is “ sealed ” in the shoe . The lack of sequence-altering options , as experienced with blackjack , is perfect for what most Asians want in a gambling experience .
As Asian customers started to flood the baccarat games , many casinos rightfully refocused their marketing efforts to attract this type of gambler who is virtually “ hard-wired ” for monetary risk-taking . More baccarat games started to appear on the casino floor , replacing the previously revered blackjack games .
In addition , casinos were able to trade in those old 14-spot tables that required an extensive support staff . Asian customers preferred the smaller sitdown table , dealt by one dealer , and with a lot less “ bling ” and allure associated with the “ big table ” baccarat games .
44 Global Gaming Business SEPTEMBER 2022