Play Baccarat for the First Time

I stroll over to the Baccarat table.  I know I'm an outsider. The area is teaming with Asians buried in thick clouds of smoke.  This is their game.  They're minds are focused on watching the computer screens, recording the latest outcome on their scorecards and calculating whatever in the world they're calculating.  They know.  They understand. Or at least they look like they do.  The women.  They're veterans in this game.  They come to the tables with their designer bags and pull out bricks of money as if they were pullng out lipstick. They're so sure of their system, you're a fool not to follow their lead.

How hard can this game be.  It's a 50/50 thing.  Little do i realize
how  insanely addictive this game becomes.  I pull up a stool, watch
the dealer shuffle, Player / Banker / Tie.  The Winner is the one
closest to 9.  The minimum bet is $50.  These are big league minimums
in my world and costly to be wrong.  I'm tempted to drop my chip on
any old spot but i sit back and wait.  An Asian man, who looks about
1,000, I call him the "Grasshopper", drops his bet.  He goes for
Player and seconds later another guy and two women bet The Player too.
They know.  The dealer declares "no more bets" and pulls the cards
out.  She lifts the Player card first and it's a Queen (otherwise
known as "Monkey"), don't ask me why.  The Banker shows a 2.  Player
shows 5; Banker 9.  Player has 5; Banker 1.  Player gets a 6 and the
group holds their breath in collective excitement and Banker shows a
3.  End of story, Player wins, and they win.  All eyes stare at the
computer screen listing all the previous outcomes and they furiously
record the win on their card and the floodgates have opened and chips
start to stack.  They mean business so don't even think about
interrupting their play.


A guy slides in beside me.  He looks like a biker dude.  He's sporting
an interesting goatee, his arms are covered in tattoos, he wears one
earing, and a black t-shirt which reads rock & roll.  He whips out
$1,500 in $100 dollar bills to the dealer like he's throwing out the
trash.  Who is this guy, and why does he have so much money.  These
are questions, one never utters aloud.  He orders a Black Russian from
the waitress and introduces himself to me.  His name is "Chance", and
would I like a drink.  Um, Okay.  A cursory acknowledgement from the
table takes note of the fact that Chance, is definately not one of
them.  I decide to watch to see how things play out.  Chance drops a
$100 on Banker.  Everyone else has their chips on Player.  He's done
the unthinkable.  He's ventured against the established grain.  Very
bold move.  Cards are pulled.  He loses.  He doesn't flinch. Same bet
but he doubles it.  He loses.  In 2 minutes he's lost $300 and could
care less.  The Asians know better.  He should have followed the
Grasshopper.  Time moves on.  Things are getting tense.  The stacks of
chips are getting high and i'm nervous despite the fact that i'm
barely playing.  Chance is down $800 but you'd never know it.  The man
doesn't show the slightest sign of frustration.  I can't believe it.
Since we're long time friends in the struggle, I lean into him and
whisper, "Chance, bet against yourself.  Whatever you think is going
to happen, go opposite.  Go with the flow of this insane game."  I
can't bear to see the House take another chip of his money.  We decide
to go with the flow and sure enough he starts winning.  The Black
Russians keep flowing and he's tipping big.  For someone so scary
looking, he's really a nice guy with balls of steel when it comes to
betting.  He wins $500 he bets $1000 and K Sara Sara's (Doris Day) the
outcome.  Even when he wins, he's cool as a cucumber.  It's really a
sight to behold.  When the Asians win, they're happy, but knew it all
along.  Their system works.  The louder they scream "Monkey" the more
luck seems to shines on them.


The momentum builds to a crescendo.  There's crazy money on the table
and the table is now 5 players deep with people reaching in trying to
get in on the action.  The odds are with The Banker.  No more bets.
The Player card is flipped.  It's a King.  Banker shows a Jack.  It's
even.  Player shows a 7.  It's not looking good.  Banker flips and all
eyes focused in and you can feel the powers being summoned from
above....it's a 9.  A Natural 9.  Banker wins and it just doesn't get
any better.  The cheers are deafening as the crowd congratulates
themselves in foreign tongues.  Chance is a winner too and he's won
big.  You'd never know it though, the guy barely cracked a smile.



RULES

This long-time favorite of the upper crust and gaming elite is an elegant and easy-to-master game of chance. In Baccarat, two cards are dealt to a Player hand and two to a Banker hand. The goal is to predict which hand will score closest to nine points ñ the Player or the Banker. If youíre not convinced either hand will score closer to nine points, you can bet the two hands will tie. Itís that simple. Go ahead, step behind the velvet ropes into a simple and elegant world of gaming that youíre sure to appreciate.