barneypip

My hit rate being 57%, I'm not as good as some, but I wouldn't call it a poor bet selection. I'm one of the "chickens" the dealers talk about. "It's a streak! Why doesn't he raise his bets?" It's because I like the SAFETY of betting flat. You MUST be able to handle the LOSING STREAKS when they come! When my total bankroll increases to the point where I feel I can handle a larger bet, THEN I'll raise my bet. I've done that 5 times now, but it's been over the course of almost 2 years. Maybe that's where the confusion is. The fact that I've pretty much doubled my bets 5 times over now --- does that mean that I really DON'T flat bet? Does it mean that I've taken 2 years to make an "up-as-you win" progression, so that's not flat betting? I really don't care how it's defined. I only know it works for me so I'm sticking with it. Winbac also said: "You can bet as high as $1,000 bets." Why stop there? I currently flat bet yellows. Don't want to be greedy, but at the same time if a business or an investment (and if you're serious about baccarat, that's how you MUST look at it!) is doing well, and your bankroll can handle it, it's time to expand. "Make hay while the sun is shining." God gifted me with the self-discipline and other traits that profitable baccarat demands. I look at it as being a good steward with God's money. Plus the better I do, the more I'm able to give. It's a WONDERFUL feeling. Nothing else has worked for me! My bankroll isn't quite there yet, but as soon as it is, I'm increasing my flat bet again. Success to all!

Kevin has again hit the nail on the head with his response to SoulJazz. Your hitrate is everything. Without a good one, you'll NEVER consistently win. We're talking about your average long-term hitrate here....even those players with HR averages in the 60s can't hit like that all the time. It's like streaks and slumps in baseball. But it's better for us bacc players because we can simply stop playing when we're in a slump. And that's EXACTLY what you have to do. When your hit rate, or anything else for that matter is causing you to stumble, STOP PLAYING!!! I couldn't agree more with Kevin on this. Ask Kevin! (kachatz1) We've played together and he'll tell that I "sit on my hands" every bit as much as he does ---- maybe even more so. And we both flat bet. Really is the safest way to fly. AFTER you get your hitrate up, if you want to make more money, just increase your flat bet, and bet your new bet amount every time. I've increased my flat bet 5 times over the past 2 years, and I've never had to bring it back down. When things start to go badly, I just STOP BETTING!!! I really can't offer any better advice than than. Today I'm a VERY happy camper. You can be, too!

Is that "Over $10,000 reporting requirement" only when you buy in, I hope? Or does the casino have to report an over $10,000 cash out too? HELP!! Anybody know?

MiClus83 - True. And I will do that if necessary, to play. I'm not exactly a "happy camper" in that situation tho......extra commissions on losing bank bets can add up quickly. If I'm forced to play that way too much, I'll just use the money I WAS going to leave as a tip, and pay those extra commissions with it! Touche' !!

Great info being shared on this thread! Thank you all! In the process of reading about others' experiences, I realized that my own post only described my past 10 or 11 months in baccarat. Going back years ago, my story pretty much sounds like everyone else's. Read a system, try a system. It works at first, then crashes. Rinse and repeat dozens of times. I lost count over the course of 30 years! Joined BTC in 2017. Read, read, read, study study study.....probably too much. Went on a BTC Vegas crawl , not knowing enough to play my own game...so I tried to follow everybody else. Guess what? It didn't work! One of the first things I learned was from @Keith Smith.....if you're going to follow someone, follow only ONE. Try to follow everybody, and you end up betting every hand. That's the 2nd thing I learned. From @avion . You can't win consistently betting every hand. Great advice from Way2Fast soon followed.....Only stay with the current shoe until you reach your winstop or your stop loss. He'd say: "If I want to win more, I'll bet more per hand, NOT play more hands." More tips and advice came from more people than I can remember.....all of them willing to share through BTC. I had to leave the group for awhile too, when I got too busy to take advantage of it all. But I'm back now....my most recent play being the best I've ever played. What a roll! And then, BAM! Benched like everyone else. Oh well......Thanks to the people who make up BTC, I know I'll be back, strong as ever, if I can just make it through this "unemployment". You're stuck with me now, BTC....I'll never leave you again!

I look for trends and patterns that have already occurred at least once in the shoe, especially on the strong side. Trends Example: If B is strong and a B 4iar happened earlier, and 3 Biars happen now, I'll bet that 3 will go to a 4. If it goes to a 5, that's a a run and I won't jump off it until it stops. Same with P if P is strong. Same with chops, especially if chops seem to happening more than runs. Patterns Example: If B is strong and I see BBPBBP, I've found it more likely than not, the next 2 decisions will be B's. Same in reverse if P is strong. Same bets are laid if I see BBBPB (go for another 2 Bs) or PPPBP...(go for another 2 Ps, etc. If I lose the first bet in such attempts, I stop betting and wait for the next pattern or trend to show up. Also if Bs can't seem to get beyond 2s, every time a B goes to a 2, I'll bet "P to hold B to a 2". And in reverse if the Ps can't get beyond 2s. Do I ever lose these bets? OF COURSE!! I'VE LOST A LOT!!!!!! BUT ---- Long term, I've won more than I've lost, and since I bet flat, that's all it takes. I haven't figured it out exactly yet but I probably have a 3 or 4% edge on the casino and I'm very happy with that. Betting flat allows me to bet large without having to have a HUGE bankroll, and I can still play safely. I usually use Way2Fast's stoploss of -5 and I moved his recommended winstop from +3 to +4 per shoe. As soon as I'm at +4, I color in, take a break, and begin another shoe later. I win an average of at least 2 shoes for every one I lose ---- +8 -5 = +3 units. But I almost never play a full shoe. My stoploss or winstop is reached way before then. Assuming I play a third of a shoe each time I play, (which is about right) my average profit comes out to about 3 units per shoe. Oh by the way, I only bet once every 3 or 4 hands on average, so even betting large I still stay relatively safe. There are other "triggers" I act on but they're stuck way in the back of my mind and I don't remember them until I see them happen in a game. Oh! And I PRAY!!! Not for good hands....Our Heavenly Father surely has more important things to do than fix card hands. I pray that I stay sharp, in control, able to do my best, and not do anything really stupid. And I've been blessed. Hope I haven't stepped out of bounds here, but I gotta tell it like it is. Hope to see some of you guys in Tampa or Biloxi when this lockout is finally over.....that's where I am most. Cheers!

Bacoperator - My story is a similar one -- I'll be posting it soon. In a nutshell I got good enough at this to "go pro" in October. Then enjoyed almost 6 months of paradise until Covid 19 came around and ruined things for nearly everybody. But I'll be back when things open back up. Thanks, BTC gang! This club is FOR REAL!!

I can also vouch for FTS working on Roulette. However, you have all that extra house edge to overcome....over 5% on a double 0 wheel. Even a single 0 wheel forces you to buck an over 2.5% edge against you. I only tried FTS on a single zero wheel. Did really well, but realized right away how much better I could do with the much smaller house edge baccarat has. I went to baccarat and never looked back. It's now the only game I play. Welcome back. by the way! I've been away myself for 2 years.....feels good to be home again among my BTC friends!

Wow. Looks like only 1 person "threw their name into the hat" in a year! I will.....I'm in Palm Coast, FL, and usually play 3 times a month in Tampa, and once a month on a 3 day stay at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, MS. I would have spoke up sooner but I just now re-joined BTC after a 2 year break. I'd love to see a player/member directory here.

Hello, Elegant 1 ! I'm also a returning member (took a 2 year break) Doing VERY well now using all that I learned here. One of the first things I learned (from Avion) was that I had no chance of wining more than I lost if I tried to bet every hand. So I'm wondering -- I play at the Beau in Biloxi, also. When they opened a table "just for you", how did you get around having to bet every hand? Especially when the Beau will only give you 5 free hands per shoe maximum? Maybe you're one of the very few who can bet every hand and still come out ahead. I never could! Other than receiving so few free hands, I like the Beau. I play there about once a month for 3 day stays each visit. It's about an 8 hour drive from my home, so I come in on their flights from Daytona Beach, FL. The rest of each month I'm at the Hard Rock in Tampa for one or two night stays, 2 or 3 times a month. Really appreciate your input!

Put me down as a flat bettor....Always, unless a major run or chop develops, then I'll up as I win. But that's the only time. If I want more money, I'll just up my base bet. Works for me!

Oh brother! That's all I needed to read to know where this guy's coming from. I'm not wasting any more of MY time.....

I think most of us would rather not brag about our winnings too much...I win more than I lose, and for long term success, that's all it takes. I too, will not reveal winning strategy on the Public Forum. I pay for my BTC education, and it continues to pay me back. Anyone who wants to learn from the pros needs to do the same. I signed up 4 or 5 months ago playing greens. Now I'm a black chip man. That should tell you something......if you want to know how I do it, and how everyone else does it, become a Premium Forum member. Join the elite 1% !!

I haven't been on this forum long enough to count, but I'd rather be able to scan the posts according to their subjects rather than their authors. (You can already see who has written the posts as you scan now) Just my opinion....

Hello group! Thanks to BTC I'm now doing much better beating, or at least surviving "bad shoes". In November I'll be on a cruise. (RCI's Oasis of the Seas 11/12 - 11/19) There will probably be a crap table but no Baccarat. So back to my original post: If you can't play Baccarat, but craps is available, would some of the BTC strategies work in a crap game? (betting Pass instead of banker, and don't pass instead of player) The odds aren't quite as good, but are similar. Has anyone done this, and were you successful? (More of MY insight on this is in my original post at the start of this thread on August 31.) Thanks!

Sounds Great! How many nights should I book? How long is everybody staying? Definitely want to do this!!

I'm a Private Forum member, but felt compelled to share this in public. Got a tip from a fellow member that a particular casino seems to be biased in the player's favor when using TBL bet selection. So I went there and sure enough, it was still going on, to the point where I was able to average 4 units of profit per shoe the whole day I was there! If you're still on the fence about joining the Private Forum, Join! Today! Can't afford the $50 to try this out? Then seriously, you shouldn't be anywhere near a casino....especially without the private forum's help. BTW: No one asked me to post this, and there's nothing in it for me for doing so. Just want to help anyone who would really like to BTC, BTC! As long as they're willing to put in some work to make it work. IT WORKS!!

And those great players tend to share QUITE a bit more in the Private forum. (I know! I used to be a "Public Forum Only" guy too!)

IMHO, As long as we're allowed to record on paper, I'm wouldn't want to risk being busted with spy glasses or anything else. Don't see how the advantages would outweigh the risk. IOW: A "bad gamble". Something to stay away from...especially in a casino!

Will do! Out of town this weekend -- Will try for next. thanks!

I have started new shoes all by myself, and quite often finished them all by myself, and have won more of those shoes than I've lost. But with all the advice to "Never bet every hand" and "making bets on about half the hands is about right", I'm wondering how much profit I'm giving up when I'm forced to play almost every hand because I'm the only player at the table. Sometimes the only player at ANY table!! It doesn't happen every time, but often enough to make me wonder if I should be playing craps instead using Bac strategy. There are nearly always other players there and I would almost never have to make a bet when I'd rather not. K1 - I'd be most interested in learning the ways you start a new shoe by yourself. I only have one MO in that situation. Thank you again!

Often I've walked into a casino where only 2 baccarat tables are open. One has no players, which would force me to bet almost every hand if I were to sit down and play...and the other table has plenty of players, but is in the middle of a bad shoe. (Neutral. No runs, trends, triggers...unpredictable) Meanwhile there are 4 craps tables open with plenty of players, and when I chart the craps results, I find runs, trends and triggers that would cause me to join the game immediately IF they were occurring in baccarat. The big question: Would the bet selection strategies shared here on BTC, work in a crap game? Or would the "dynamic" results in craps mess up the strategies designed for the "static" results of baccarat? (The order of the cards in Bac is already set in the shoe before the game even begins. Not so in craps. But I still see similar results in the 2 games.) Who has tried baccarat strategy in a crap game? (Even money bets only, of course...pass & don't pass) Do you still get enough runs & triggers to make it work? The odds are very similar...baccarat being the better game. Baccarat remains my favorite game. But when you can't find a good baccarat table to play, do you just not play, or would you go with craps? Thanks, guys!

Yes! The info on this site is golden! It took me months, but I read, perused and memorized...got it all into my head...molded it into my own custom method of play, and am finally reaping the benefits. I'm using it all to "follow the shoe".... flat bets, pure and simple.....NEVER trying to predict when a pattern or trend will end...only staying with what the shoe is already doing, no matter how impossible it seems, until it's not doing it anymore. Enjoying a 3 - 4% advantage. How do you define "full time"? If it's 40 hrs./week, I'll NEVER be there! Why work more hours when you can increase your income by simply increasing your unit values? If "full time" means making a full-time income or beyond while working only part time hours, then I'm almost there already. Thanks everyone at BTC! The content is invaluable!

Wow. I haven't been to the Beau in a while. Hard to believe only 2 players on a Friday night! How can us spot-players get a grip? Could the Beau be losing it in Baccarat?

Hello group! Somebody on BTC plays where the baccarat activity is heavy enough to support 10 or 12 (or more?) tables going simultaneously. They mentioned their MO mostly involved strolling among the tables, watching the tote boards, and making occasional bets when the appropriate triggers were spotted, usually not even bothering to take a seat. This MO would suit me perfectly, but now I can't find the post and have no idea who posted it. Can someone help, please? I need to know where this casino is! I will most likely be using just the very top performing MDB+ bets. I DO NOT need "action" to be happy --- I need lots of tote boards to keep an eye on, so i can be very picky about placing my relatively few bets. "Play less to win more". Can someone please tell me where this casino is? Thanks!