Video Baccarat questions

I've never been to Las Vegas, but I hear that some casinos have video baccarat machines (and craps and bj, but I'm only interested in baccarat). So I was hoping that someone might be able to answer a few questions for me.

First, there are video baccarat machines, right? If not, the rest of this is kind of pointless. :-)

What is the minimum bet? I'm guessing it's five or ten dollars.

Do they use an 8-deck shoe, or is it some kind of "endless" shoe?

If they use an 8-deck shoe, do any of them have a "New Shoe" or "Shuffle" button?

I'm asking because at a table if I don't like a shoe for whatever reason, I leave the table. But at a video machine, I'm wondering if I'd have to cash out and end the session if I wanted a new shoe. I know, in the long run it shouldn't make a difference. From the casino's perspective, the math works out the same, but I'm not going to play when I don't like something, you know? Especially when another shoe will be along in twenty minutes. I can't be the only person in the world who does that, either, so I think it would make sense to have a shuffle button on video baccarat machines as it would keep some of us sitting there longer, and that's what the casinos want--more decisions.

Anyway, I'd appreciate any information I can get.

Thanks, and may you always have good fortune,

vox

Quote: vox

I've never been to Las Vegas,

Why?

Quote: vox

but I hear that some casinos have video baccarat machines (and craps and bj, but I'm only interested in baccarat).
So I was hoping that someone might be able to answer a few questions for me.

I only visit the Strip and Downtown and have yet to see a Bacc video machine. Not that I go looking for one.

Now I live in SoCal and Pechanga Casino used to have the Vegas Star Bacc video machine (owned by Shufflemaster).
My last visit there last month, those terminals were gone replaced by the SM-VS Roulette terminals
and they were busy mid morning during the week.
Never seen them at SanMan or Morongo casinos also. (just there on 7/7)

Quote: vox

What is the minimum bet? I'm guessing it's five or ten dollars.

I remember $1 but that was a few years ago.
I agree at $5 because the casino needs to make at least $X on these machines or they are gone.

Quote: vox

Do they use an 8-deck shoe, or is it some kind of "endless" shoe?

If they use an 8-deck shoe, do any of them have a "New Shoe" or "Shuffle" button?

Yes 8 decks.
No buttons.
They would shuffle after the 300th card and current game ends and before the next game
(rules and this was on the machine I do remember)
They also offered the Dragon Bonus side bet (margin of victory bet)
so they had a total bet min. Do not remember only played there one time
We have lots of EZ Bacc games in SoCal casinos

Quote: vox

I'm asking because at a table if I don't like a shoe for whatever reason, I leave the table.

Why would you not 'like' a shoe?
Same # of cards, same values and same drawing rules.

Oh, (light went on)
must be because you are losing by the bets you make in that shoe.
Sounds like a personal problem to me,
but I have known to be wrong 88.3% of the time with a standard deviation of 63.3%
Simple solution, just bet opposite of your losing bets and 'like' every shoe.

Good Luck and come visit Las Vegas soon
I do

Thanks for the response. Sounds like Vegas doesn't have what I'm looking for. :-( Oh well, until the day comes when I can gamble without any human interaction at all (the way I wish it was), I'll just have to do everything the slow way.

vox (wants Internet gambling to be legal)

They used to have one at the Bellagio, but I don't know if it's still there.

Quote: vox

vox (wants Internet gambling to be legal)

in the US,
I agree and to be
100% proven FAIR

nice to dream

I usually don't pay much attention to those machines, but I do know that they have video baccarat at the Venetian. (At least they did the last time I was there, which was not too long ago)

I played the video Baccarat at the Venetian on 6/22.

Thanks for all the additional responses. So it does seem to be available, just not widely.

And I think I spoke too soon. Maybe Vegas does have something to offer me. I went to the only casino in town and, well, it was kind of crap. Only two midi-baccarat tables, both with $25 minimums (I was expecting twenty dollars) and they were packed, including with the Asians who seem to play in teams and claim seats for long, long periods of time while one is at another table, not betting at all at the seat you want to sit at.

Also (and yet another reason I prefer video to dealers,) the pace was dreadfully slow. Seriously, it was taking over an hour to finish one eight-deck shoe. No wonder the casino shows the game no love. With so few decisions per hour, the game can't be much of a money maker for it.

But hey, it's Cleveland, so we expect it to be garbage. And it was.

Oh, and I thought about playing craps (two tables with a $15 min.) but I couldn't hear the stickman calling the numbers out. I'm not kidding, it was like being at a club. The casino plays rock music non-stop, I suppose because this is the "rock 'n' roll capital of the world," as if that's something to brag about.

Btw, a gin and tonic, using the well gin, costs four dollars. If you find yourself unfortunately trapped in New Detroit, er, I mean Cleveland, do yourself a favor and skip the Horseshoe. At least the coupld of dealers I talked to were friendly.

I saw one at the Palazzo a couple of days ago. I do not know what the minimum or maximum bets are.

I expect it is an endless shoe, but did not look at the rules carefully

Caesar's had a $1 Baccarat machine in August 2014 and I played it every day. I was extremely disappointed that it was removed completely, not just had the minimum increased.

MGM has a $5 baccarat machine but its on the far south end of the strip. Venetian has a $5 "live" baccarat machine where they have 18 or so terminals with two dealers alternating dealing cards for "table"s 1 2 3 and 5. So you could hypothetically bet on four baccarat hands at the same time without ever speaking to a person. I stayed with one hand. Of course the Venetian/Palazzo is also located north Strip rather than centrally located.

Quote: Sensei

Caesar's had a $1 Baccarat machine in August 2014 and I played it every day. I was extremely disappointed that it was removed completely, not just had the minimum increased.

Rio had one last time I was there, but that was before 8/2014, so I couldn't tell you if it is still there or not.

If you're where the little stores are, just make a left and keep walking. It was at the end of the casino near some tables.

Quote: Sensei

Caesar's had a $1 Baccarat machine in August 2014 and I played it every day. I was extremely disappointed that it was removed completely, not just had the minimum increased.

MGM has a $5 baccarat machine but its on the far south end of the strip. Venetian has a $5 "live" baccarat machine where they have 18 or so terminals with two dealers alternating dealing cards for "table"s 1 2 3 and 5. So you could hypothetically bet on four baccarat hands at the same time without ever speaking to a person. I stayed with one hand. Of course the Venetian/Palazzo is also located north Strip rather than centrally located.

Sensei,

Welcome to the forum, and thanks for the info!