Baccarat: The Game That Made Mikki Mase Millions and Led to His Casino Bans

 

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Baccarat is a popular card game in casinos, known for its elegance, simplicity, and high-stakes potential. It’s especially favored by high rollers due to its low house edge and fast-paced nature. The game, which originated in Italy in the 15th century before spreading to France and gaining worldwide popularity, is played between two hands: the “player” and the “banker.” Despite its reputation for being a high-society game, baccarat is straightforward and easy to learn.

How to Play Baccarat:

The objective of baccarat is to predict which hand, the player or the banker, will have a total value closest to nine. There is also a third option to bet on, which is a tie. Baccarat uses a standard deck of 52 cards, and card values differ slightly from other card games:

Aces are worth 1 point.
Cards 2-9 are worth their face value.
10s, Jacks, Queens, and Kings are worth 0 points.
The total value of a hand is determined by summing the card values, and only the last digit of the total counts. For example, if a hand has a 7 and a 5, the total is 12, but the hand value is 2 (as only the last digit counts). A hand totaling 8 or 9 is considered a “natural,” and if either the player or banker has a natural, no more cards are drawn.

Bets are placed before the cards are dealt. Players can bet on either the player’s hand, the banker’s hand, or a tie. Once bets are placed, two cards are dealt to both the player and the banker. In certain cases, a third card may be drawn, depending on specific rules.

Third Card Rule:

The rules governing when a third card is drawn are predetermined and do not depend on player choice. For instance, if the player’s total is 6 or 7, they stand. If it’s 5 or lower, they receive a third card. The banker’s decision to draw a third card is more complex and depends on the player’s third card and the total value of the banker’s initial two cards. This automatic third-card rule system makes baccarat a game largely based on luck, which adds to its appeal.

Why People Play Baccarat:

Baccarat’s simplicity and low house edge make it attractive to gamblers of all types, particularly high-stakes players. Unlike games like poker or blackjack, where player decisions can impact the outcome, baccarat’s structured rules mean that once bets are placed, everything is left to chance. This lack of decision-making is appealing to some, especially those who enjoy fast, high-stakes action without needing to master complex strategies.

High rollers, in particular, are drawn to baccarat because of its reputation and potential for significant wins. The house edge on a banker bet is just around 1.06%, making it one of the most favorable games for gamblers in terms of odds. The fast pace and large bets associated with baccarat also create an atmosphere of excitement and glamour, making it a favorite in casinos worldwide.

Mikki Mase and His Baccarat Success:

Mikki Mase, a well-known figure in gambling circles, has claimed to have won millions of dollars through baccarat, a testament to the game’s potential for big payouts. Mase, who has gained fame for being banned from 95% of U.S. casinos, is said to have honed his skills in baccarat by studying the game’s intricacies. He credits his success to a combination of understanding the flow of the game, psychology, and reading patterns at the table.

Baccarat, in Mase’s case, allowed him to capitalize on its structured nature while employing his own strategies to consistently win large sums. His success in the game ultimately became a problem for casinos, which have strict protocols in place to avoid consistent large payouts. Over time, his winning streaks led many casinos to blacklist him, seeing him as too much of a financial risk.

The Appeal of Baccarat to High Rollers:

Baccarat’s appeal to players like Mikki Mase comes from its simplicity, speed, and the potential for massive wins. The combination of luck-based outcomes and high betting limits makes it a perfect game for risk-takers who enjoy the thrill of gambling large sums in a short period. The structured nature of the game, where decisions are made automatically by the rules, also appeals to those who prefer not to get bogged down in complex strategies. Instead, they can focus on the high-stakes action, which is often accompanied by a glamorous casino environment.

For someone like Mikki Mase, baccarat represents the perfect storm of high risk and high reward, and his success at the game is a reminder of why it continues to be a favorite among casino patrons worldwide.

Photo: Freepik