While baccarat has the aura of elegance, some of the casinos want to dispel that. Check out this comment from the World Wide Web site for Harrah’s Las Vegas (http://harrahs.lv.com):

“Baccarat: It’s as simple as ABC. You can pick it up just by watching the play for a few minutes. So forget the image this game projects of celebrities and high rollers. Forget the tuxedos and evening gowns. Be bold! Next time you’re strolling by our Baccarat pit (strange name for such an elegant place), don’t just keep walking. Step inside. Our dealers will greet you like a long-lost cousin and be delighted to answer any questions you might have.”

The Twelfth Week

One of the best stories to come out of the baccarat rooms in the last decade involved a group of dealers. In late 1991, a group of eight baccarat dealers from the Las Vegas Hilton turned an initial $80 stake ($10 per person) into $103,000 by betting one NFL football game per week, parlaying their winnings and winning eleven consecutive bets. The dealers’ goal was to continue their parlay until they either lost or reached fifteen straight wins.

Had they been successful, the group would have cashed in on a $1.3 million profit. The odds against winning fifteen straight are about 33,000 to 1. When they reached their eleven correct bets, the odds against winning the remaining four games were only fifteen to one.

Alas, they lost in week twelve.