The Dragon Bet & Other Procedures

Dragon Bet

Some casinos offer a dragon bet on the baccarat table. This is an additional bet that the players can play at any time. The player is allowed to bet for either or both the Banker and the Player hand whether the player is betting on that hand or not.

When it comes to the “Take-Pay-Procedure” the order starts with the primary bet, which is either Banker or Player or tie, and then got to the dragon bet. Always start with the bet closest to the player. The reason why you always take the bet closest to the player first is because if the player decides to grab the money and run, they will most likely grab the money that’s closer to them.

Procedures

I just want to remind everyone that every casino is different so some of these procedures might not apply at your casino. Make sure you know your house rules.

When you are dealing on any table, it’s always important to case your layout. Not only do you look for items such as cell phones or purses, but you also look at the players bets. Get a good idea of who is betting what and where. This way you know exactly what you have to do when the outcome of the hand occurs.

At the beginning of the hand, all bets must be made before the cards are dealt. When you are delivering the cards, deal one card to the player side then deal the 2nd card, tucking a small portion of the card under the lip of the shoe. Do this again so that both sides have 2 cards. The maximum amount of cards that each side can have is 3 cards.

Always call the hand so that your players can hear the results. When calling the hand, never display favoritism for one hand or another. The dealer must remain neutral. Never say “Win” or “Lose” when announcing your hand.

Every casino is different, but the call I was told to memorize went like this:

Player shows (total amount), Banker has (total amount). Action taken. Always announce the winning hand first. Then call the winning number over the losing number.

For example: Player shows 4, Banker has 4. Player hits (10 card) Banker hits (5 card). Banker 9 over 4.

When you turn over the cards, pinch the top of the cards with your forefinger and thumb and flip the cards over from top to bottom. Then spread the cards with the tips of your fingers.

If the baccarat table has a digital score board, then at the end of the hand, after all bets have been paid, input the hand into the digital pad and then press enter.

Usually the incoming dealer does not burn a card. Also, on a dead game, when you’re done shuffling, some casinos will want you to leave the deck laced together in the middle of the table until new players arrive.

If the cut card comes out in the middle of the hand, then only deal one hand after that before shuffling. If the cut card is the 1st card out, then deal two more hands before shuffling.

The dealer will usually shuffle the shoe when there is less than 1 deck remaining in play.

When placing the cut card at the back of the deck, take a small chunk from the back and spread it on the table, face down. Count out 14 cards, place the cut card in between and pick up the card placing them at the back of the deck.

Burning a card on baccarat is not the same as burning a card on blackjack. There is a procedure to follow when you burn a card on baccarat. Take the first card out of the shoe and lay it face up in the upper middle portion of the table. Whatever number is on that card is the number of cards that you are supposed to burn. For example, if the card is a 4, then you lay out four cards in a row, face down, wait a second to prove to the camera and then burn all five cards. If the up card is a 10, Jack, Queen, or King then burn 10 cards (2 rows of 5 cards).