Aug 19 2026
Beating the Lucky Pairs Baccarat Side Bet: Update #2
In this post I described beating the Lucky Pairs (LP) baccarat side bet. The method I described was called “Targets and Weights.” In that post, I considered the case when a pair pays 11-to-1, with a baseline house edge about 10.36%. For many ordinary players, that edge is too high for them to be interested in playing LP.
A Baccarat Side Bet with a 10.32% Off-the-Top Player Edge
That's right, I kid you not! For about a month, a Las Vegas casino offered a baccarat side bet with a misprinted pay table that gave the player a 10.32% edge over the casino. Just sit at the table, make the side bet and collect your profit.
Join the Strip Club!
If you're expecting naked people, pictures of Las Vegas, or paint being removed from a house, this post isn't for you. If you're looking for a good time, read on!
Escaping the Expensive Legacy of Edward Thorp
“The advantage in two-handed blackjack, long supposed to lie with the dealer or the house, was converted recently to the profit by Edward O. Thorp, a young assistant professor in the mathematics department of New Mexico State University.”
— The Atlantic Monthly, June, 1962
