Don't bet on Patterns in Baccarat
Most myths that arise in casino games are based on something that initially seems logical, until proven wrong. Such is the case with pattern betting in baccarat where players alternate between the banker and player bet based on how things are going.
- Highlights of the book include how Baccarat is played, using scorecards, dealer intimidation, unique ways to bet the Tie, basic pattern analysis, and demonstrating how the patterns fit into the 'Big Picture.' Although the bulk of the text is dedicated to pattern and trend analysis, it offers two unique money management ideas.
- Baccarat Scoreboards As with some other casino games, such as Roulette, Baccarat normally offers a number of displays that show the results for past hands. This is in order to help those that like to use past results to try and predict future hands and use the information to place bets based upon trends and patterns.
Baccarat has used a label on its products in recent years. Identify the pattern and determine when it was available for sale. For example, one of the most popular patterns of stemware, Massena, was first available in the U.S. In 1979, according to Baccarat. Baccarat jewelry was first available for sale in 1993.
For example, if the banker hand wins five times in a row, some players might continue wagering on the banker to win because this is a hot bet. However, if the player hand wins five times in a row, people would keep betting on the player to win.In theory, it's a good idea because a certain wager is on a hot streak and you want to take advantage of this. But the reality of the situation is that not only will this betting system not work, but it will also cost you money in the long-term.Make the Best Bet
One thing that's important to understand here is that every bet is independent of the last. So just because one wager wins four or fives times in a row does not mean it's any more likely to win again (unless something's wrong with the deck).This being said, you should simply opt for the best bet every time, which is the banker hand. By wagering on the banker hand to win, you're lowering the house edge to 1.06%. Contrast this to the second best wager in baccarat, the player hand, where you're normally dealing with a 1.24% house edge. As you can see, there's a 0.18% difference here which is in favor of the banker hand.Have Fun with Patterns
Assuming you still want to bet on patterns in baccarat, you can do so and still maintain the best house edge. All you have to do is vary your bet sizes while wagering on the banker hand every time.
For example, if the player hand keeps winning, you could merely place $1 minimum banker hand bets until the streak ends. If the banker hand continues to win, you could raise your bet to $5 or more in hopes of riding this hot streak.
So as you can see, it's still possible to use the pattern betting system in baccarat without sacrificing the optimal house edge.
Imagine dedicating fifteen years of your life to mastering the expert skills of crystal glass-making. This is the standard expected still today of the craftspeople associated with Baccarat crystal, one of history’s most acclaimed houses for glass and crystal wares. Baccarat glass has beguiled audiences for more than two centuries with brilliant beauty and expert craftsmanship. Here, we explore some of the most popular Baccarat glassware and how Baccarat continues to uphold the traditions of the company, which rose to prominence in the eighteenth century during the reign of France’s King Louis XV.
A Brief History of Baccarat Crystal
Established in 1764 as a small glassware manufacturer in the eastern French hamlet of Baccarat, the factory excelled in its early years with a focus on glassware and mirrors, but slowed in its production with the onset of the French Revolution. Early in the nineteenth century, however, Baccarat developed its own lead crystal production process that soon grew to be respected across the country, if not across all of Europe. The exceptional quality of Baccarat glass works resulted in commissions from kings to presidents around the globe such that, by the midpoint of the century, Baccarat had gained international renown.
Four Baccarat Crystal and Bronze Bouquet Vases, sold for $984 via New Orleans Auction Galleries (October 2015).
One of the factors that has contributed to the success of Baccarat crystal is that while they have developed signature styles now synonymous with the company’s tradition — such as Baccarat’s “Harcourt” line of glassware — their designers have also continued to innovate along with the trends and styles that have become popular over the years. This fluidity, combined with the expert craftsmanship behind each design, has resulted in Baccarat’s perennial popularity. From their smaller, more affordable figurines to their more substantial pieces, the legacy and allure of Baccarat crystal endures today.
Baccarat Crystal Chandeliers and Torchères
Is There A Pattern In Baccarat
By the end of the nineteenth century, Baccarat had made a name for itself as an internationally leading designer of elegant Baccarat crystal chandeliers and torchères. A testament to this status was their commission around this time for a monumental crystal chandelier and paired horseshoe balustrade for a main hall in Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace, widely considered to be one of the largest crystal installations in the world. Baccarat’s chandeliers and torchères made for exceptional illumination as the crystal facets accented the glimmering candlelight or, in the case of their gasoliers, their gas-lit lamps. These pieces also showcased the pinnacle of Baccarat workmanship as many feature intricate designs.
Image 1: Large, Sumptuous and Exceptional Chandelier with 54 arms, in lapidated Baccarat crystal
Renascimento, Lisbon, Portugal (December 2014)
Estimate: €150,000 – €200,000
Price Realized: €150,000
Image 2: A French Cut and Moulded Glass Twenty Four Light Chandelier by Baccarat, c. 1883
Sotheby’s, London, United Kingdom (January 2017)
Estimate: £25,000 – £40,000
Price Realized: £62,500
Image 3: A French Ormolu and Crystal Thirty-Two-Light Chandelier by Baccarat, circa 1900
Christie’s, London, United Kingdom (March 2015)
Estimate: £25,000 – £40,000
Price realized: £60,000
Image 4: Baccarat Ruby and Glass Enameled Chandelier
DuMouchelles, Detroit, MI (November 2017)
Estimate: $15,000 – $18,000
Price Realized: $27,500
Image 5: Baccarat Crystal 18-Light Chandelier Signed
DuMouchelles, Detroit, MI (May 2017)
Estimate: $15,000-$25,000
Realized Price: $17,000
Baccarat Crystal Vases
It is in the vases conjured by Baccarat where collectors can find some of the best variety. From opulent ormolu accents or richly etched motifs borrowed from East Asian art forms to the milky translucence of opaline glass made popular in the mid nineteenth century, Baccarat crystal and glass vases have styles that can appeal to all collectors.
Image 1: A fine pair of Baccarat acid-cameo pink-cased opaline vases circa 1870
Bonhams, London, UK (May 2010)
Estimate: Est: £8,000 – £12,000
Sold: £15,000
Image 2: Pair of Baccarat Pink Opaline Cameo Glass Two-Handled Vases, c.1870
Waddington’s, Toronto, ON (June 2017)
Estimate: CAD1,000 – CAD1,500
Price Realized: CAD15,000
Image 3: Rare vase, ‘Rafraichissoir,” La Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat, ca. 1865
Koller Auctions, Zurich, Switzerland (March 2014)
Estimate: CHF5,000 – CHF7,000
Price Realized: CHF9,500
Image 4: Pair of French Acid-Etched and Gilt Decorated Pink and White Opaline Cameo Glass Vases
Doyle New York, New York, NY (June 2018)
Estimate: $1,000 – $1,500
Price Realized: $6,875
Image 5: Near Pair of Baccarat Cut-Glass Vases
Lyon & Turnbull, Edinburgh, UK (March 2019)
Estimate: £600 – £800
Price Realized: £600
Baccarat Crystal Garnitures, Centerpieces, and Mantle Clocks
Beyond singular vases, Baccarat also excelled at decorative garniture sets, centerpieces, and mantel clocks. All popular means of decorating an elegant home since the eighteenth century, these pieces further reinforced Baccarat’s skills to respond to contemporary trends while also offering breathtaking designs. Garniture sets tend to top auction results as they are more rare to find still in their entire three-piece set, however singular centerpieces are no less exceptional.
Image 1: Cristalleries de Baccarat “Garniture de Table,” Two Pairs of Gilt Bronze and Cut Crystal Sweatmeat Dishes, Paris, late 19th/early 20th century
Sotheby’s, New York, NY (October 2015)
Estimate: $4,000 – $6,000
Price Realized: $10,000
Image 2: A Late 19th century French clear, etched and frosted glass clock garniture by Baccarat
Chiswick Auctions, London, UK (December 2017)
Estimate: £4,000 – £6,000
Price Realized: £4,920
Image 3: Three-Piece Baccarat Gilt Bronze and Cut-Glass Figural Table, late 19th Century
Heritage Auctions, Dallas, TX (June 2018)
Estimate: $800 – $1,200
Price Realized: $6,500
Image 4: Baccarat Cut Glass Garniture
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Chicago, IL (May 2004)
Estimate: $1,500 – $2,500
Price Realized: $2,271
Baccarat Glassware
As one of the earliest fields of Baccarat’s production, glassware and stemware proved one of the brand’s most successful divisions over the years. Beyond stemware sets commissioned by nineteenth-century French kings Louis XVIII and Charles X, or the line of colorful glassware designed for Tsar Nicholas II, Baccarat also created incredibly popular styles that permeated a wider market. One of these is the iconic “Harcourt” line, which was introduced in 1841 and included a novel flat-sided design.
Image 1: Thirty-Seven Pieces of Unusual Baccarat Cut to Clear Crystal Stemware of Various Forms & Colors
Sloans & Kenyon, Chevy Chase, MD (June 2018)
Estimate: $900-$1,100
Realized Price: $21,000
Image 2: Baccarat “Harcourt” Stem and Bar Ware, 20th century
New Orleans Auction Gallery, New Orleans, LA (October 2015)
Estimate: $1,500 – $2,500
Price Realized: $6,150
Image 3: A Baccarat Part Suite of Glassware Retailed by Asprey & Co.
Christie’s, London, United Kingdom
Est: £2,000 – £3,000
Sold: £5,000
Image 4: Baccarat: A set of Liqueur Glasses & Bottles
Est-Ouest Auctions Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan (September 2009)
Estimate: ¥300,000-¥500,000
Realized Price: ¥320,000 (approx. $2,800)
Image 5: Baccarat Glassware
Marques dos Santos, Porto, Portugal (March 2015)
Estimate: €9,000 – €12,000
Price Realized : €475
Image 6: An extensive suite of Baccarat cut crystal glassware
Chiswick Auctions, London, United Kingdom
Estimate: £350 – £450
Price Realized: £450
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