Game coming to Hard Rock Casino Rockford draws high rollers

A cousin to James Bond's favorite casino game could be featured at the Hard Rock Casino Rockford.

Plans still being finalized for the Hard Rock include a special six-table room set aside for baccarat, a game that has been called the world's No. 1 casino table game even if it remains a bit unfamiliar in much of the United States.

Baccarat is gaining fans here, but is especially popular in Asia and China where casinos rake in the majority of their revenue from baccarat and its variants, says Professor David Schwartz, the University of Nevada Las Vegas' ombuds and the former director of the Center for Gaming Research.

Schwartz said baccarat tends to be marketed among a casino's high-roller offerings alongside high-limit versions of traditional table games.

"There is definitely a lot of demand for it in a lot of places, especially in Las Vegas, so it makes sense they would want to include it," Schwartz said. "They generally do have a separate room for baccarat and it tends to be high-end games. It's not always baccarat. It includes baccarat, but they could also have high-end blackjack, craps and roulette as well."

Although baccarat appears to be among James Bond's favorite casino games, 007 is usually seen gulping down martinis while playing a variation called Chemin de Fer against secret agents who are most likely planning to kill him. The variation is played mostly in France — the birthplace of baccarat — and pits players against one another.

Most casinos in the United States do not offer that variation and players bet against the house like other table games.

Michael Shackleford, founder of the WizardofOdds.com, says that although baccarat remains a mystery to a lot of gamblers in the United States, the game is fairly simple. Although tough to explain, once players understand the rules and try the game, it is easy to learn.

Usually played with eight decks of cards, each card has a point value and the best hand is worth nine points. There are few decisions to be made. Players decide whether and how much to bet on either the "player" or "banker," words that have little meaning. There is also a side bet on a tie and often casinos offer a bunch of other side bets, that Shackleford warns typically favor the house far more than the main bets on the player or banker.

The player and the banker are each dealt two cards — but don't think of the player as the player and the banker as the house — these words could just as well be White Sox and Cubs. All bets are against the casino. Depending on the total number of points, a third card could be dealt.

What happens next and whether you win is based on the cards because there is no decision-making after the bet has been made, making it akin to a flip of a coin — either the banker will win or the player. Number cards are worth their face value while 10s and face cards are worth zero points and the Ace is worth one point. Card totals over 10 are divided by 10 and the remainder is the number of points for that hand. Nine is the best hand you can have and a tie is a push.

"Personally, I find baccarat very boring, but those who like it seem to enjoy the ambiance and the futile search for trends in the cards," Shackleford said in an email to the Rockford Register Star. 

Hard Rock Casino Rockford President Geno Iafrate said baccarat has gained popularity in the United States. It is expected to be offered in addition to more than 1,200 slot machines, more than 40 table games, a 10-12 table poker room and a sports book at the casino under construction at 7801 E. State St. near the Interstate 90 exit.

It is hoped that the Hard Rock will become a regional destination that draws visitors from miles around Rockford. Baccarat could be part of that draw, Iafrate said.

"It's a very high-demand game across most gaming markets and is a staple of table game offerings," Iafrate said.