Match play hack

I've posted on this general strategy before. First of all, one of you will win $100 and the other will lose $50, so your net profit will be $50. This is consistent with the general rule that a matchplay coupon is worth about half of its face value. There is a wrinkle to this for baccarat, though, because if your win is on the banker, you'll only get paid $95, for a net profit of $45. You would rather the player won, which would net you $50. To simplify, about half the time you would have a net win of $50, and the other half $45, for an average win of $47.50.

The other question, and a good one, is whether they'll let you do this. My answer is...probably. I've used double offsetting matchplays on pass/don't pass at craps, and red/black at roulette (with hedging side bets on things like twelve or 0/00). I've done that when there are no baccarat tables open. I've only gotten heat a couple of times, even when I was the one making both bets (which I technically should not have been allowed to do).

If you are worried about this, you can do one of two things: 1) act like you don't know each other and just saunter up to the table individually and place your bets, or 2) try it, and if you get told no, just go ahead and make your two bets on the banker on consecutive hands--first you, then your wife, or vice versa. Mathematically, it's the same outcome: each coupon is worth a little less than $25.

Do they take the coupons if the result is a tie? I realize it wouldn't be a monetary loss, but you'd lose the coupon.

Never. The coupons are good for one decision, not one bet. That's true for any game where you use them.

Of course, this doesn't improve your advantage at all, it just lowers the variance.