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Baccarat patterns
Baccarat patterns are names for shapes the results make on the Big Road. A Dragon is a long run of one side, Ping Pong is Banker and Player taking turns, and a Double Jump is runs of two in a row. They describe what has happened in the shoe. They don't predict the next hand: each hand is dealt the same way, whatever came before.
The well-known patterns
| Pattern | Big Road columns | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Dragon | One column of 6 or more | B B B B B B B |
| Ping Pong, or chop | 1-1-1-1 | B P B P B P |
| Double Jump | 2-2-2 | B B P P B B |
The numbers are streak lengths in Big Road columns side by side. How the Big Road is drawn.
The Dragon
A Dragon is a streak of six or more wins for the same side. On the Big Road, a long one reaches the bottom row and turns right, the dragon tail. Dragons are common. In our simulation of 20,000 eight-deck shoes:
| Longest run in the shoe | Share of shoes |
|---|---|
| 6 or more | 69% |
| 8 or more | 23% |
| 10 or more | 6% |
The average shoe's longest run was 6.5. So a Dragon in a shoe is the usual thing, not a sign of anything.
"Dragon" is also the name of side bets at some tables, such as Dragon Bonus, and of Dragon 7 in EZ Baccarat. Those are separate bets with their own rules, and our table doesn't deal them. Side bets.
Ping Pong
Ping Pong, also called chop, is Banker and Player taking turns: a row of single marks across the Big Road. Players often say the shoe is "chopping". In our simulated shoes, four single marks in a row, such as B P B P, showed up in about 71% of shoes, and six in a row in about 25%.
Double Jump
A Double Jump is two wins for one side, then two for the other, again and again: columns of 2-2-2 on the Big Road. About one shoe in three has one, in our simulation.
Baccarat Sky
On our table, Baccarat Sky finds named shapes in the Big Road the way people find shapes in the stars. Each shape is a set of streak lengths in Big Road columns side by side, and each one you spot goes into your Book of Patterns.
| Shape | Columns |
|---|---|
| Monkey | 1-3-1 |
| Pagoda | 3-2-1 |
| Rabbit | 3-1-3 |
| Gold Ingot | 1-3-3-1 |
| Lotus | 2-4-2 |
| Fish | 1-2-3-2-1 |
| Snake | 1-2-1-2-1-2 |
| Snake Eats a Flower | A Snake with a tie in it |
| Turtle | 2-3-3-2 |
| Koi | 1-2-3-4-1 |
| Bird | 3-2-1-2-3 |
| Tiger | 4-1-4-1-4 |
| Lucky Cat | 7-1-1-7 |
The shapes are for fun, like finding a constellation. They have no effect on the cards, the odds or what you win.
Why patterns feel meaningful
People are very good at seeing patterns, even in results that are pure chance. Streaks and alternations happen naturally in any long run of near-even results. A shoe of about 80 hands is long enough to draw plenty of them. After five Banker wins in a row, the next hand is still about 45.9% Banker, 44.6% Player and 9.5% Tie, the same as any other hand.
Do baccarat predictors work?
No. A baccarat "predictor" on a scoreboard shows what marks the roads would get if the next hand were Banker or Player. It doesn't pick a winner. Apps or charts that claim to forecast baccarat hands from patterns can't, because the next card doesn't depend on the last result.
Following patterns at the table
Betting the Dragon, betting the chop and waiting for a shape are old traditions at baccarat tables. They are a way to enjoy following the shoe. Whatever you follow, the house edge stays the same: 1.06% on Banker and 1.24% on Player. Baccarat strategy.
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Questions
What is a dragon in baccarat?
A run of six or more wins in a row for the same side, Banker or Player. On the Big Road it runs down the column and turns right along the bottom, the dragon tail. Dragon is also the name of some side bets at other tables.
What is ping pong in baccarat?
Banker and Player taking turns winning, so the Big Road shows a row of single marks. It is also called chop.
Do baccarat patterns work?
Not for predicting. Patterns describe what has happened. Each hand is dealt independently, so the odds of the next hand don't change with the pattern.
How often does a dragon happen in baccarat?
Often. In 20,000 simulated eight-deck shoes, about 69% had at least one run of six or more, and about 23% had a run of eight or more.
What is a double jump in baccarat?
Two wins for one side, then two for the other, repeating: columns of 2-2-2 on the Big Road.
Is there a baccarat predictor that works?
No. Each hand is dealt from the shoe by fixed rules and doesn't depend on earlier results. A scoreboard predictor only shows how the roads would be drawn.
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