Planning Your First Trip to Macau
Macau (or, “the Las Vegas of the East”, as it’s sometimes
called) is an unusual and fun destination for gamblers looking
for something more exotic than Las Vegas or Atlantic City. It
provides a very different experience to those locations, and is
well worth a visit if you have the opportunity.
Travelling to a destination such as Macau is probably going
to cost you a significant sum of money, so you’ll want to make
the most of your trip. That’s exactly why we’ve put together
this guide. We’ve provided some basic information about Macau,
including the entry requirements, along with details on all the
gambling available. We’ve also written about some of the casino
venues and a few of the other things there are to do and see.
About Macau
Macau is a peninsula off the southern coast of China, not far
from Hong Kong. It was part of Portugal until 1999. Since
China’s re-acquisition of Macau, tourism has tripled from 7
million annual tourists to almost 22 million tourists.
Macau is happy to have visitors from English-speaking
countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New
Zealand. All you need is a passport.
Most of you are probably going to Macau to gamble, so its
unlikely youd be interested in staying for more than 30 days.
But if you are planning to stay that long, youll need to apply
for a visa. If youre from the UK or Ireland, you can stay up to
90 days without a visa.
Much of the increase in the tourist industry is the direct
result of gambling deregulation in 2002. Even though it’s called
the Vegas of the East, it’s still a relatively small and quaint
gambling destination—at least compared to Las Vegas.
Consider the number of hotel rooms available in each
destination. Las Vegas boasts of over 148,000 hotel rooms in the
city; Macau only has 19,600. But even though the destination has
only around 15% of the hotel space available, their gambling
revenues are twice as much as Las Vegas each year.
The mix of cultures provides a unique experience in gambling
travel. The food and architecture differ from what you’ll find
anywhere else in the world. One might expect it to be similar to
Hong Kong, since the two destinations are so near each other,
but that’s not the case at all.
In fact, you’ll probably see two different sides of Macau.
After all, twenty years ago, it resembled nothing more than a
sleepy little village with a few beaches. Some of that
atmosphere remains, but alongside that is the hustle and bustle
of new development spurred by the massive interest in gambling
and tourist accommodations.
Macau offers more than just gambling. It’s also a well-known
destination for shoppers—in that respect, it IS much like Vegas
and Atlantic City. The sight-seeing in Macau is of an entirely
different nature. It’s also an affordable vacation, assuming you
can keep your gambling under control.
Spending Money in Macau
If you’re used to visiting casinos in the United States,
you’ll know that everyone does business in US dollars. In Macau
though, you have to make adjustments for the local currency.
You have two currency choices when traveling in Macau:
- Patacas
- Hong Kong dollars
Patacas are the local currency. They’re analogous to a
dollar, as they’re made up of 100 avos, the Macau analogue to a
penny. Like most countries, the money in Macau comes in the form
of coins and banknotes, although lower denominations of patacas
are coins rather than notes. Where in the United States we have
$1 and $5 bills, in Macau, you would use a coin for 1, 2, or 5
patacas. They have banknotes starting at 10 patacas and going up
to 1000 patacas. The local abbreviation for patacas is MOP$.
Hong Kong dollars are worth slightly (about 3%) less than
patacas, but the hotels, casinos, restaurants, and shops in
Macau ignore that 3% and just treat Hong Kong dollars as having
equal value to patacas. If you’re planning to spend part of your
trip in Hong Kong, you might as well get all your foreign
currency in Hong Kong dollars. Patacas are not accepted in Hong
Kong, but Hong Kong dollars are accepted in Macau. If you’re
planning to spend your entire time in Macau, you can use either
form of currency. The abbreviation for Hong Kong dollar is HK$.
Hotels generally list their rates in HK$, while most other
places tend to use MOP$.
Gambling in Macau
If you’re going to Macau, the chances are you’re planning to
do some gambling. Asian cultures, China especially, love
gambling. As a result, much of the traffic in Macau casinos
hails from Taiwan and Hong Kong. Casino games are far and away
the most popular form of gambling, with poker some way behind.
Casino Games
You’ll have over 30 different casinos to choose from, but
probably about half of them are owned by foreign investors. So
even though some of the sights and sounds of Macau are going to
seem exotic, many of the casinos will seem strangely familiar.
Like Las Vegas, you can find luxury casinos or more low-rent
gambling halls, but all of them have unusual rules for gamblers
from the West. We’ll list some of the most notable casinos later,
and also explain all about the games available.
Poker
Texas Holdem is available at some casinos in Macau, but not
all of them. The action is loose and aggressive, with most
players staying in for the flop on almost every hand. This
changes the texture of the game dramatically. If you can adjust
to this difference, you can probably profit from the holdem
action in Macau.
Major Casinos in Macau
As we’ve already mentioned, there are over 30 casinos in
Macau. The following are some of most notable ones.
The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel on Cotai
is one of the largest casinos in the world, with 546,000 square feet of floor space
and over 3,400 slot machines. They also feature over 800 table games.
City of Dreams
is another must-see, with over 1,000 hungry tigers and over 370 table games.
The MGM Grand Macau
is similar in size to City of Dreams.
The Wynn Macau
is a popular casino, but it’s also a legitimate tourist attraction
because of the “dancing fountains” in the casino’s Performance Lake.
Grand Lisboa
is notable for being the first casino in Macau to offer Texas hold’em.
Please note that you’re not allowed to take photographs in
Macau casinos. This is a common enough rule in casinos even in
the United States, although it’s not as rigorously enforced in
many destinations.
Casino Games in Macau
Most of the traditional casino games you’re used to in Las
Vegas and Atlantic City are available here, including baccarat,
blackjack, roulette, and hungry tigers—or, as we call them, slot
machines. Fan tan and sic bo are also more popular there than
they are here. Here is some information you should know about
some of the more commonly played games.
Blackjack
The blackjack games in Macau are some of the best in the
world. If you use perfect basic strategy, you’ll face (at most
casinos) a house edge of only 0.16%. This makes blackjack in
Macau one of the best casino games in the world. In fact, unless
the MGM has changed its rules, you can play against a tiny house
edge of 0.09% there.
Some of the favorable rules offered at most Macau casinos
include:
- Players can double on any two cards
- Players can double after splitting
- Players can split up to four hands—with the exception of
aces, which can only be split once - Players can take early surrender unless the dealer has
an ace
Some casinos offer more favorable rules than others. For
example, the MGM and the Wynn allow players to re-split aces,
which give the player an additional 0.08%. Most casinos uses six
decks, but you can find casinos which only use five decks. This
only adds 0.01% to the players’ expectation, but every hundredth
of a percentage counts.
Some casinos offer less favorable rules, too. For example,
the Galaxy casinos only allow the player to split up to three
hands.
Baccarat
Baccarat is the most popular gambling game in Macau casinos.
It’s played by the same rules you’ll see in other casino
destinations. Over half of the table games in a Macau casino are
devoted to baccarat, and almost 90% of the casino’s revenue
comes from the game. Compare baccarat’s popularity to the
popularity of slot machines in the United States, which account
for 60% to 70% of the casinos’ revenue. That should give you an
idea of just how popular baccarat is in Macau.
3 Card Baccarat is an unusual variation of the game, possibly
unique to Macau. It uses one standard deck of playing cards.
Face cards are 0 points, while all of the other cards are worth
their ranking in points. The player and the dealer both get
three cards.
The best hand possible is three face cards. If no one has
that hand, the hands are scored just like they would be in a
traditional baccarat game. The player with the most points is
the winner. In the event of a tie, the face cards act as tie
breakers; the hand with more face cards wins. If the player and
the dealer tie AND have the same number of face cards, then the
hand is a push.
You also have more bets to choose from in this version of the
game. You can take the player bet, which wins if the player hand
beats the dealer hand. This bet pays out at 1 to 1, but there is
a 5% commission. The house edge on the player bet is 2.41%. The
player wins 48.11% of the time.
You can also place a bet on what the dealer’s total will be.
You can bet on any of the ten possible scores a dealer might
wind up with, 0 through 9. All of these bets pay out at 8 to 1,
although the house edge varies dramatically based on which total
you bet on. The following chart shows the house edge for each
dealer total bet:
| Dealer Total Bet | House Edge |
|---|---|
| 0 | 2.91% |
| 1 | 9.92% |
| 2 | 11.87% |
| 3 | 9.92% |
| 4 | 11.87% |
| 5 | 9.92% |
| 6 | 11.87% |
| 7 | 9.92% |
| 8 | 11.87% |
| 9 | 9.92% |
Obviously, the only dealer total bet worth making in 3 Card
Baccarat is on a dealer total of 0, but even that has a higher
house edge than a bet on the player.
You can also bet that there will be a tie. This bet pays out
20 to 1, but a tie is less likely in this version of baccarat
than usual–both the dealer and the player must not only have
the same number of points, but also must have the same number of
face cards in their hands. The house edge on this bet is
atrocious at 20.8%.
But believe it or not, that’s not the worst bet in 3 Card
Baccarat. That distinction belongs to the “Three Faces” bet.
This one pays out at 16 to 1, but your chance of winning is only
1 in 100. This bet has the highest house edge of any casino game
bet we’ve ever seen: 83.08%.
Big Six is unusual in United States casinos nowadays, but
it’s still common in Macau. It looks a little different there,
though.
In the USA, the wheel is labeled with denominations of
currency, but in Macau, they use colored numbers instead. You
can choose from any of the following 7 colors, with the
following payouts:
- Orange – even odds
- Purple – 3 to 1
- Green – 5 to 1
- Blue – 10 to 1
- Yellow – 20 to 1
- Either of the Logos – 45 to 1
The house edge on this game is ridiculously high. On the
orange, purple, and green bets, you face a house edge of 7.69%.
Blue has a house edge of 15.38%. Yellow has a 19.23% house edge,
and each logo has a house edge of 11.54%–you have to choose
which logo you’re betting on.
Caribbean Stud Poker
Caribbean Stud Poker is more widely played in Macau than it
is in Vegas. It’s not going to replace baccarat there anytime
soon, but it’s still very popular. Game play varies little from
the United States, although some of the payouts differ. You
should check out the pay tables before you start playing, to
make sure you know what to expect.
Fan Tan
Fan Tan is a casino game only available at the larger
casinos. It’s played on a large table with white buttons. The
dealer also uses a cup and a wand as props. Almost sounds like a
magic trick, doesn’t it?
The game starts with the dealer putting a bunch of buttons
under a cup. The players then place bets on how many buttons are
under the cup. The buttons are counted off into groups of four,
and then the bets are paid off based on the numbers 1 through 4.
The game pays out at true odds, but the casino takes a 5%
commission.
Multiple betting options are available, each of which has an
exotic name. These are as follows.
- A Fan is the basic single number bet. It pays out at 3
to 1. The house edge on the Fan bet is 3.75%. - A Nim bet is a bet on two numbers, but one of those
numbers has to be considered a “push”. The winning number
pays 2 to 1. The house edge on this bet is 2.5%. - A Kwok is a bet on two numbers, but with this bet, you
don’t have to choose a number as a push. This pays out at
even odds, and the house edge is 2.5%. - Nga Tan is a bet on three numbers. Again, you have to
choose one as a push. This pays out at 1 to 2, and the house
edge is 1.25%. - The She-Sam-Hong is to the Nga Tan what the Kwok is to
the Nim. (I never thought I’d ever write anything like that
sentence in my life.) You bet on three numbers, but you
don’t have to choose one as a push. This pays out at 1 to 3,
and the house edge is 1.25%.
Don’t forget that a 5% commission is taken out of your
winnings. That’s not reflected in the payouts above, although
the house edges listed do.
Pai Gow
Pai Gow is harder to find in Macau than you would expect.
We’ve seen at least one report online that indicated it was
harder to find in most Macau casinos than it is in Las Vegas.
The rules of etiquette for Macau Pai Gow are intense, too.
It’s played standing up around a table. Players get hands
made up of what look like dominoes, which they then have to set.
But the unusual thing about the game etiquette is that you’re
not allowed to look at your tiles. You have to feel the number
of pips on each tile by using your fingers. Also, you have to
pick up your tiles one at a time.
Keno
Keno might or might not still be available in Macau. The most
recent reference we could find to the game in Macau on the
Internet was dated 2012, and it said that keno was only
available in one casino, the Lisboa. It’s played the same in
Macau as it is in Las Vegas, with 80 balls, 20 of which are
drawn at random in each game.
Macau keno does offer an additional betting option –
High/Low/Middle. With this you’re basically betting on whether
the balls will fall into one of those three categories.
- High: Majority of balls are between 41 and 80.
- Low: Majority of balls are between 1 and 40.
- Middle: 10 of the balls are high, and the other 10 balls
are low.
Sic Bo
Sic Bo is a popular dice game in Macau casinos. It’s rarer in
casinos in the United States, although some casinos here have
it. The standard version of the game is found there, but Macau
also offers an unusual version of the game called Yee Hah Hi
(Fish Shrimp Crab). It uses multi-colored pictures on the sides
of the dice instead of pips.
The symbols used include the fish, shrimp, goard, coin, crab,
and rooster. The colors used include red, green, and blue. All
of the usual Sic Bo bets are available at the Yee Hah Hi tables,
but you’ll also find three additional bets based on the colors.
You can bet on whether or not all the dice come up the same
color, two of the dice come up the same color, or if one of the
dice comes up as the color you choose.
Sic Bo can be a lot of fun, but the house edge is relatively
high. The best bets on the table (small/big or odd/even) offer a
house edge of 2.78%.
Other Games
Casino War is a simple game that most
Americans are familiar with. In Macau, it’s usually played with
six decks. It features the same options and house edge as the
American version of the game.
Craps is available in Macau, but it’s not
popular. It’s played almost exactly the same in Macau as in the
United States. In fact, the dealers even call the game in
English.
Fortune Three Card Poker is just another
name for Three Card Poker. It’s more popular in the USA than
Macau, but it’s easy to find at most larger casinos there.
Mah Jong Pai Gow isn’t a common game
anywhere– not even in Macau–but you can still find it in some
of the older casinos there. It’s played with Mah Jong tiles. The
dealer doesn’t play, but she does take a 5% commission from all
the winners.
Mah Jong Pai gow is similar to baccarat. Players bet on the
banker or the player. The house edge is 1.25% for the banker bet
and 3.75% for the player bet.
Roulette is readily available in most Macau
casinos, and they only offer single zero roulette, which makes
the game a better deal than it is at most U.S. casinos. The
house edge on Macau roulette is 2.70%.
Slot machines can be found in Macau casinos,
but they’re not popular there like they are in the United
States. In fact, slot machine revenue in Macau casinos is less
than 1% of their total gambling revenue. That represents a
tremendous cultural difference.
Slot machines in Macau are called, aptly enough, “hungry
tigers”. Their payout percentages are lower than you’d normally
see in a Las Vegas or Atlantic City casino.
Video Poker is not popular in Macau, and you
have few choices of games. The following video poker games are
available:
- Bonus Poker
- Deuces Wild
- Double Bonus Poker
- Jacks or Better
- Joker Poker
You won’t generally find very good pay tables for these
games, either. 7/5 and 6/5 Jacks or Better are common. On the
other hand, progressive jackpot games, including video poker,
are more common in Macau than elsewhere. If you can find a video
poker game with a high enough progressive jackpot, the payout
percentage can go up significantly.
Summary
Macau offers gamblers from the West an opportunity to see how
culturally different gambling can be in other countries. It’s
hard to imagine a casino, or a city of casinos, which only sees
less than 1% of its revenue from gaming machines. It’s also hard
to imagine the insane popularity of baccarat. It’s worth the
trip just to get a taste of this kind of gambling mayhem.
Before you go, you might want to take a look at the following
pages, where we provide more useful information on visiting
Macau
Recommended Hotels in Macau
There are plenty of places to stay in Macau, and we can help
you choose the right one for you. We’ve listed a range of the
best hotels in a variety of categories.
Macau Casino Directory
In this directory we have provided details on a number of
Macau casinos. It includes information on the gaming and other
facilities available at each venue.
Non-Gambling Activities in Macau
Macau is not just for gamblers, and there are some other
things to do and see. We’ve detailed some of the best
non-gambling activities on this page.
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