Harrah’s Resort SoCal Hands Out $1.4 Million EZ Baccarat Jackpot

One lucky Southern California gambler took home a $1.4 million jackpot this week.

In a press release, Harrah’s Resort Southern California — about 40 miles north of San Diego — said the jackpot was one of the largest won in Southern California this year. An anonymous gambler, identified as M.H., hit a $1,407,630 jackpot playing the table game EZ Baccarat, the casino announced.

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Here’s how it happened:

• M.H. bet the $5 progressive wager.
• M.H. received the top qualifying hand (Panda 8 vs. Dragon 7 suited), which led to M.H. being awarded the Cash Spin.
• The Cash Spin landed on 100% Ultra, which means M.H. got the top prize or 100% of the top meter.
• M.H. received a $1,407,630 payout.

How EZ Baccarat Works

EZ Baccarat has the same rules as regular baccarat. The only difference is that the Bank hand is a “push” or “barred” when it wins with a total of 7 with three cards. In normal baccarat, the Bank would get a 5% commission with that winning hand.

The objective is to assemble a hand of two or three cards with total values as close to 9 as possible. It’s the Player vs. the Bank.

Cards 2 through 9 are worth face value. Aces are worth 1. Tens, Jacks, Queens, and Kings are worth 0. EZ Baccarat only takes the ones digit into account. So, a hand totaling 8 is the same as a hand totaling 18. Once your hand exceeds 9, it essentially resets to 0.

You can place a bet on your hand winning, the Bank hand winning, or it being a tie. A winning Player or Bank bet pays even money. A winning tie bet pays 9-to-1.

There are two EZ Baccarat side bets to consider, as well:

• Panda 8 — The Player wins with a hand totaling 8 with three cards. The bet pays 25-to-1.
• Dragon 7 — The Bank wins with a hand totaling 7 with three cards. The bet pays 40-to-1.

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