Kampek high tech

This article first appeared in the Nov/Dec 2011 issue of World Gaming magazine.

With 31 casinos in Macau including the thriving BIG8* first-tier properties it can be hard for the smaller second-tier and third-tier casinos to offer a differentiated product and stand out from the crowd. However, the Kampek Paradise casino has had no such difficulty. With an extremely prominent position right next door to Lisboa and directly across Friendship Avenue from Wynn, Kampek has taken a novel approach to the casino business, which has made it unique amongst the Macau gaming industry. Let’s take a look at this fascinating property.

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*The Macau “BIG8” is a gaming term invented by World Gaming and consists of Macau’s “tier one” or “first-tier” properties, that is those properties World Gaming feels comprise the “biggest and most influential”. The first tier is subject to change from time to time. For example prior to the opening of Galaxy Macau the BIG8 was actually a BIG7. A property can move into or out of the first tier by an increase or a decrease in that property’s influence over the Macau gaming industry. At the time of writing the BIG8 consists of City of Dreams, Galaxy Macau, Grand Lisboa, MGM, Sands, StarWorld, Venetian and Wynn.

From time to time casino executives make statements like, “Baccarat is baccarat. The odds are the same, the game is the same. All the properties offer the same product.” We here at WGM think this statement is ridiculous and one that lazy casino executives make. If this were true, players wouldn’t care what casino they played in, yet we see them fiercely loyal to one property or another. There are many factors driving the passion and enthusiasm of players for and against the various competing properties.

The best way for a casino to capture a loyal following and some market share is to offer something attractive that its competitors do not. Consider these facts about Kampek Paradise casino:

• You can play for as little as HK$20 a hand, on baccarat tables dealt by real live dealers (not a machine). The lowest minimums in most other casinos are five, ten or fifteen times that amount.
• You can play on ten tables simultaneously!You’d be lucky to play on two tables simultaneously in most other properties, and it would involve a lot of running around.
• The baccarat games run at about 60 hands per hour.That’s at least double the speed at most other casinos. And remember you can play up to ten tables at once, so at full speed you could be having a bet every six seconds! And no this is not on a slot machine; this is all with real human beings dealing real playing cards.
• There is no need to ever leave your seat to get food, drinks or to change tables!
• Each player can keep his betting decisions completely private from all the other players.
• And here’s the kicker…at any given moment just five dealers can deal baccarat, roulette and sic-bo to 527 players!

This doesn’t sound like any normal casino, it sounds like a casino on steroids! How is all this possible? The answer is this: technology. Welcome to the wonderful world of Kampek Paradise.

Let’s back up a little and explain how Kampek can be so different to other casinos. You’ll find Kampek Paradise on the first, second and third floors of 197-233 Avenida da Amizade (Traditional Chinese: 友誼大馬路, Cantonese pronunciation: yau yi dai ma lo, Mandarin pronunication: yǒu yì dà mǎ lù, English: Friendship Avenue). The building occupies the block immediately east of Lisboa, immediately west of Hotel Fortuna, and directly opposite Wynn (north) across Avenida da Amizade. On the map in the back of this magazine Kampek is casino number 05 at grid reference J11.

Kampek Paradise opened on 28 December 2007. The casino started on the third floor and then expanded to the second and first floors as demand grew. You’ll find 36 traditional baccarat tables and one traditional sic-bo table in the casino, but this is not what makes Kampek special. In addition to the traditional tables, you’ll also find ten very special tables that Kampek refer to as their “live table games” (these types of table are also sometimes referred to as live-dealer tables). These ten tables come as five pairs: four pairs of two baccarat tables and a roulette/sic-bo table pairing. Each pair of tables is conjoined, with a single dealer dealing both tables, alternating between the two.

The players are nowhere near the tables! Instead, they are seated at any one of 527 electronic gaming terminals throughout the three-floor casino, placing their bets electronically on the results of one or more of the ten live table games from the comfort of their seat. A surveillance camera sits on each table beaming the action in real time to the terminals throughout the property. The entire suite of baccarat trend information is kept electronically on each of the eight live table baccarat games. (For a thorough explanation of baccarat trend following techniques including the “big road”, “big eye boy”, “small road”, “cockroach road” and the “bead plate”, see parts 1 and 2 our article “Fate in the cards” in our Jul/Aug 2011 and Sep/Oct 2011 issues respectively, available on our website wgm8.com.)

So is this a traditional table game product or an electronic gaming product? It’s neither really; this is another example of the hybrids that are emerging in the modern casino industry.

This system of betting offers players many advantages:

• Players can bet on any table at any time without leaving their seat
• Players can monitor trends and runs on all ten tables simultaneously
• Approximately 600 hands per hour are dealt across the ten tables, so players with limited time can get all the action they need
• Players can learn at their own pace and not be intimidated or pressured by more experienced players on their table
• The system allows Kampek to offer a very low entry level bet (just HK$20 on baccarat and HK$10 on roulette and sic-bo), making live table games accessible to players who otherwise could not afford it
• Players have the confidence of knowing the results of the game are generated by real human beings using real playing cards, as opposed to an electronic process

You would be forgiven for thinking there must not be very many staff at Kampek, given the players are mostly placing their bets electronically. Actually the casino employs around 680 staff, who attend to the players’ every need. For example, players can simply push a button on their terminal, and an attendant will appear and take orders for snacks or drinks.

Kampek is a very high tech place. Throughout the property there are no less than 322 flat screens on walls and chandeliers displaying all kinds of action – from trend following information on games in the casino to normal television and even sports coverage. When the live dealer concept started at Kampek, the players seemed to instantly understand it, and betting this way has now become totally natural at this casino.

 The terminals

Kampek uses about five different terminal models, including the Slanttop- 4 monitor which is the same terminal used in the Venetian Imperial Stadium (see our article entitled “Imperial Stadium to offer baccarat and multi-tabling” in our Jul/Aug 2011 issue available on our website wgm8.com).

Also available are the famous “Paradise Box” terminals which will make you feel more like a jet pilot than a casino player! These super high tech terminals have no less than three separate screens, with a seat accommodating either one or two people, allowing couples or friends to have fun together.

Live table games betting levels

It is important to choose a terminal that has the right level of betting for you. There are three different levels of betting for baccarat:

• HK$20 to HK$30,000
• HK$50 to HK$40,000
• HK$300 to HK$100,000 (only available in the high limit area on the third floor)

The live dealer roulette game offers betting from HK$10 to HK$8,000 and the live dealer sic-bo game has bets from HK$10 to HK$40,000.

Ground floor

Kampek has entrances on both the north and south sides of the building. When entering from the south (straight off Avenida da Amizade opposite Wynn) the first thing you’ll notice is the 1955 MG TF 1500 Roadster. With only 3,400 made in 1955, this is one of the rarest MGs out there. You’ll pass the MG and take the escalator to the first floor. If entering from the north, take the escalator directly off the street to the first floor.

First floor

Here you will find all 37 traditional tables (36 baccarat and one sic-bo) including a high limit area offering bets up to HK$200,000 on baccarat. The traditional sic-bo game has a minimum of HK$50 and a maximum of HK$80,000. There is also a no smoking area with live table game terminals, and four of the live-dealer tables (#1 and #2 baccarat, and #3 roulette and #4 sic-bo). You can stand as close to the roulette wheel as the dealer does. Don’t be tempted to reach in and grab the roulette ball!

The first floor is also home to the Noodle Shop, where you can pick up quick and inexpensive meals. Prices start at MOP$20.

Second floor

Head up the escalators to the second floor, where you’ll find many more of the live dealer table game terminals. Here you will also find The Club, run by Mr Andy Crisafi, a great friend of World Gaming. The Club houses all of Kampek’s 217 traditional slot machines, and has its very own dedicated player program. For more information, visit their website at theclub-macau.com.

Third floor

One more journey up the escalators takes you to the third floor, where Kampek first opened. Of course there are more live table game terminals including the high tech three-screen Paradise Box terminals. The third floor is also home to a beautifully appointed high limit area with terminals offering HK$300 to HK$100,000 limits. Be sure to pick up the latest copy of World Gaming either in the high limit area or at the lounge area to the left of the top of the escalator when you first arrive at the third floor.

There are six more live table game baccarat tables on the third floor (#13, #14, #15, #16, #17 and #18), as well as the Long Cuisine restaurant which serves Cantonese, Shanghainese and Northern Chinese cuisine, and offers a great view across Friendship Avenue to the Wynn property.

Paradise Jackpot™ progressive baccarat jackpot

Yet another technical innovation at Kampek is a progressive baccarat jackpot known as the “Paradise Jackpot”. At the time of writing the jackpot was over HK$1.5 million, and as a bonus any player who wins the full jackpot also wins a Harley Davidson motorcycle!

To be eligible to win the jackpot, the player must place a HK$10 side bet. There are five ways to win this side bet:

Paradise players club

Kampek Paradise has a players club with three levels of cards: green, silver and black. Players can redeem their points for benefits such as meals, ferry tickets, hotel rooms at nearby hotels, wine, souvenirs and Apple computer products.

I recently had the opportunity to chat with Mr Jay Chun, Chairman and Managing Director, Paradise Entertainment Limited, who explained the evolution of Kampek and the development of their live dealer games and terminals.

“With our Live Table Multi-Game System, players can enjoy all their favorite table games on one single play station. They also won’t be intimated by the normal high table betting limit. Our system makes table games more entertaining and exciting!”

We here at World Gaming agree with Jay, and for those of you visiting Macau and looking for something different, such as lower limits or a more private gaming experience, it is definitely worth paying a visit to Kampek Paradise casino. For more information, visit their website at www.paradise-macau.com