Gaming revenues for January 2008 were down 4.75% over that period last year. Initially, high-stakes baccarat was blamed for the decline but after Vegas dropped room rates for the month of February, things still continued to decline. February had a decline of 4% from that same period last year, and eyes on Wall Street have begun to watch Sin City a little closer.

“Gaming revenues have been soft this year. However, we believe the decline is not as bad as expected,” Deutsche Bank gaming analyst Bill Lerner said in a note to investors. “Still, with room rates down this quarter and gaming revenue declining, it is clear that Las Vegas is feeling the impact of a difficult economic environment.”

Gaming declined in every area of Nevada other than Carson Valley and Clark County casinos. Some experts think that the NY Giants upset victory in the Super Bowl caused most of the February loss.

I’m all for learning as much as you can about a subject — anything, really — by doing your research online. However, sometimes you have to take your research offline to dig a little deeper.

When it comes to baccarat, the best way to learn is by playing. On “Lyle Stuart on Baccarat,” here’s what one Amazon.com reviewer had to say: “Lyle Stuart tells not only how to win at Baccarat, but more importantly how not to lose your shirt. Lyle is a world champion Baccarat player and actually plays exactly how he writes with enthusiasm and passion, balanced by common sense.”

Play as much baccarat as you can for free at any number of online casinos, then when you’re ready to take it to the next level, visit the library or order one or two of these little gems online:

The Baccarat Battle Book
Secrets of Winning Baccarat
Lyle Stuart on Baccarat
Baccarat for the Clueless
Winning at Casino Gambling
The Basics of Winning Baccarat