Challenge to HE quote in Wizard's old article for "Triple Shot" (Blackjack element)

Wizard of Odds - Triple Shot

I am currently training in the dealer school at my local casino. I have always been a huge nerd for gaming math and old games not currently found on the casino floor. I've worked there for a while, so I know that my casino used to offer a game called "Triple Shot". It's a carnival game where you can gamble on War, Blackjack, and Poker all at the same time. The Wizard article makes it sound exactly like what it is - a huge carnival game. The only game with any chance of an edge, the Blackjack element, has rules that are way too stingy to make it anywhere near a player-profitable game. However, while digging around through my casino's storage room, I found their old Triple Shot layout. It changes things up considerably.

The Wizard places this game as having a 1.84% house edge, however:

- my casino's layout clearly states STAND on soft 17, not hit, which should lower the house edge by 0.22%, right?
- it also states that blackjacks pay fairly at 3-2!! 3-2 on a stand-on-17 single deck game? I read at WOO that this is worth 1.39%.

I read online that someone exploited the shit out of this game because it essentially became a card counter's paradise as a super-player-advantageous single deck game if card counting were implemented, with floorpeople ultimately unconcerned with it due to it being a carnival game in the first place. Could this have any reason behind why it was pulled, at least at my casino? Which ruleset for Blackjack was the norm for this game? Was my casino a unique case? I'm not sure if bets on war or poker were necessary, so I don't know how that affects the overall house edge, but I do know through the layout that my casino offered the more "liberal" of the two paytables for the poker element.

Reference pictures:

I'd be interested to see these rules in place at an actual casino. As well, I don't think this game is really susceptible to counting, as the deck is reshuffled after every deal.

The paytables may be offered in Washington State. According to Stanley Ko's analysis of the game under those rules (found here, scroll to page 8

Quote: Stanley Ko Analysis

Under the aforementioned rules, the house advantage is
0.2715% per initial bet if the dealer hits soft 17; or
0.0832% per initial bet if the dealer stands on soft 17

The article also shows the optimal strategy for playing the game!!!

This game might be able to be found at Sun City in California. A great single deck game if you can find it.

Quote: boymimbo

I don't think this game is really susceptible to counting, as the deck is reshuffled after every deal.

Not in regards to varying your bet, but for making decisions, if you're in third base, absolutely!

If I was a casino operator operating 3:2 blackjack, I'd make the players play at least 2 of the three games. For example, in Wisconsin, all three bets are mandatory. In Alberta, all three bets are mandatory.