Blackjack with 3 Card Side Bet
March 5th, 2012 at 1:59:10 PM
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I see where Harrah's properties now have Blackjack with a 3 card side bet. You play with your first 2 cards and the dealer's upcard. Like 3 card poker, you're paid on 3 of kind, straights, flushed and straight flushes. Given they deal from an 8 deck shoe, has there been any analysis as to the house edge on this side bet?
March 5th, 2012 at 2:05:26 PM
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Which properties have you seen this at?
March 5th, 2012 at 2:10:03 PM
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21+3 Sidebet
http://wizardofvegas.com/forum/off-topic/general/10042-woes-black-sheep-game-ii/#post151727
March 5th, 2012 at 4:51:12 PM
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Quote: zookieI see where Harrah's properties now have Blackjack with a 3 card side bet. You play with your first 2 cards and the dealer's upcard. Like 3 card poker, you're paid on 3 of kind, straights, flushed and straight flushes. Given they deal from an 8 deck shoe, has there been any analysis as to the house edge on this side bet?
If you didn't click the link, the house edge on that bet is roughly 3.24%. It does go down or up based on the number of decks in the shoe. Most houses will run 6-decks, to keep the house edge slightly higher.
However, this isn't a game that Caesars/Harrah's offers in every casino. In fact, 21+3 is largely a market game, found in nearly all the Midwest casinos (save Iowa, though Ameristar CB now has it, and Illinois). Caesars only offers it in those places because it gets a TON of action, sometimes even more than the main game itself. Instead, Caesars prefers games with much higher house edges, like Lucky Ladies and Pair Square. The philosophy is if people play games with 20% house edges, why offer anything else.
"One out of every four people are [morons]"- Kyle, South Park
March 5th, 2012 at 5:41:30 PM
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Quote: Tiltpoul...The philosophy is if people play games with 20% house edges, why offer anything else.
Casino operators DO drop high-edge bets for lower-edge bets when the player action indicates that this is to be done.
Players voted with their feet and wallets on this one.
Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes - Henry David Thoreau. Like Dealers' uniforms - Dan.
March 6th, 2012 at 5:04:48 AM
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I was at Paris and they had it on most of their tables. Blackjack was still 3-2 but you had an option to play the side bet for a $5 minimum.
March 6th, 2012 at 5:30:06 AM
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Thanks for the link to the 21 + 3 analysis. However, the payable table is not quite the same. Paris is using an 8 deck shoe and the payouts are much different. I don't remember the exact payouts but I believe that it when as high as 40 to 1 for a straight flush. Is there an updated analysis?
