POKERJACK

I am heading to Las Vegas in a few days and have heard about a new game at the Flamingo called "pokerjack". I know very little about the game except that you can choose if you play poker or blackjack after the the inital black jack deal. I have been searching the interwbs for rules of the game. I have found little...I suspect the game has an extreme house advantage but need to know the rules to determine it. Has anyone played it or does anyone know the rules?

I quickly found this YouTube PokerJack Video. It was recorded at the Flamingo, and features the inventor of PokerJack.

unfortunately, I had a hard time following the details. The inventor was explaining it, but isn't a good speaker, and the video was badly produced, but there it is.

I watched it a second time.

It seems like a hybrid of BJ and Hold 'Em, but really didn't explain the options well.

There was no explanation why the table layout has card faces.


I was shocked that this is being debuted at the Flamingo. However, some of the comments he made at the end makes me think he is a Flamingo floor person or casino manager.


He also said one thing that REALLY irritated me: He is predicting that this game will ENCOURAGE arguments among the players about what a player should have done. And that such arguments are what makes these types of games fun.


Geez, know-it-alls telling me shit is one of the reasons I don't play blackjack anymore! He's actually encouraging that?

I found the video before and get the jist of the game but I was looking for the actual rules and can't seem to find them. I'll probably swing by the Flamingo to take a look.

Hey, I was actually at the Flamingo a few days and had a chance to play it. Pretty much you start with two antes, one for blackjack and one for hold'em. You're dealt two cards and the dealer is dealt one card face up and one card face down (like blackjack). Now you look at your whole cards and have the option to play black jack or poker or surrender (and take one of your antes back), but you cannot play both. If you play blackjack, you put another bet and play blackjack normally by hitting, splitting, double down, etc. and then the dealer reveals his hand and has to hit under 17, like BJ. You get paid on the BJ ante and your BJ bet if you win. BJ pays 6-5. The dealer plays BJ first. If you play poker, the cards dealt for the dealer's bj hand is now the community and you have an option to put another bet in if you like your hand with the community or you can check. After you make your decision, the dealer deals out cards until there is 5 community and then deal 2 face up for his hand and then its showdown from there and you get paid 1 to 1 for all your bets on your poker bets starting from your poker ante.

This game sounds really confusing but its pretty easy. The houses edge is based on the two antes, but its not huge when you get option to play either. The best case scenario is having at least one person play BJ so you can see the community for free. Also, there's a bonus bet where you bet on the dealers hand for straight or higher in poker but thats a huge crap chute. Hopefully this helps! Cheers.

I must be missing something. It seems like the only advantage the house has over regular BJ is only paying 6:5. How did you do? How did others at the table do?

Thanks that helps. I will definately have to check it out when I'm at the flamingo.

Quote: NeoNite

a huge crap chute.

Heh. I like it.

Well, the other advantage is that you do not get paid the poker ante when you win in blackjack, so thats where they get their edge, I profitted a few bills from the game, others did ok, some ppl should have played poker when they played BJ, like some ppl played 10-7 against 7 showing, which meant they had a pair in hold'em, so as long as you know how to play poker then you'll do fine lol

I assume you mean that if you lose, you lose both antes.

However, if you win, you get paid on the one ante and bet and the other ante pushes.

That extra ante is a big part of the house edge.

Yes, precisely, but the edge isnt as big as something like the other table games, like hold'em bonus, cause you get option in this game, also theres a few other rules, like if you hit a straight or better you get paid on both antes or if you make a 3-card 21 you get paid on both antes.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

That extra ante is a big part of the house edge.

What is that house edge? What is it for a half-in-the-bag-fanny-packed-tourist who just wandered by the table and starts playing?

I think I played this game at the gaming show. The video and the descriptions here make it sound confusing, but as I recall, I picked it up quite easily at the show.

Speaking of new games, I hear that Three Card Blackjack is under field trial at the Monte Carlo.

Quote: Wizard

I think I played this game at the gaming show. The video and the descriptions here make it sound confusing, but as I recall, I picked it up quite easily at the show.

Speaking of new games, I hear that Three Card Blackjack is under field trial at the Monte Carlo.

Three card Blackjack? Can you tell us a little more or link to where you did?