New Game Field trials - Q3 version...

It's flurries, I tell you.

The NGCB, (Nevada Gaming Control Board) as part of its civic duty and fine support of the gaming industry, posts the list of the new fields trials in Nevada, It is excellent that they do so, so that the games can get some public notice, and some review and patronage.

Da new contendahs are (The new contenders are):

Flushes Gone Wild, by the Shuffle Master Division of Scientific Gaming. The game is already released and approved in Washington State, with the Rules of play here. Field Trial currently underway at Planet Hollywood. Be there or be square.

Saigon 5-card by "Tang Dynasty". (I shall not comment on the strongly-themed aspect here...for those of a certain age, images of Lyndon B. Johnson, conical hats, and B-52 bombers appear...) A two-handed Baccarat game, where when dealt five cards, you make zero-valued three card side from it, and a perfect 10 two-card side (if possible), else 9 or close as possible on the two-card side with a zero three card. There is also a mandatory pot bet. If you can't make a three card zero, you foul. See and play the game here.

Extremely and exceedingly similar to Two Cards High. The inventor of Two Cards High is George Boutsifakos, who was a crap dealer at the Golden Nugget, whom I know, and his Two Cards High game was field-trialed at Boulder Station, and was also offered on the Strip at the Flamingo, all about eight years ago, right after I came to Las Vegas, when I was working at Station Casinos). Saigon 5-card might revitalize Two Cards High if Saigon 5 card is successful and non-infringing, or if it is infringing, might get George to look at it. I cannot, and I am not making a call on this, except to say that they are remarkably similar, and that Mike Shackleford posted Two cards quite a while ago, and that a lot of inadvertent duplication occurs in game design.

2 Card Poker. Make your best two card hand from four cards dealt, to face the dealer, I believe. At the Stratosphere. You decide.

Excitement abounds.

Quote: Paigowdan

It's flurries, I tell you.

The NGCB, (Nevada Gaming Control Board) as part of its civic duty and fine support of the gaming industry, posts the list of the new fields trials in Nevada, It is excellent that they do so, so that the games can get some public notice, and some review and patronage.

Da new contendahs are (The new contenders are):

Flushes Gone Wild, by the Shuffle Master Division of Scientific Gaming. The game is already released and approved in Washington State, with the Rules of play here. Field Trial currently underway at Planet Hollywood. Be there or be square.

Saigon 5-card by "Tang Dynasty". (I shall not comment on the strongly-themed aspect here...for those of a certain age, images of Lyndon B. Johnson, conical hats, and B-52 bombers appear...) A two-handed Baccarat game, where when dealt five cards, you make zero-valued three card side from it, and a perfect 10 two-card side (if possible), else 9 or close as possible on the two-card side with a zero three card. If you can't make a three card zero, you foul. Extremely and exceedingly similar to Two Cards High. The inventor of Two Cards High is George Boutsifakos, who was a crap dealer at the Golden Nugget, whom I know, and his Two Cards High game was field-trialed at Boulder Station, and was also offered on the Strip at the Flamingo, all about eight years ago, right after I came to Las Vegas, when I was working at Station Casinos). Saigon 5-card might revitalize Two Cards High if Saigon 5 card is successful and non-infringing, or if it is infringing, might get George to look at it. I cannot, and I am not making a call on this, except to say that they are remarkably similar, and that Mike Shackleford posted Two cards quite a while ago, and that a lot of inadvertent duplication occurs in game design.

2 Card Poker. Make your best two card hand from four cards dealt, to face the dealer, I believe. At the Stratosphere. You decide.

Excitement abounds.

Strange that SHFL would come out with another flush game after their "Flush Rush" game bombed. This one doesn't look any better.

I don't play baccarat so can't comment on that.

Cant see Two Card Poker making it.

Good Post Dan!


ZCore13

Thanks, Jeff! Always got to report the new stuff here....

Two card poker is being played in Miami at one of the racetracks.

Two card poker is an AGS game I believe......I like their Open Stud Poker game better. I would put two card ahead of Flushes Gone Wild if I had to rank them. Saigon 5 has that "alien" feel to it that Dan mentioned in his Shackleford interview.

AGS had Open Stud exhibited at last year's table game conference. Don't know if it has been field trailed anywhere yet, but I think it is there best Poker Variant offering. I could see it gaining a niche following.

Quote: Paradigm

...AGS had Open Stud exhibited at last year's table game conference. Don't know if it has been field trailed anywhere yet, but I think it is there best Poker Variant offering. I could see it gaining a niche following.

I agree - I liked that game immensely, and I said so to John H., Dave L., and Ofir V.

I think Open Stud has a great feature, is fair to players, and has a lot of "juice" to it, a slam-bam poker showdown at the end of round. A bit volatile, but so is UTH, and very exciting to play, IMHO. Very surprised it hasn't made inroads.....

Quote: Patadigm

.... Saigon 5 has that "alien" feel to it that Dan mentioned in his Shackleford interview.

It does, but only because of its Baccarat scoring basis. A Five-card Pai Gow game, split 3-and-2, was developed by Roy Ritner of Scottsdale, Az., a number of years ago, and had great and strong performance at the Commerce Club before it was pulled during a management shake-up.
.

here is the rack card:

Saigon 5 Card Rack Card

This is a very different game; its point based (1 to 10), unlike Pai Gow. I am not sure if the HE would be as high as 1.5%, could be lower. And that house is not making money on the Pot; I saw players played chop-chop on the Pot.

I agree UC, baccarat scoring used in a Pai Gow split format where you must make a 10/20/30 (or zero hand) and then use remaining two cards to make a hand closest to 10 (not 9 as in bacc) is a different game. It will likely draw players only from the baccarat pits or Asian players. That is a subset of US table game players that is much smaller than your poker or blackjack variant games can draw from to attract a following.

I don't see the point of the Saigon 5 card game. Since you have to find a 3 card baccarat total of 0 in your three card hand, then the two card hand will always have the same total, no matter how you set it. There really is no decision making to be done here. This would make for a boring game in my opinion. It would be like slots with the added effort of finding a combination that adds up to 10, 20, or 30.

EDIT: I clicked on the link to the website. There is an added feature not mentioned in Paigowdan's post: the Joker can be used as either a 3, 6, or a 9. So that element would make at least a little bit of choice if you get the Joker, but is still just a situation where you find the highest total out of the three options.

I'll be on this list sooner or later. Preferably sooner.

Quote: TriathlonTodd

I don't see the point of the Saigon 5 card game. Since you have to find a 3 card baccarat total of 0 in your three card hand, then the two card hand will always have the same total, no matter how you set it. There really is no decision making to be done here. This would make for a boring game in my opinion. It would be like slots with the added effort of finding a combination that adds up to 10, 20, or 30.

EDIT: I clicked on the link to the website. There is an added feature not mentioned in Paigowdan's post: the Joker can be used as either a 3, 6, or a 9. So that element would make at least a little bit of choice if you get the Joker, but is still just a situation where you find the highest total out of the three options.

Paigowdan's description on new games was never intended to be complete - do not know why. May be he just wanted to start a dialog.

What's the point of Saigon 5? Entertainment that prevents Alzheimer's, at low cost.

I noticed this game Great 8 Baccarat was on the list but didn't get a mention. Went live on 7/1 at The M. Anyone played it? Looks like a one card initial hand Baccarat type game (bet Player or Banker), but uses BJ scoring with the goal to get closest to 8.......going over doesn't bust the hand and there is not penalty for a hand that is over vs. under 8 (e.g a hand total of 10 is just as good as a hand total of 6). Each hand draws a 2nd card based on drawing rules. There are 8 normal decks plus the addition of 16 "Great 8" cards that appear to be instant winners in the game. Demo is available on their site. Verdict is out for me at this point, will need to play it a bit.