Three Card Poker is an exciting stud poker game that offers three ways to play and four different ways to win. Players must bet against the dealer, and have the option to bet on the value of their own three-card hand. Bonus payouts may be had for certain hands when wagering against the dealer. A gambling game in which players bet against the dealer on what cards he or she will turn up. Today's crossword puzzle clue is a quick one: A gambling game in which players bet against the dealer on what cards he or she will turn up. We will try to find the right answer to this particular crossword clue.
- A Gambling Game In Which Players Bet Against The Dealer Near Me
- A Gambling Game In Which Players Bet Against The Dealer Record
- A Gambling Game In Which Players Bet Against The Dealer Locator
- A Gambling Game In Which Players Bet Against The Dealer Online
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A Gambling Game In Which Players Bet Against The Dealer Near Me
Introduction
Free Bet Blackjack is a blackjack variant by game inventor Geoff Hall. The twist to this one is the player doesn't have to risk his own money when splitting or doubling (most of the time). It is like playing with a generous boyfriend at the table who makes all the supplemental bets for you and lets you keep the winnings. What is the catch? Like in Geoff's other game, Blackjack Switch, if the dealer gets a 22, all bets left standing push.
The game opened for business on June 20, 2012 at the Golden Nugget. I went down for the game's debut and found the table full of people enjoying the game. The strategy is simpler and offers more doubles and splits than conventional blackjack. Gamblers who find the basic strategy of conventional blackjack too complicated to memorize may take relief in the simplicity of Free Bet Blackjack.
Rules
The rules have changed since the game launched at the Golden Nugget. It is my understand that the rules below are now the norm. The game is based on standard blackjack, with the following rules:- Six decks
- Dealer hits soft 17's
- Blackjacks pay 3 to 2
- Double after split allowed
- Double on two cards only
- Re-split pairs up to four hands, including aces
- No surrender
The game introduces two major rule changes:
- 'Free Doubles' on hard totals of two-card total of 9, 10, or 11. Regular doubles are still allowed on all other two-card hands. With a 'free double,' the player's original wager is matched with a 'free bet' button and the player receives one additional card. At the end of the hand:
- If the dealer wins, the player loses his original wager only.
- If the hand results in a push, the player gets back his original wager only.
- Otherwise, if the player wins, the player gets back his original wager plus winnings equal to double that wager.
- 'Free Splits' on all pairs except 10's. With a 'free split,' the player's two cards are divided into two one-card hands. The player's original wager is placed with the first hand and a 'free bet' button is placed with the second hand. The player plays out each hand one at a time and is entitled to a 'free double' or 'free split' on both hands. For winning hands, each 'free bet' button is replaced with real chips equaling the original wager. On hands resulting in a player loss or push, the dealer takes back the 'free bet' button.
- Dealer pushes on 22. If the player has 21 or less and the dealer busts with 22, then the player's wager is a push.
Basic Strategy
A Gambling Game In Which Players Bet Against The Dealer Record
Strategy depends on whether you are playing a real money bet or a free bet. There is a difference because a push is just as bad as a loss on a Free Bet, thus causing a more aggressive strategy. The following three tables show the strategy for a real money hand, free bet hand, and pairs respectively.
If you remember just one thing about the strategy, accept every free double and free split opportunity.
House Edge
The house edge under the standard rules above is 1.04%.
Rule Variants
Following are the effects of some possible rule variants. The effects are the change in the player's expected return. The figures below with a (SH) were taken with permission from Discount Gambling. The ones with a (Wiz) were calculated by me. It is interesting that the greater the number of decks, the better the odds for the player, which is the opposite of conventional blackjack. I assume it is because there is more free-splitting with more decks, due to a lesser effect of non-replacement.
- Free doubles with three or more cards (DG): +0.66%.
- Dealer stands on soft 17 (DG): +0.31%.
- Late surrender allowed (DG): +0.21%.
- One deck: -0.14% (Wiz).
- Two decks: -0.06% (Wiz).
- Eight decks: +0.01% (Wiz,DG).
- No re-splitting aces (DG): -0.08%.
- No free re-splits on a pair of fours (DG): -0.27%.
- No re-splitting 2-9: -0.32% (DG).
- No double or free-double after a split (DG): -0.70%.
- Blackjack pays 6 to 5: -1.36% (Wiz).
Pot of Gold
I have heard reports that some casinos offer a side bet called Pot of Gold, which is based on the number of Free Bet tokens the player accumulates per initial hand. The Washington Gambling Commission lists two Pot of Gold pay tables. Following is my analysis of both of them. These tables were based on a random simulation. The lower right cells show a house edge of 5.77% on pay table 1 and 4.64% on pay table 2.
Pot of Gold — Pay Table 1
| Tokens | Pays | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1000 | 0.000002 | 0.002026 |
| 6 | 300 | 0.000027 | 0.008140 |
| 5 | 100 | 0.000194 | 0.019445 |
| 4 | 60 | 0.000847 | 0.050799 |
| 3 | 30 | 0.003866 | 0.115973 |
| 2 | 10 | 0.013488 | 0.134884 |
| 1 | 3 | 0.148155 | 0.444466 |
| 0 | -1 | 0.833420 | -0.833420 |
| Total | 1.000000 | -0.057686 |
Pot of Gold — Pay Table 2
| Tokens | Pays | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 100 | 0.000002 | 0.000203 |
| 6 | 100 | 0.000027 | 0.002713 |
| 5 | 100 | 0.000194 | 0.019445 |
| 4 | 50 | 0.000847 | 0.042333 |
| 3 | 30 | 0.003866 | 0.115973 |
| 2 | 12 | 0.013488 | 0.161861 |
| 1 | 3 | 0.148155 | 0.444466 |
| 0 | -1 | 0.833420 | -0.833420 |
| Total | 1.000000 | -0.046426 |
The player can lower the house edge on the Pot of Gold by splitting fives instead of doubling, at the detriment of the primary wager. If the player splits fives the house edge on the Pot of Gold will be 2.75% under Pay Table 1 and 1.48% under Pay Table 2. Splitting fives, instead of doubling, will increase the house edge on the base wager by 0.15%.
Acknowledgement
I would like to thank Geoff Hall, the inventor, for his cooperation with the rules and sharing the math report. This report is based on a combination of work between Stephen How and me. We are in close agreement on the house edge. The basic strategy and some of the effects of rule variations are the work of Stephen How.
Internal Links
- Original rule card. Please note that doubling on three or more cards is no longer allowed but free splits of fours is. Overall, the old rules were better, of course. Table game rules seldom get better for the player.
Outside Links
- Free Bet Blackjack page at Discount Gambling.
- Free Bet Blackjack Facebook page.
Written by:Michael Shackleford
Instead of traveling to a casino to play your favorite table games, live dealer online casinos let you play the same games in real-time, with a real dealer, from the convenience of your home. While not every type of casino table game is available with a live dealer online, a good number of them are.
Live dealer casino games include popular favorites such as roulette, baccarat, blackjack and casino hold ’em. Live dealer games in New Jersey are only available to play for real money, with blackjack tables running from $1 to $2,000 per hand.
Neighboring Pennsylvania casino fans will soon be able to enjoy live dealer games, as well. Keystone State operators may be able to offer a more extensive selection of games than New Jersey’s online casinos, due to the lower tax rates on table games in Pennsylvania.
Top rated online casinos
What are live casinos?
You can play live dealer games on a computer, tablet or mobile device. Live streaming lets you connect to a real-person dealer.
Real cards, chips and roulette wheels are used on the dealer’s end and streamed live from a studio, while software on the player’s end lets you make bets and play the games.
You can watch your live dealer interact with the cards and tables. Meanwhile, live chat adds a social element, which makes it the most realistic gaming experience you can find outside of a brick-and-mortar-based casino.
Live dealer games provide the excitement of a real casino and the perks you enjoy with online gaming. So, this includes real-money bonuses and promotions, the latest software from top developers and a wide variety of games.
You don’t need to use a webcam to play. Only the live dealers and the games themselves are webcast.
Live dealer games let you feel like you’re in the thick of the action right from the comfort and convenience of your home.
How do live dealer casinos differ from traditional games
A Gambling Game In Which Players Bet Against The Dealer Locator
There are numerous advantages to playing live dealer games versus traditional table games.
The main reason players love live dealer games is because they provide an exciting, action-packed experience most like a real land-based casino.
Traditional online casino games use a random number generator (RNG) to ensure fairness. Live dealer games don’t need to use an RNG because players can see everything the dealer does in real-time, just like a real casino.
Pros and cons of playing live dealer games
Other advantages and disadvantages to live dealer versus traditional games include:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Real casino experience | Slower loading games |
| Social environment | Dealer dictates pace of games |
| More realistic gameplay | Smaller range of games |
| Latest software providers | Fewer Live Dealer casinos |
| Live casino bonuses | Less diverse bonuses |
Live dealer game types
Depending on the online casino you choose, your choice of available live dealer table games will vary.
Expect to find some distinctions in the rules between sites, as well. Be sure to familiarize yourself with each casino site before you begin playing.
Live online casino games are supported by software companies that specialize in live dealer action, such as Evolution Gaming.
As demand continues to grow, these companies will release more games and variations.
Most live dealer games are not available 24/7. Even so, most of the best online casinos give players a wide window of opportunity in which to play.
Keep in mind that the house edge on live dealer games tends to be slightly higher than on their traditional online casino counterparts.
Live roulette
Live dealer roulette is one of the hottest and fastest-growing segments of the gaming industry, as well as one of the easiest to learn and play.
The objective is to predict and place one or more bets on the number on which the roulette ball will land.
In a round of live dealer roulette, place your bet or bets, then watch as the live dealer spins an actual roulette wheel in real-time on live, streaming video.
Live baccarat
Live dealer baccarat is similar to other live games, but there may not be as much selection.
At this point, live dealer table games, such as roulette and blackjack are more common, because baccarat is still an up-and-coming game.
Baccarat is gaining in popularity, however, so expect to see more online casinos offer live dealer baccarat in the future.
Like its blackjack counterpart, live dealer baccarat is spread over a real table with real felt. The dealer uses real cards to determine game outcomes.
In general, live baccarat will be played with six to eight decks in a shoe. The house rules can be slightly complex and vary from site to site.
Live blackjack
Live dealer blackjack uses a real-person dealer, real cards and a real table. Through live HD video streaming, players will be able to view every hand being dealt in real-time.
Blackjack with a live dealer will be slower than its traditional, software-based counterparts. You have to wait for the dealer to pass the cards to every player and play through the round as though you were in a real casino.
Using the game’s chat function, you can talk to the other players while you wait, just like in a real brick-and-mortar casino.
Live casino hold’em
The difference between casino hold’em and Texas Hold’em is your opponents.
In Texas Hold’em, you play against other players. In casino hold’em, all participants play against the dealer.
So, this means the only thing you need to do is beat the dealer’s hand. Multiple players have the opportunity to win their bet in every round.
The object is to beat the dealer by getting the better five-card hand. The winning hand combinations are the same as those in a traditional poker game.
Playing at legal online casinos
Most live dealer games are currently accessible on desktop and laptop computers, as well as Apple iOS and Android mobile devices. It’s merely a matter of personal preference as to which format you use.
The only difference between using a mobile device and a computer to play live dealer table games is that the graphics for apps will be scaled back to reduce the load on your connection.
You don’t have to use apps to play from your mobile device. You can use the browser on your device to access the mobile version of the casino’s main site.
You will need to use a geofencing app that verifies your location to make sure you’re within legal state lines when you play.
Mobile live casinos
Live dealer casinos launched after the advent of mobile casinos, so live table games are fully optimized for the latest smartphones and tablets.
When playing live casino games on your mobile device, you must keep a few precautions in mind, however.
Be careful of untrusted connections; watch your data levels (Wi-Fi connections are best) and make sure to charge your device.
A Gambling Game In Which Players Bet Against The Dealer Online
- Android: Google Play does not provide gambling apps, so Android users will have to download apps directly from the live casino’s website. Android smartphones and tablets, e.g., Samsung Galaxy, Sony, LG, Google Nexus and HTC, are compatible with all live dealer tables.
- IPhone and iPad: Live dealer online casino apps for iOS users are available for download in the Apple App Store. All iPhone models, including iPhone 7, are optimized for live dealers. All generations of iPad, iPad Mini and iPad Air are compatible.