Double Barrel Blackjack

wwcd

Well-Known Member
#1
I just saw a brand new variation, double-barrel blackjack, at a WA indian casino. I think this just passed the gaming commission. Here are the rules etc:

(Dead link: http://www.wsgc.wa.gov/docs/game_rules/double_barrel_blackjack.pdf)

I couldn't find any other info on the web, so no idea on the house edge. This seems to be a WA thing only. It's kind of like blackjack switch, but played a little bit differently. You pick the card in the middle of your two hands to go with either hand (both of which have one card each at the time), and the remaining hand gets an unknown card. Obviously inferior than the "switch" where you see both cards, but I'm guessing this should've been made up by some other positive rule, or maybe not :)

Dealer bust on 22 is a push, unless you have BJ, and BJ pays even money are the catches for the option to pick the card. BJ against dealer BJ is a win though.

I'm speculating that this was the outcome of the efforts of indian casinos, which cannot offer 6:5 blackjack in WA. They are probably on the lookout for ways to find crappier BJ variations. A couple days ago, I played at a "party pit" type place, where hot chicks are dancing and dealers with short shorts are there for your viewing pleasure, and the BJ paid 3:2, with surrender and everything intact. This is unheard of when you compare to party pits on the Strip. Great entertainment value with a $5 minimum :devil:
 

BMDD

Well-Known Member
#4
WABJ11 said:
Why can't WA casinos offer 6:5 BJ?
Chips La Center has 6:5 Single Deck. They market it as a premium game including the green chip min. and a huge banner outside "NOW OFFERING SINGLE DECK BLACKJACK" Definately worth the trip!
 

wwcd

Well-Known Member
#5
BMDD said:
Chips La Center has 6:5 Single Deck. They market it as a premium game including the green chip min. and a huge banner outside "NOW OFFERING SINGLE DECK BLACKJACK" Definately worth the trip!
Hmm didn't know that. Though, I never played outside of Indian casinos in WA. And among the 10 or so Indian casinos I've been here, I've never seen 6:5 blackjack. So maybe the tribal gaming licences are different then? Otherwise, I would doubt tribes would be thinking their customers by not offering this great game :)
 
#6
BMDD said:
Chips La Center has 6:5 Single Deck. They market it as a premium game including the green chip min. and a huge banner outside "NOW OFFERING SINGLE DECK BLACKJACK" Definately worth the trip!
Definitely worth the trip, yeah FOR THEM! I believe a majority (if not all) of the Chips casinos in WA State have Single Deck 6:5

As far as that Double Barrel Blackjack game, I've never ran across it. Doesn't sound too appealing to me actually.
 

WABJ11

Well-Known Member
#7
been to chips and palace in lakewood and never saw 6:5 bj. but if casinos in wa can offer 6:5 im surprised we havent seen more of it.
 

EmeraldCityBJ

Well-Known Member
#8
I think any casino (tribal or otherwise) could put in 6:5 games. Thankfully, only a handful of places have ever been greedy enough to put them in. A number of years ago it was offered at Cadillac Island in Longview. At some point it was removed, so I can only assume that it was an abysmal failure for the casino. I hope the game has the same fate with the more recent installations at Chips/Palace.

As far as Double Barrel goes, I don't see the game lasting long or being very popular. Since the state has a limit of 9 spots per table, and each of the two wagers made by each player counts toward this limit, a single table can only accomodate up to four players. This is also the reason we aren't likely to see Blackjack Switch in Washington.
 
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