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Thread: Mickey: California No Bust 21

  1. #1
    Mickey
    Guest

    Mickey: California No Bust 21

    Does anyone know the strategy for playing this game or any resources which might have information about the ev of this game? Has anyone ever played it?

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Bettie
    Guest

    Bettie: Need more info

    > Does anyone know the strategy for playing
    > this game or any resources which might have
    > information about the ev of this game? Has
    > anyone ever played it?

    I've never played it and, without knowing the rules, it's impossible to figure out the ev. It may be one of the games listed on www.wizardofodds.com, but under a different name. Try going to the section on his website on advice and strategies, and see if the rules match any of the blackjack-style games listed there.

    Alternatively, if you have access to Trackjack (www.trackjack.com), you can pull up the rules chart, pick and choose which are appropraite, and figure it out on your own. Be sure to post the results here for everyone!

    BTW, we'll be hosting a chat on Don's Domain with the Wizard of Odds himself on Sunday, August 29th at 6pm (Pacific)!

    Bettie

  3. #3
    Parker
    Guest

    Parker: Re: California No Bust 21

    > Does anyone know the strategy for playing
    > this game or any resources which might have
    > information about the ev of this game? Has
    > anyone ever played it?

    I don't think anyone has spent much time with the game because the rules are so bad. Also, the rules vary somewhat from one casino to another. The ones I am referring to are for "21st Century Blackjack" as played at the Oceans 11 Casino in Oceanside, CA. Consider:

    The shoes have jokers (two per deck). The only sure winner is a "natural" (two jokers) and this pays two to one unless the dealer also has a "natural" in which case it is a push.

    An ace and a ten value card is just another 21. It pays even money, pushes to any dealer 21 (even multi-card) and loses to a dealer natural. So, this game isn't even really blackjack. Which was the whole idea, since blackjack is illegal in CA, except at casinos on Indian reservations.

    A joker with any other non-joker card is a "hard 21" and players cannot draw further (or double down). If the dealer has a joker upcard, the player is not allowed to draw at all.

    There is no insurance. If the dealer has a joker in the hole and the player has doubled or split, the player loses all bets.

    Dealer hits soft 17.

    Surrender on first two cards is allowed, but not if the dealer has a joker upcard.

    The only rule that favors the player is the "no-bust" provision: If the player and the dealer both have totals over 21, the lower total wins. Pushes over 21 go to the dealer.

    Now, I'm no math whiz, but I don't need a calculator to see that this is a terrible game. And we haven't even gotten to the fact that these game are "player-banked," meaning that you must pay a per-hand fee for the privilege of losing your money at this atrocity.

    Oceans 11 uses all CSM's for these games, although I don't think that this is true for all casinos offering it. Not that it matters; I don't think that conventional card counting would be very effective against this game. You'd also have to keep a joker sidecount, and figure out what to do with it.

    Banking the game might be a possibility, although you pay a fee to the casino for doing this as well. Also, it is my understanding that local "syndicates" have this action locked up, and they are not looking for new investors.

    If you want to play at the California (non-Indian) cardrooms, learn how to play poker!


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