When my paisans have a stag party or “booster” (party to raise money for a friend who is in need) they play a form of BJ we call “Rough and Tumble”. Maybe you have heard of it. Yesterday I went to such a party. It began with many “How you doin? How YOU doin?” a hug and 3 pats on the back follows and a kiss on the check for closer friends. After the pasta, sausage, greens and beans the game gets set up.
A large table to hold the boss and 8 players. A crowd of 30 guys surround the table as spectators. Not an Irish guy in the crowd! The boss opens the deck, shuffles and starts dealing. First ace wins the deal. This guy can pass the deal to the guy on his left or set a bank. Sam got the Ace and set the bank at 1000. This means the 7 players can bet, but not exceed a total aggregate of 1000. So if the 1000 was covered on the original bets, there could be no double downs. You are allowed to DD on any 2 cards as long as it is within the bank. When Sam set the bank, the boss goes around the table asking if anyone wants to tap. A tap is a challenge for the 1000. Vince put up the 1000 and Sam shuffles, Vince cuts and Sam deals to Vince and of course Sam is the dealer and has one card up. There are no rules for dealers staying on anything. Vince won the hand and the Boss collects all the money and puts away 20 bucks for the groom. Sam challenges back and now has to put up 1980. Sam won taking one card, a 4 and Vince probably though it was a good hit so he hit a 15 and busted. Sam won with a 14. There were no more challenges so Sam started dealing with a bank of 3940 because another 20 went in the kitty for the groom. As Sam deals the boss slides each card to the players and oversees each play. cards are dealt face down. Sam got a 20 and 21 his first 2 rounds and won ALL bets twice. The bank was now about 7000. The next hand there was a BJ (Joe) who now has won the deal and can make a bank of whatever he wants, but will have to pass the deal if he doesn’t want to accept the challenge. Some of these games last all night and get crazy.
I have only played in a few and that was when I could deal and my bank was small enough where the players couldn’t double down, or at least some of them. I made out good every time I did that. There probably is other ways to exploit a game like this, but I only see them once every 3-4 years. There are guys who get invited to these parties because they are “heavy hitters” and make the groom’s take pretty large.
Any comments welcome and will probably be interesting. I doubt a sim could be run because of the free will of the dealer, taps and bank variables, but I bet some of you all come up with a way to exploit the game.
Anyway “How you doin?”

Baberuth