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COLUMN: PLAYER'S EDGE

Blackjack payout changes make losers of players

This column usually addresses events in the slot departments around town. Let's shine some light now on the table game side of the casino.

Within the past several months, a number of casinos have offered single deck blackjack games that pay only six to five rather than seven-and-a-half to five (which is normally expressed as three to two) for naturals. This reduction in payout costs the player, in round numbers, 1.5 percent more than the normal payout.

How much is 1.5 percent? To say it with no frills, it is huge. Most players will find they lose money twice as fast playing this game than they usually do playing under normal rules. So blackjack players who are foolish enough to sit down at this game either lose twice as much money, or are only able to play half as long on the same gambling budget.

What should you do about it? Very simple. Don't play. Even playing a shoe game with normal-paying blackjacks is a much better game.

The casino industry's biggest trade show of the year, Global Gaming Expo, just ended a three-day run at the Las Vegas Convention Center. As usual, there were hundreds of new machines and table games; but we especially want to share information about three new video poker games.

IGT/Action Gaming exhibited Trade Up Poker. Assume you are playing normal Jacks or Better Triple Play and are dealt any three-of-a-kind. You are now given the option of switching to a Ten Play game, where all 10 hands start from the same three-of-a-kind. If you take the option, which is always a wise move, you get the normal return for each four-of-a-kind or full house you receive in those 10 hands, but you receive nothing for hands that end up three-of-a-kind. The games that have higher returns for four-of-a-kinds go from Triple Play to Six Play only. This is an interesting way to add excitement to a game without major differences in strategy.

IGT/Leading Edge unveiled Multi-Strike Poker. In this game, you bet on four hands at once -- but you only get to play the later hands if you win the first ones! Assuming you win half the hands, this means you get to play the second game every other time -- but they double the pay schedule to make it fair. You get to play the third game every four times on average -- but they quadruple the pay schedule. You get to play the fourth game every eight times on average but they multiply the pay schedule by eight to compensate. In this game, proper strategy requires that you adjust your play in each round because getting to the next round is valuable.

IGCA revealed 3-Hand Poker. This game has a single five-card hand that you play in standard fashion, but you are paid as though it is three separate hands. Assume you end up with cards Ac 2c 3c 3h 3s. As a five-card hand, you have three-of-a-kind and are paid accordingly. There is also a pay schedule for the leftmost three cards (for which you are paid for a straight flush here) and the rightmost three cards (for which you are paid for three-of-a-kind.) Three pay schedules for the same five cards makes for some interesting decisions.

Bonus Point Schedule: Aladdin (Club Aladdin) -- double points daily; Barbary Coast (Fun Club) -- double points Thursdays, double points Mondays 4 p.m. to midnight; Casino Royale (Club Royale) -- double points 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 8 to 11 p.m., triple points 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m.; Castaways (Club Castaways) -- triple points midnight to 8 a.m. daily, 7x points Sundays 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., 10x points Mondays 6 to 10 p.m.; Ellis Island (Passport Players Club) -- 6x points 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. daily and all day Thursdays and Sundays (some machines excluded); Gold Coast (The Club) -- double points Mondays 4 p.m. to midnight; Hyatt Lake Las Vegas (Players Society) -- double points Tuesdays and Thursdays, triple points Mondays; Key Largo (Players Club) -- triple points daily in September, 7x points noon to 8 p.m. Sundays and 6 to 9 p.m. Mondays; Opera House (Slot Club) -- double points Tuesdays; The Orleans (Club Orleans) -- double points 4 p.m. to midnight Mondays, 5 p.m. to midnight Tuesdays and 4 to 8 p.m. Fridays; Plaza (No. 1 Main Club) -- double points 6 p.m. to midnight Mondays; Railroad Pass (Players Junction) -- double points noon to midnight Wednesdays; Rampart Casino at the Resort at Summerlin (Club Rampart) -- double points midnight to noon daily; Silverton (Players Club) -- double points Mondays 5 to 9 p.m.; Slots A Fun (One Club) -- double points Wednesdays; Suncoast (Club Denaro) -- double points Mondays 4 p.m. to midnight; Terrible's (Players Club) -- 5x points 9 p.m. -- 9 a.m., 5x points Sundays and Thursdays; Wildfire (WildWon) -- 5x points daily.