Wagering Variations
Table Limits
The range of minimum and maximum bets can vary greatly within the same casino but is usually clearly posted at each table. One-dollar minimum tables are increasingly hard to find nowadays, while $25 minimums are getting more common, especially in the newer Canadian casinos. The range between minimum and maximum bets is generally much greater in Las Vegas casinos than in smaller casinos such as those found in the Bahamas, the Caribbean, cruise ships, or charity games. Many casinos require players playing more than one spot to wager at least twice the table minimum in each box.
Over and Under
The Atlantis Casino on Paradise Island, Nassau, and the Flamingo in Laughlin, Nevada (among others), offer a blackjack side-bet variation, known as the “over and under 13″ proposition. According to the total of the player’s first two cards, even money is paid if he bets correctly. For this wager, Aces are counted as Is only. A total of exactly 13 is a loser, since it is neither over nor under 13. See chapter 4 for more details about this unusual side-bet variation.
Exposed Hole Card
Bob Stupak’s Vegas World casino in Las Vegas introduced a blackjack variation known as “Double Exposure,” which can still be found from time to time in various modified forms. Both dealer’s cards are dealt faceup. No soft doubling is allowed. Pairs may be split only once. Players win blackjack ties but lose all other ties. A blackjack comprised of the Jack and Ace of Spades pays double, and so does arriving at 21 with the 6, 7, and 8 of any one same suit; normal blackjacks pay only even money. Stupak went bankrupt, but certainly not because of this game. Vegas World is no longer in existence. The landmark casino that Stupak built in Vegas is now known as the Stratosphere Tower. At 135 stories, it remains the tallest structure in the United States west of the Mississippi.
Multiple-Action
During the mid-1990s the Tropicana casino in Atlantic City introduced a slight twist to the regular game of blackjack by allowing a player to make up to three separate wagers on an upcoming hand. The dealer starts with the same up-card against the three consecutive player bets. The player keeps the same cards versus all three dealer’s hands. The hands are played out in the usual manner, and if a player goes bust, all three bets are lost. Splitting, doubling, and insurance are permitted on any or all of the original hands. No surrendering is allowed in multiple-action blackjack, but otherwise the rules are comparable to the normal game. For counters this game offers some significant advantages.
