Have you seen the new game Easy Jack? What is the gambler’s break down— house edge, comparison to blackjack, etc.?
Easy Jack is a new table game that was created by Matthew Stream. Stream was a blackjack dealer in northern California, who came up with the idea when he was helping a young cousin learn to count. He enrolled in UNLV’s Center of Gaming Innovation to bring his game to the casino. Easy Jack won the grand prize in the student contest ($1,500) and got a field trial at Harrah’s, which started on June 21. Harrah’s says it will keep the game at least through the end of the year.
Easy Jack is blackjack played with one dealt card instead of two. The goal is to get as close to 11 as possible; 12 and above busts you.
Players can make two wagers. The first is on the hand, comparable to blackjack. An optional secondary wager can be placed before the hand is dealt on whether the dealer will bust — in other words, go over 11.
The dealer hits on six or less and stands on seven or more.
A natural 11 (the ace) pays 3-to-2. A two-card dealer bust pays 3-to-1; the more cards the dealer draws before busting, the bigger the payout (two cards pay 3 up to six cards pay 500). All ties push. There’s no doubling or (obviously) splitting.
Michael Shackleford, a.k.a. the Wizard of Odds, analyzed the game. According to Mike, player basic strategy is the same as the way the dealer plays: Hit on 6 or less, otherwise stand.
Hitting or standing on 6 is “borderline.” The expected value of hitting a 6 is -0.5745, compared to -0.5765 for standing (0.2% higher for hitting). If you’re dealt a two-card 6, however, it’s 0.0066% more positive to stand.
Overall, the game has a house advantage of a little less than 1%.
The Dealer Bust side bet has a house edge of 9.51%.
