nolanfan34
07-20-2005, 06:26 PM
Wasn't sure where to put this really, seems like newspaper articles end up here a bit.
Anyway, thought this was an interesting read about a casino game this guy has created that combines Hold Em and Blackjack. Anyone else heard of this, maybe in another form?
Link (http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/business/story/6721244p-6608703c.html)
A winning hand
This story was published Sunday, July 17th, 2005
By Mary Hopkin, Herald staff writer
Warren Montney has put a Texas Hold'em twist on blackjack, and he's hoping it's a winning hand for casinos and customers.
Montney, 38, of Richland, who has dealt blackjack in Nevada and Washington for nearly 10 years, received approval from the Washington State Gambling Commission in June for two new blackjack games he's invented -- Texas 21 and Bonus 21.
Two Mid-Columbia casinos have opened tables for Montney's game, and a Spokane Casino will be dealing Texas 21 within a week.
"I really think it will be popular, and we will be the first guys in town with it," said Larry Foland, manager of Bluz at the Bend in Spokane.
The game, which blends basic blackjack with Texas Hold'em is a bonus blackjack game, meaning players have to place a minimum $1 side bet to play the Texas Hold'em portion.
After players are dealt a basic blackjack hand, the dealer takes four more cards out of the shoe and places them face up on the table.
The players use the dealer's top card, which is always turned up for players to see, their cards and the four community cards to create the best poker hand.
Any player with a three-of-a-kind or better gets paid if he or she is playing the bonus bet. A three-of-a-kind pays 1-to-1; straight, 2-to-1; flushes, 3-to-1; full house, 4-to-1; four-of-a-kind, 8-to-1; five-of-a-kind, 40-to-1; straight flush, 50-to-1; royal flush, 150-to-1; and a suited five-of-a-kind pays 500-to-1.
Montney, who deals cards at Jokers Casino in Richland, said he's always trying to come up with new card games but hadn't come up with anything he thought players would like.
"I was trying to invent a craps game using the ace through six cards but couldn't come up with a game that was fun to play," he said.
Then Montney dealt a regular hand of blackjack. But instead of "hitting" his hand, he turned over four cards and instantly knew it was a good flop.
Creating the game was the easy part, he said.
The hard part? He had to get the game patented, then the game had to be approved by the Washington State Gambling Commission.
That meant submitting the rules of the game to the commission with four of the felt table covers that would be used with the game.
"In the last five years, there have been about 75 new games approved," said Susan Blanchett, of the Washington State Gambling Commission.
"About 15 a year are approved, but about five each year are denied.
The games are only licensed in Washington, Montney said.
"Each state does the licensing individually," he said.
Although it cost him several thousand dollars to patent, license and market the new game in other states it can be much more expensive.
In Nevada, it can cost up to $50,000, he said, and in places where serious gamblers cozy up the tables, like Las Vegas or Reno, the "carnival" games, as the bonus games are frequently referred to, aren't as popular.
Jokers Casino in Richland and Celebrity Bowl and Casino in Kennewick have started dealing Montney's Texas 21 and another game he licensed called Bonus 21.
In Bonus 21, players must also place a minimum $1 bet.
If they are dealt a blackjack, they receive the bonus. A nonsuited blackjack pays 10-to-1; a suited blackjack pays 20-to-1; and if the player is dealt the ace and jack of spades, he receives 30-to-1 odds.
If the dealer receives a blackjack at the same time as a player, the players bonus odds are multiplied.
"We want to have games players like to play," said Mark Frank, owner of Celebrity Bowl and Casino and Jokers Casino. "Players get tired of one game so we need to keep adding new products to our casino."
That's why Frank and other casino owners are willing to pay Montney $300 a month to play the games he created in the casino.
"I think they are great products and I'm excited for him," Frank said.
"It means I might lose him as a dealer, but I always encourage my employees to do their best."
Montney says he loves dealing cards, but if his games get picked up by 30 casinos, he'll quit to focus on his own business, Badabing's Big Games.
"That would be a life-changing experience," he said.
Anyway, thought this was an interesting read about a casino game this guy has created that combines Hold Em and Blackjack. Anyone else heard of this, maybe in another form?
Link (http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/business/story/6721244p-6608703c.html)
A winning hand
This story was published Sunday, July 17th, 2005
By Mary Hopkin, Herald staff writer
Warren Montney has put a Texas Hold'em twist on blackjack, and he's hoping it's a winning hand for casinos and customers.
Montney, 38, of Richland, who has dealt blackjack in Nevada and Washington for nearly 10 years, received approval from the Washington State Gambling Commission in June for two new blackjack games he's invented -- Texas 21 and Bonus 21.
Two Mid-Columbia casinos have opened tables for Montney's game, and a Spokane Casino will be dealing Texas 21 within a week.
"I really think it will be popular, and we will be the first guys in town with it," said Larry Foland, manager of Bluz at the Bend in Spokane.
The game, which blends basic blackjack with Texas Hold'em is a bonus blackjack game, meaning players have to place a minimum $1 side bet to play the Texas Hold'em portion.
After players are dealt a basic blackjack hand, the dealer takes four more cards out of the shoe and places them face up on the table.
The players use the dealer's top card, which is always turned up for players to see, their cards and the four community cards to create the best poker hand.
Any player with a three-of-a-kind or better gets paid if he or she is playing the bonus bet. A three-of-a-kind pays 1-to-1; straight, 2-to-1; flushes, 3-to-1; full house, 4-to-1; four-of-a-kind, 8-to-1; five-of-a-kind, 40-to-1; straight flush, 50-to-1; royal flush, 150-to-1; and a suited five-of-a-kind pays 500-to-1.
Montney, who deals cards at Jokers Casino in Richland, said he's always trying to come up with new card games but hadn't come up with anything he thought players would like.
"I was trying to invent a craps game using the ace through six cards but couldn't come up with a game that was fun to play," he said.
Then Montney dealt a regular hand of blackjack. But instead of "hitting" his hand, he turned over four cards and instantly knew it was a good flop.
Creating the game was the easy part, he said.
The hard part? He had to get the game patented, then the game had to be approved by the Washington State Gambling Commission.
That meant submitting the rules of the game to the commission with four of the felt table covers that would be used with the game.
"In the last five years, there have been about 75 new games approved," said Susan Blanchett, of the Washington State Gambling Commission.
"About 15 a year are approved, but about five each year are denied.
The games are only licensed in Washington, Montney said.
"Each state does the licensing individually," he said.
Although it cost him several thousand dollars to patent, license and market the new game in other states it can be much more expensive.
In Nevada, it can cost up to $50,000, he said, and in places where serious gamblers cozy up the tables, like Las Vegas or Reno, the "carnival" games, as the bonus games are frequently referred to, aren't as popular.
Jokers Casino in Richland and Celebrity Bowl and Casino in Kennewick have started dealing Montney's Texas 21 and another game he licensed called Bonus 21.
In Bonus 21, players must also place a minimum $1 bet.
If they are dealt a blackjack, they receive the bonus. A nonsuited blackjack pays 10-to-1; a suited blackjack pays 20-to-1; and if the player is dealt the ace and jack of spades, he receives 30-to-1 odds.
If the dealer receives a blackjack at the same time as a player, the players bonus odds are multiplied.
"We want to have games players like to play," said Mark Frank, owner of Celebrity Bowl and Casino and Jokers Casino. "Players get tired of one game so we need to keep adding new products to our casino."
That's why Frank and other casino owners are willing to pay Montney $300 a month to play the games he created in the casino.
"I think they are great products and I'm excited for him," Frank said.
"It means I might lose him as a dealer, but I always encourage my employees to do their best."
Montney says he loves dealing cards, but if his games get picked up by 30 casinos, he'll quit to focus on his own business, Badabing's Big Games.
"That would be a life-changing experience," he said.