When the Global Gaming Expo rolls around every fall, the display floor is dominated by major slot manufacturers. You could spend days just trying new slot games — and I do spend most of two days doing just that.
But I like to reserve one day seeking out new table games. There are nowhere near as many new table games as there are slot games, and many of the table games designers have small booths on the back rows of the floor, far from the main action. But walking the floor sometimes allows you to uncover a gem.
One that caught my eye this year was called BJ-Bac, from Toke Gaming Corp. As the name suggests, it’s a hybrid of blackjack and baccarat. The game is blackjack, but as in baccarat, only two hands are dealt — a player hand and a banker hand. You can bet on player, banker or tie, just as in baccarat. And there’s an optional side bet on the first four cards out of the shoe.
The banker hand hits on 16 and below, and stands on 17 and above, just like blackjack. And the dealers play out the player hand according to a basic strategy chart. There are double down and pair splitting opportunities, but you don’t have to make the extra bets to get a decision on the hand. With only two hands, the game moves fast, something casino operators will like.
One tip for players: Avoid the tie bet. The house edge is lower on either banker or player.
