Dealer Bluff

Last Update: May 04, 2010

Introduction

Dealer Bluff is a new poker-based variant I noticed at the Wynn on September 25, 2009. It has since been removed. What sets Dealer Bluff apart from all other poker variants to date is that the dealer makes the first move and the player reacts to what the dealer does. To prevent cheating or reading the dealer's face, this is done with the aid of an electronic card reader, which determines how much the dealer bets.

I'm told there is another version of this game played in California. The outstanding site Discount Gambling has a very good page on the California version, as found at the Pala casino. This page applies to the Nevada rules.

Rules

1. Player makes equal Ante and Blind bets. The player may also make an optional Aces Up side wager.
2. The dealer gives six cards each to the player and dealer. The dealer's cards are dealt face down.
3. Using a card reader, and the random number-based strategy indicated below, game signage will indicate whether the dealer wishes to raise. The raise will either be equal to the ante, double the ante, or triple the ante.
4. The player may either fold, call or raise. If the player folds, then he loses his Ante and Blind wagers. If the player calls, then he should make an additional Play wager equal to the dealer's raise. If the player raises, then he should make an additional Play wager equal to two times the dealer's raise.
5. If the player calls or raises, then the player and dealer hands will be turned over. Both will make the best five-card poker hand out of his six cards.
6. If the dealer has less than a pair, then the Ante wager is a push.
7. If the player beats the dealer, then the Ante and Play bets pay even money and the Blind bet pays according to the pay table below.
8. If the dealer beats the player, then the Ante, Play, and Blind bets lose.
9. In the unlikely event of a tie, the Ante, Play, and Blind bets push.
10. The Aces Up bet shall pay according the player's hand only. The Aces Up pay table is below.

Note: Under the California rules, the dealer has the option to call, among other rules differences.

Dealer Strategy

The dealer will choose his raise according to his hand and the following probability table.

Player Strategy

I have not done by own analysis of this game yet. Until then, I present the following strategy indicated in Shufflemaster's math report by Elliot Frome.

Dealer wagers 1x

• Player should Fold if he has a K-J-8 or less.
• Player should Raise if he has a Pair of 3’s or better
• Player should Call all other hands

Dealer wagers 2x

• Player should Fold if he has a Pair of 5’s or Less
• Player should Fold if he has a Pair of 6’s and at least 1 card below a 6
• Player should Raise if he has a Pair of Jacks or Better
• Player should Raise if he has a Pair of 10’s and no more than 2 cards below a 10
• Player should Call all other hands

Dealer wagers 3x

• Player should Fold if he has a Pair of 9’s or Less
• Player should Raise if he has a Pair of Kings with an Ace Kicker or Better
• Player should Call all other hands

House Edge

According to Elliot Frome, the total payback is was 99.5391%. I believe that by "payback," he means what I refer to as the "element of risk." He also indicates the average wager per hand is 3.635 units. That would make the house edge 3.635×(1-0.995391) = 1.68%.

Aces Up

The following table shows the probability and return from each hand for the Aces Up side bet. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 3.75%.

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank Shufflemaster for providing the math report for this game. All credit for the math goes to Elliot Frome. I have personally verified the math is correct on the Aces Up side bet.