Double Up

Introduction

Double Up is a casino game I noticed at the D casino in Las Vegas on November 1, 2013. It is an easy game to learn and to play, and the correct strategy is simple. It features two zero-house-edge side bets.

Rules

1. The game is played with a single 52-card deck, shuffled after every hand.
2. Cards are scored as in blackjack, except aces are always one point.
3. Play begins with the player making an Ante Wager and an optional Red or Black wager.
4. The Red and Black wagers may not exceed the Ante Wager.
5. The dealer will deal three community cards face up.
6. The player may either stand or make a Double Up wager, which may not exceed the Ante wager.
7. The dealer will deal a fourth and final community card face up.
8. If the total points equals 40, then Ante and Double Up wagers will pay 2 to 1.
9. If the total points exceed 30 or are less than 20, then Ante and Double Up wagers will pay 1 to 1.
10. If the total points are between 20 and 30 inclusive, then Ante and Double Up wagers will lose.

Strategy

The player should make the Double Up wager with 12 or less or 24 or more points. Otherwise, stand.

Analysis

The following table shows the possible outcomes of the sum of the Ante and Double Up wagers. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 3.72%.

The player will make the raise bet 34.46% of the time, making the Element of Risk 3.72%/(1.3446) = 2.77%.

The next table shows the return table for the red and black bets. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 0.00%.

Assuming a maximum Red or Black bet, the overall ratio of expected loss to total amount wagered is 3.72%/(2.3446) = 1.59%.

Written by: Michael Shackleford