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The next version of electronic blackjack — with a “live dealer” — is up and running at Mardi Gras Casino in Hallandale Beach.
“It’s as close as you can possibly get to real blackjack,” said Mike DeLuca Jr., the casino’s slot director.
Live blackjack is allowed at only five casinos operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. In December 2009, Broward pari-mutuel casinos began adding virtual blackjack games, with prerecorded video images of dealers directing players between hands.
Because the machines operate on random number generators — as all slot machines do — rather than cards, the state classifies them as slots, making them legal in Florida.
The twist at Mardi Gras is that a casino employee pushes buttons to deal out electronic cards. The casino had a “soft opening” last week and begins promoting its 12 new tables today.
The game has a $5 minimum bet, with side bets available. For example, a $1 bet pays off 50-to-1 if both the dealer and the player get a blackjack. A “buster bonus” bet of $1 pays 2-to-1 if the dealer busts with three cards and 4-to-1 if the dealer busts on five cards.
DeLuca said the game allows players to split aces and will pay 3-to-2 on a blackjack.
The Classic Blackjack machines are manufactured by Spokane, Wash.-based DigiDeal. David Krise, the company’s vice president of product development, said Classic Blackjack is about 1 year old and can be found in casinos in North Carolina, Indiana and Arkansas. He said he’s spoken with other South Florida casinos but isn’t sure whether they will add Classic Blackjack.
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