Bet The Set @ Barona i-Table
Another bonus side bet offered on the i-Table at Barona is a version of Bet The Set that pays for various types of pairs made on the player’s first two cards. For an n-deck shoe, the probability of being dealt a pair is 13*C(n*4,2)/C(n*52,2), and the probability of a suited pair is 4*13*C(n,2)/C(n*52,2).
| Hand | Frequency | Payout | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suited Pair | 1.6077% | 20:1 | +.321543 |
| Offsuit Pair | 5.7878% | 10:1 | +.578778 |
| nothing | 92.6045% | -1:1 | -.926045 |
| Total | -.025724 |
The pit boss told me they increased the suited payout yesterday from 15:1 to 20:1, which would be an improvement of 8%, changing it from a sucker bet to a fun bet. They’re probably trying to promote the new i-Table games, and it’s an easy thing to change the payouts, since they’re not printed on the mat, but instead displayed on the player touch screens. At only a 2.5% house edge, this is very cheap as bonus bets go.
Discount Gambling 
stephenhow, would you be interested in looking into a new BJ optional side bet called Shortie. It’s being played at Boomtown Casino, Reno and some tribal casinos in Iowa. The rules are simple: if a player first 2 cards score 9 or lower, he gets a 1st payout of 3 to 1 (if A-A unsuited, 5 to 1 and suited A-A, 10-1). Then the original Shortie bet must remain in the game as a “contract bet”. If the 21 hand wins, the Shortie bet gets paid again, 2 to 1 this time; if the 21 hand loses, the side bet loses and if pushes, the Shortie side bet pushes. The house edge is over 5%. This is the first side bet ever that a side bet rides on the main BJ bet.
I can’t look at it now, I’m working on Texas Hold’Em Bonus. I’ll keep it in mind tho. Thanks for posting the details.