New casino games on display at G2E

LAS VEGAS - The annual Global Gaming Expo (G2E) began Tuesday afternoon at the Las Vegas Convention Center with hundreds of exhibitors competing for the attention of casino executives and media.

Many of the companies offer a new wrinkle on traditional casino games.

Paul Flowers and Jeff Cohen combined forces to create Players Choice Blackjack, giving players the option to bet on the dealer's hand instead of on the player's hand.

When a player chooses to bet on the dealer, the player is still dealt a hand, but it is played like the dealer's, hitting on 16 and staying on 17 or better no matter what the dealer shows.

"Players get dealt 16 and they're yelling 'Bust me! Bust me!'" Flowers says.

If both the player and the dealer bust, a bet on the dealer loses half the bet, resulting in a 4.09 percent house edge. Players Choice Blackjack is in the process of undergoing a field trial at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

"This game allows players who think a dealer is on a hot streak to stay at the table and bet on the dealer," Cohen says.

Other games give players a chance to place a wager on the possibility of going on their own hot streak. Streak Blackjack from Mao Gaming allows players to make a side bet on the chances of winning two, three, four or five hands in a row. Players who win two hands in a row win 3:1 on the side wager, three wins pays 8:1, four pays 18:1 and five pays 38:1.

When a player wins a hand, the dealer places a lamer on top of the side wager to signify how many hands in a row that player has won. Despite the added requirements of the dealer, the game is almost as fast as a standard blackjack table.

"I'm a dealing student and I learned this in 10 minutes," says Mark McElroy.

Streak Blackjack is one of the top revenue generators at gaming properties in Colorado and Ontario.

Longhorn Hold'em looks to take advantage of the poker boom by offering a combination of a casino table game and a poker game.

Players must bet one dollar on a bad beat jackpot and five dollars on a bonus bet that pays when players make a straight, a flush, etc. Once those bets have been placed, cards are dealt and players see the flop. If a player wishes to continue, he must pay five dollars into a pot just like in a traditional poker game. After the turn is dealt, the same five dollar wager is required if a player wishes to continue. After the river card is exposed, all remaining players turn over their cards and the best hand wins the money in the pot, and players who win on the bonus bet are paid.

Longhorn Hold'em will soon be available at the Isle of Capri in Biloxi, Miss.