Match'em Hi Lo
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About
This is, to say the least, an "interesting" game. For me, the jury is still out. The game was requested by Zach, a member of the Player Community who appears to really like it and helped to provide information on the rules. I haven't been able to figure out the best way to play it (yet), but it's definitely intriguing. There have been times where I've felt like The House has a massive advantage. Then, at other times, I hit stretches where I couldn't seem to lose.
I'm definitely interested in Player feedback on this one, so let me know what you think!
The game is another variation of three card carnival games and appears to have been heavily influenced by Baccarat which makes it especially interesting. The game is played with six 52-card decks.
How To Play
In this game, the Dealer receives FIVE cards and the Player receives the standard three cards one would expect. Ultimately, the Dealer will use his cards to create a "High Hand" and a "Low Hand".
The challenge for the Player is to decide which Dealer hand he wants to challenge for the Win.
Here is where it gets interesting...
Like Baccarat, hands are determined by the number of "points" they contain.
Each card is worth a specific value:
2-10: The value of the pip count on the card. Face Cards: All face cards (Jacks, Queens, Kings) are worth 0 points. Aces: Aces can count either 1 or 11.
As a result, the highest possible count is 33 (3 Aces) and the lowest possible count is zero (3 face cards),
The final "twist" is that the game uses a six deck shoe! There will be a LOT of face (zero value) cards which I suspect advantages The House.
If the Player bets against the High Hand and his card total is greater than or equal to the Dealer's High Hand total, the Player wins.
Similarly, if the Player bets against the Low Hand and his card total is less than or equal to the Dealer's Low Hand total, he wins the hand.
To the Player's advantage, he wins all Ties!
Placing Wagers
There are four places on the table that accept wagers. Tapping on these spots will increase the wagered amount by the default amounts ($5, $10, $25, $50, $100) that are defined in Preferences. A maximum of $500 is allowed for the Ante. The Pair Plus & Match the Dealer wagers cannot exceed $100. Before the cards are dealt, these spots can be cleared by pressing them and holding for a brief moment.
The remaining Raise wager spot is reserved for the end of the game and allows the Player to optionally wager twice the Ante amount on the hand before a winner is declared.
In all cases, when the maximum for a spot has been reached, tapping on the spot an additional time will reset the wager to zero.
Dealing Cards
Cards are dealt by pressing the Deal button. This button becomes enabled after the Player has placed an Ante wager.
When Deal has been pressed, the Dealer will receive 5 cards and the Player will receive 3 cards.
Player Decision
After the Player cards have been revealed, the Player will make the decision to "Play Hi" or to "Play Lo". If the Player feels particulary confident in his decision, he may optionally place an additional "Raise" wager that is double the amount of the original Ante wager.
Once the decision has been made, tapping the appropriate spot on the board for "Hi" or "Lo" will end the game and the hands will be compared to determine the winner.
Forming the Dealer's Hands
The Dealer hands are created following two simple rules:
The Dealer will select the lowest three cards from his five cards to form his "Low Hand". The highest value card from the Dealer's Low Hand will be used/shared with the two remaining cards to form the Dealer's "High Hand".
Winning the Bonuses
There are two optional bonuses in this game: "Pair Plus" and "Match the Dealer".
Refer to the Payout Table for the qualifying hands and payout odds.
Quick Replay
The hand ends after the Player makes the decision to Play High or to Play Low.
After a hand completes, if the Player presses the Deal button, a new hand will be dealt and the same Ante and bonus wagers from the preceding hand will be made.
If the Player does not want to repeat the last set of wagers, play will resume after the Player has adjusted the Ante and bonus wagers and pressed the Deal button.
Pay Table
Win the Hand | ||
(Player Wins Ties) | ||
| Ante & Raise | 1 to 1 | |
Pair Plus | ||
| 3 of a Kind (Suited) | 100 to 1 | |
| Straight Flush | 25 to 1 | |
| Three of a Kind | 15 to 1 | |
| Straight | 4 to 1 | |
| Any Pair (Suited) | 3 to 1 | |
| Flush | 2 to 1 | |
| Any Pair | 1 to 1 | |
Match the Dealer | ||
| Match 5 Cards | 100 to 1 | |
| Match 4 Cards | 25 to 1 | |
| Match 3 Cards | 4 to 1 | |
| Match 2 Cards | 1 to 1 | |