Blackjack in California Card Rooms:
It used to be only poker could be played in California card rooms. Gambling against other players is allowed, but traditional house banked games like blackjack were not allowed as they generally required the house to bank and fund the game. Their has been a lot of changes to the card rooms in California. The house is still not allowed to bank the games in card rooms, but the evolution of these games has provided some very effective work arounds. They have created a system in which a corporation banks these traditionally house banked games, so having another player at the table who wants to bank the game is no longer necessary.
Nowadays you can play all different types of house banked games in a card room in California. any type of Blackjack, Baccarat, Pai Gow poker and more.
The First ever version of black jack played in California card rooms was California No Bust. I really liked the game and I liked dealing the game, but it seems to have to become almost extinct with most of the cardrooms playing the more traditional varieties of blackjack and adding all of the other games they currently play. A look back:
California “No Bust” Blackjack
California “No Bust” blackjack or California Blackjack, is a version of blackjack created specifically to be played in California card rooms.
In 1873, the California Legislature enacted Penal Code 330 which outlawed the game of “21” or “blackjack”, throughout the state.
This California statute is still in effect.
Native American Indian casinos currently play “Blackjack” or “21” under authority from the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
For decades, Penal code 330 meant that card rooms across the State of California, could not offer any type of blackjack.
In an effort to circumvent the state statutes, game inventors looked to devise varieties of blackjack to be played in legal card rooms throughout California owned by non-Native American Indians.
In 1989, a man named Roger Wisted changed everything. Wisted invented, patented and trademarked a version of blackjack developed specifically to be played in a card room setting.
He called it California Blackjack, also called California No-Bust Blackjack.
How to Play California Blackjack
One primary difference between Wisted’s card club version and traditional blackjack is the game is played to 22 instead of 21.
The game itself is played with a 53-card deck, adding one joker for each deck in the shoe.
The rules of the game have been tweaked a bit from standard blackjack. The joker paired with an Ace or another joker is a “natural”, and paid 2 to 1, unless the dealer also has a natural.
The joker paired with any other card is automatic “21” and the hand is frozen.
Some Other Rules include:
- A Natural is not the usual two-card 21, instead they include: two jokers, two aces, ace-joker
- A standard two-card 21 is still 21, but just a regular 21 and pays even-money when it wins
- A player with a “natural”, two jokers (or in some locations an Ace-Joker) is paid 2 to 1 (as long as the dealer does not also hold a “natural”)
- A single joker makes any hand 21, and the player must stand
- When the dealer has a face-up joker the hand ends and players lose unless they hold 21, which results in a push
- Players may surrender on their first two cards, but not when the dealer has a joker up – surrender is the loss of half of the player’s wager
- The dealer does not peek at their cards, so if the dealer has a joker as their down card, the player loses their original wager, but not any split or double down wagers.
- Player may double down on any two cards
- Player may split any pair up to three hands
- Player may double down after a split
The No-Bust Part of California Blackjack
It’s not completely no-bust.
The No-bust in the title refers to when the player and dealers hands both bust.
When a player busts the bets remain in the wagering circle until the dealer is done hitting out their own hand. If the dealer also busts and the player’s total is lower than the dealer’s, the hand is a push. If the player’s point total is higher or equal to the dealer, the player loses.
California Blackjack has been licensed to card clubs and casinos throughout California since 1990.
Now that most card rooms spread traditional house games like baccarat, Pai Gow Poker and and so many others, it is becoming hard to find clubs who are playing this game anymore.
As a Cal Games dealer at The Lucky Derby, I dealt California Blackjack until late 2013. The Lucky Derby also offered an optional side bonus bet on this game.
This game, especially when paired with the optional side bet, was a favorite of the long-time card room players. The game was not viewed as favorably by those who were new to card room play. Many guests who came to the card room, most who by now had primarily played at the Nevada or tribal gaming casinos, had a hard time seeing the game as a legitimate blackjack game.
A more in-depth look at California Blackjack: http://freeblackjack.net/free/blackjack/games/california-blackjack/
NOTE:
After inventing California Blackjack, Roger Wisted took the money he earned in licensing agreements and started Blackjack Ranch Vineyards and Winery in Solvang (Santa Barbara County). The outfit’s wine club is known as the High
Rollers Club. For more information, visit
Welcome to Blackjack Ranch
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