Peter White chats with 3J Gaming during the Table Gaming Showcase hosted at Grosvenor Casino Coventry, a bi-annual event that trials the very latest in table gaming technology the industry has to offer.
Daryl Jendras and Jim Lemanski (pictured above), founders of 3JGaming, LLC, have pioneered the invention of a new revolutionary table game being introduced to the market, "Match'em Hi-Lo".
Could you explain to our readership who you are and the history of your company?
Daryl is an accountant and Jim is an engineering consultant. We both live and work in the western suburbs of Chicago, and have been friends for over 20 years. We both enjoy the recreation and entertainment casino gaming has provided since we were old enough to gamble. We started 3JGaming, LLC to combine our knowledge and experience into the development of new and exciting table games for the casino gaming industry.
Have you always been a fan of Casino card table games?
Absolutely! It all started back in late 80's when we were in college and started having "poker night" with a group of friends on a regular basis. We played all kinds of card games, all mostly a variation of poker. Many of the card games we played we created ourselves. As soon as we were all of legal age, our poker group made annual trips to Las Vegas and our passion for casino gambling grew. There were not many table games to choose from back then with blackjack dominating most of the table game space. However, as we all know, the casino industry has evolved quite a bit since then, with many new casinos being constructed and many new table games being introduced into the market. After playing most of these new games, we decided there is an opportunity to create a new table game to bring to the casino industry. During one of our regular trips to Vegas back in 2006, Daryl and I came up with the idea for our very first casino table game, "Match'em Hi-Lo".
Can you explain the basis upon which Match'em Hi-Lo has been created from?
Match’em Hi-Lo was created for table players who want a fresh approach to gaming. The combination of possibly winning a hand with tie, having a suited three of a kind, and the unknown of the Match’em bonus offers players continuous excitement within a single hand of play. Unlike most of the other card games being introduced, Match'em Hi-Lo is not a variation of either poker or blackjack. As we developed the game over the years, we had different versions and ultimately tweaked the game to meet the house advantage range of 2-4%. As a result, though not our intention, our game has pieces of other popular table games: baccarat with face cards equaling zero, blackjack with point values and double down option, and poker as a side bet. Our game is unique, easy to learn and play and provides excitement for both new and experienced gamblers.
Please can you explain to our readers the Match'em Hi-Lo Game?
- Match’em Hi-Lo is played heads up against the dealer. The object of the game is to predict if the point total of the player’s three card hand is higher or lower than the point total of dealer’s three card hand.
- The game is played using eight decks, each consisting of a standard 52-card deck.
- To begin, the player makes a “Hi/Lo” bet.
- The dealer deals three cards to each player and five cards to the dealer.
- The player examines his cards calculates his point total based upon the following values:
- Ace: 1 point for “Lo” hands and 11 points for “Hi” hands
- 2 thru 10: rank value
- J, Q, K: 0 points (all face cards are worth zero)
- The player determines if the point value for their hand is “Hi” or “Lo” and places their cards in the corresponding box in the playing space on the table.
- The player has the option to double down the original bet.
- The dealer reveals his five-cards and based upon the value of the cards, the three lowest valued cards creates the dealer’s “Lo” hand. The highest point value card in the dealer’s “Lo” hand is shared with the remaining two cards to create the dealer’s “Hi” hand. An ace will always be shared with the “Hi/Lo” hand.
- Player’s “Hi” bets win if their point value is equal to or greater than the Dealer’s “Hi” point value. Player’s “Lo” bets win if their point value is equal to or lesser than the Dealer’s “Lo” point value.
- Player wins all ties!
- There are also two optional side bets, the “Match’em” and “Poker Bonus”, which are explained below.
"Match'em" side bet compares how many of the dealer's cards match the players cards. The more dealer cards matched, the higher the payout. Match all five dealer cards and the payout is 100:1!
"Poker Bonus" side bet is simply determining the poker hand value of the player's three cards. Due to the uniqueness of a multideck game, a suited three of a kind has a payout of 100:1!
With optimal play, the house edge is 2.66% per original bet or 2.03% per total bet.
The house edge for Match’em bonus is 3.12% and Poker Bonus is 3.33%.
How can our readers find out more about your company and game?
For more details on the rules of the game and to play a few hands, please visit our website at: www.matchemhilo.com or visit Isle of Capri, Waterloo, Iowa which is hosting the field trial.
