Blackjack
Blackjack is one of the most popular Table Games games offered at Thunder Valley Casino Resort. Traditionally, the objective of the game is to get cards adding up or closest to 21. Getting a "blackjack" means drawing two cards: an ace, plus a 10 or any face card. Blackjacks are paid 3:2.
Single and Double Deck
We offer single- and double-deck blackjack games that let guests hold their cards, giving them more control when deciding whether to hit, stay, double, and/or split.
Lucky Lucky Side Bet
Try a Lucky Lucky Side Bet from $1 to $25 on your next blackjack hand. You could win up to 200 times your original bet!
How to Play
Blackjack is played with anywhere from one to eight decks of 52 cards, one dealer and from one to seven players. Rules and flow of the game are as follows:
Players make their bets, then dealer starts the game. Two cards are dealt to each player face up with two to the dealer, one face up and one face down. Ultimately, the object of the game is to hold cards that total or come close to 21 to beat the dealer who attempts the same goal. The ace card is equivalent to a 1 or 11 as desired. King, queen and jack cards each equal 10, with other cards at face value. Suits are of no significance.
If any player's hand consists of an ace and 10-value card (king, queen, jack, 10) it is a "blackjack," and wins automatically. Immediate payment is not made if the dealer's face-up card is an ace or 10-value card. In that case, payment of the player's blackjack must wait until dealer exposes their hole card in case the dealer also has blackjack, which would be considered a "push," and the player's hand neither wins nor loses.
Regardless of the dealer's face-up card, players are given opportunities to improve their hand by taking additional cards. This is called "hitting," and players signal this by making a scratching motion with their cards on the table. A player may take as many hits as desired as long as the total count of the hand does not equal or exceed 21. When a player goes over 21, the hand "breaks" and loses automatically. When players are satisfied with their hands, they will "stand" (take no more cards). This is indicated by a slight horizontal motion with their hand, palm down over the layout.
When dealer's face-up card is an ace, players are given an opportunity to take "insurance," which is betting dealer holds blackjack. Insurance is optional and may be in any amount up to one-half the original bet. If dealer does have blackjack, the winning insurance bets are paid 2-1. Players lose the original bet on their hands unless they also have a blackjack and push with the dealer on the original bet.
Blackjack Switch
New to Thunder Valley Casino Resort is Blackjack Switch. This is an exciting new game in which players play two hands and have the opportunity to switch the second card of each hand to try to make a better hand. Blackjack Switch also features an optional Buster Blackjack side bet. On Buster Blackjack when the dealer busts the players win and gets paid according the posted pay table.
HOW TO PLAY
Blackjack Switch follows the standard rules of regular blackjack; however, players hold two hands of equal value with the ability to switch the second card of each hand. Blackjack pays even money. Dealer totaling 22 will push all non-breaking player hands. A "Buster Bet" is available as an optional wager with a limit of $1 to $25, and pays according to the payout posted at the table.
Criss Cross
Welcome to Criss Cross Poker, where you can double your chance to win - across, down or both!
HOW TO PLAY
Place two ante bets of equal value - one for the across hand, one for the down hand. Next, the dealer sets 5 community cards down in a criss-cross pattern. Each player then receives 2 cards face down. After examining your cards, decide to bet either "across" or to forfeit your ante wager. After all players have bet, the dealer will turn over the two outside cards on the horizontal cross line. The same pattern repeats for the "down" bet. Then the dealer offers a "middle" bet for the card in the center of the criss-cross. Lastly, the dealer reveals the remaining players' cards, and winnings are paid according to the paytable. Find this table game near Illusions Ultra Lounge.
Free Bet Blackjack is a variation of the standard game of blackjack. Free Bet Blackjack lets you double down and split … for free! If you choose the free bet options, the dealer will place a special lammer next to your original wager. If you end up winning the hand, you get paid as if you had made a traditional split or double, even though you didn’t put any additional money at risk.
Getting Started
Make a bet to play against the dealer. You and the dealer will get two starting cards, as in standard blackjack.
Free Split
You may free double any two card hard 9, 10 or 11. Free doubling after splitting is allowed, when the above doubling rule is followed.
Push 22 Bonus
If the dealer breaks with a point total of 22, any bets you have left in action are pushes. The Push 22 side bet wins if the dealer breaks with a point total of 22. If the dealer’s final point total is any number other than 22, the Push 22 side bet loses.
Try this exciting variation of blackjack today!
Spanish 21 is a variation of the game of Blackjack in which the players' Blackjack or 21 always beats the dealer. Players are able to surrender their wager and save half of their bet or rescue a double-down if not confident with their hand. Match the Dealer is also an option in which the player can wager to see if any initial cards "match the dealer's" first card in rank - and if so, will get paid a bonus on the designated pay table.
HOW TO PLAY
Players first make a standard Blackjack wager and the optional Match the Dealer wager. The player and the dealer will get two starting cards, as in standard blackjack.
Players may surrender a hand, saving half of their bet. Before a player can surrender, the dealer will check to see if they have Blackjack when a face card is showing first, and after insurance is offered to players. There is no surrender when the dealer has a Blackjack.
Double Down Rescue
Players may double on two or more cards and rescue the last portion of their double down. For example, if a player doubles down and does not like what is dealt, the last portion of their bet may be rescued. If the player's double down was for less, the original bet is lost and cards will be removed.
21 Bonuses
When players make 21 they win immediately and cards are removed from the round. A bonus is paid out to players with certain 21's made. 21 bonuses are not applied if the player doubles down. No special wager is necessary and the payouts will be designated on the specified pay table. A Super Bonus is also awarded to players when the first three cards are suited 7's and the dealer's up card is any 7. Payouts for the Super Bonus can be up to $5,000. The Super is void if the players double down or split.
Face Up Pai Gow Poker
Another new and exciting table game is here: Face Up Pai Gow Poker. This exciting alternative to the Pai Gow game the dealer's cards shown face up before a player acts on a hand. Plus, there's a wild Joker in the deck that may be used to complete a straight, flush or serve as an Ace.
If the dealer has an Ace-high "pai gow," the hand will result in a push. Players may also make the Fortune side bet and progressive bet, which pay based on the poker value of the player's 7 cards.
Look for it in our Table Games section today!
Baccarat
Baccarat is one of the most popular games offered today. Players choose to bet on the player or banker, the side that’s closest to "9" wins.
Midi Baccarat
Midi is interactive version, which players have the option to handle the cards. A dragon bonus bet is also available.
EZ-Baccarat
No commission is taken out of a winning banker hand in EZ-Baccarat. Two separate, special side bets called "Dragon 7" and "Panda 8" add an exciting twist to EZ Baccarat as well. Dragon 7 is a side bet that pays 40 to 1 when the banker wins with a three-card total of seven—all banker bets will push. Panda 8 is a unique side bet that pays 25 to 1 when the player side wins with a three-card total of eight—all bets placed on the player will be paid.
HOW TO PLAY
This ancient game is played with eight decks of cards that are shuffled and placed in a box called a "shoe" to be dealt. Those participating place a wager on either Banker or Player. Two hands, with two cards each, are dealt from the shoe. Later, a third card may be required for either hand. The first hand represents those betting on the player; the other those betting on Banker. The winning hand totals closest to nine. Tens, cards totaling 10 and face cards are uncounted. Aces are counted as one, deuces as two, etc. If the cards total a two-digit number, only the last number counts (e.g.: if 7+ 8 =15, then 15 counts as five).
The hand representing the player is given facedown to the person with the largest wager on the player. That bettor then exposes the cards for all to see and passes them to the house dealer, who calls out their total value.
If there is no wager on the player, cards representing that hand are turned up by the house dealer, who calls out their total value. If no more cards are required, the house dealer declares a winner. If a third card is required for either or both hands, the house dealer calls for it, face-up, and declares a winner with only the last digit of the total counting. In case of a tie, the hand is replayed.
Bets are paid even money, but a 5% commission is charged on winning Banker bets. A bet on a tie hand may be made, which pays 9-1.
Rules for Drawing Cards
- IF: Banker and/or the player has 8 or 9 on first two cards, no further cards are drawn.
- IF NOT, THEN: Player having 0-5 must draw one card. The player having 6-7 must stand.
- THEN: Banker stands or draws one card as indicated by the chart.
In Pai Gow, each player receives seven cards to arrange into a high and low hand. The high hand will contain five cards and the low will contain two cards. The Object of Pai Gow is to have the best combination of both high and low. Players can wager the Fortune Side Bet, and/or Progressive Bonus. The Pai Gow Progressive Bonus bet at Thunder Valley Casino Resort carries the potential of winning $500,000.
HOW TO PLAY
Pai Gow Poker hand rankings are based on traditional poker rankings, with a couple of unique features, including five aces (four aces and a joker), royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card.
Rules and flow of the game are as follows:
Each guest is dealt seven cards that are arranged into two hands--a two-card hand and a five-card hand. The five-card hand must be higher in rank than the two-card hand, and a joker can complete a straight or a flush. If the joker stands alone, it will be played as an ace. The wager wins if the guests' hands beat both of the Banker's hands. The wager loses if both Banker's hands beat the guests' hands. The wager pushes if one guests' hand loses and the other wins.
"Fortune Bonus" is an optional bet based on the best hand possible among the players' seven cards. Players may bet any amount within table limits; however, a Fortune bet of at least $5 qualifies them for “Envy Bonus payouts.” Players win the Envy Bonus when someone else at the table receives a four of a kind or higher.
Thunder Valley Craps
We offer Thunder Valley Craps. Come be a part of the exciting action!
HOW TO PLAY
Thunder Valley Craps uses a Las Vegas-style table, but the layout includes two boxes—one red, one blue—that correspond with two symmetrical six-sided cubes each bearing one of those two colors. Each side of the cube has a number of dots on it. Stickperson locates a shooter who tosses the cubes on the table and takes that with the highest number of dots showing. Stickperson then turns over a card matching the number indicated on the higher cube, which reveals the winning roll.
Mystery Card Roulette
Mystery Card Roulette is one of the most natural versions of roulette available. This game is identical to those offered in Reno and Las Vegas, with one exception: Cards are used as the identifier of the winning number (0, 00-36). All payouts and layouts are the same.
HOW TO PLAY
Mystery Card Roulette plays like traditional roulette in layout and payouts, except cards represent the winning number. Pick your favorite number or color, test out strategy on a column or section and watch the apparatus spin. Once the apparatus stops, the dealer will drop the card on the layout, and see if your number hits.
Three Card Poker® is one of the easiest and most popular stud poker games offered at Thunder Valley Casino. Players have the option of playing the pairs plus, bad beat and or progressive bonus jackpot. Players may bet against Dealer, and wager on the value of their own three-card hand. Bonus payouts may be received for certain hands when wagering against Dealer.
HOW TO PLAY
Players first place an ante against Dealer. Players then review cards and may fold or place an equal wager on the play spot. Players win both wagers if their hand beats Dealer’s qualifying hand of a queen or better. If Dealer doesn't qualify, players win the ante wager and the play wager pushes.
The "Pair Plus" bet is a separate bet that automatically wins with a pair or higher whether or not the player's cards beat Dealer’s cards. To play both ante and Pair Plus spots, Players make a play wager, or forfeit both bets.
Ranking of hands from highest to lowest: straight flush, three of a kind, straight, flush and a pair. If no hand contains a pair or better, the hand containing the highest ranking card(s) wins. Ace is high except in 3-2 ace sequence.
Four Card Poker® is a heads-up stud poker game against the dealer that plays very similar to Three Card® Poker. Each player uses their best four cards dealt out of five cards given. Players also have the option of betting up three times their ante. Four Card Poker® features head-to-head play against the dealer and an optional bonus bet. It is similar to Three Card Poker®, but with one major difference. In Three Card®, the play wager must equal the ante; in Four Card®, players may bet up to three times their ante when staying in the game.
HOW TO PLAY
Players ante to compete with Dealer, and can additionally make an aces-up bet against the pay table. Each player receives five cards to make four-card poker hands with four-card straights as straights and four-card flushes as flushes. Dealer gets six cards to make his four-card hand with one card dealt face-up. Players review their hand, then fold or stay in the game by betting one to three times their ante. Dealer reveals his hand and compares it to the players' hands. A player's bets win even money if he/she beats or ties Dealer, and player loses bets if Dealer wins. Note: Dealer always qualifies.
Automatic Bonuses
Premium hands—three of a kind and higher—receive automatic payouts. These are paid on the ante wager. Automatic Bonuses always win, even if the player loses to the dealer. Aces-up side bet wins with a pair of aces or better. To play both ante and aces-up spots, player must make a wager, or forfeit both bets.
Ranking of Hands: four of a kind, straight flush, three of a kind, flush, straight, two pair, pair.
Multi-link Progressive
Ultimate Texas Hold `Em is linked to a multi-game progressive giving players the opportunity to win a cumulative jackpot over several different games even if they are not playing all of them.
In Ultimate Texas Hold `Em, you're not playing against other players, but against Dealer with wager options including multiple side bets, and the two-way bad beat. Ultimate Texas Hold ’Em follows traditional Hold ’Em rules, but players just have to beat Dealer's hand. Players and Dealer try to make the best possible five-card poker hand using hole cards and five community cards.
HOW TO PLAY
Players make equal ante and blind bets against Dealer with the option of a "Trips" bonus bet before any cards are dealt. When two hole cards are dealt, players may either check or bet three to four times the ante. Dealer then reveals the three-card flop and if players haven't made a play bet, they check or bet two times the ante. Dealer then reveals the final two community cards (turn & river) and i players haven’t already made a play bet, they may fold match the ante.
Dealer then reveals the two hole cards and announces his hand. If the players' hand beat Dealer’s, their bets win even money. If Dealer’s hand beats the players, their ante and blind wagers lose. Ties are considered a push. The blind pays if the player's winning hand is at least a straight, or else it pushes. Dealer needs at least a pair to qualify.
Multi-link Progressive
Ultimate Texas Hold `Em is linked to a multi-game progressive giving players the opportunity to win a cumulative jackpot over several different games even if they are not playing all of them.