RULES AND REGULATIONS
PENNSYLVANIA GAMING CONTROL BOARD
[ 58 PA. CODE CHS. 535, 541, 543, 545 AND 551 ]
Temporary Table Game Rules for Pai Gow, Minibaccarat, Midibaccarat, Baccarat and Spanish 21
[40 Pa.B. 1504]
[Saturday, March 20, 2010]The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (Board), under its general authority in 4 Pa.C.S. § 1303A (relating to temporary table game regulations) enacted by the act of January 7, 2010 (Act 1) and the specific authority in 4 Pa.C.S. § 1302A(1)—(4) (relating to regulatory authority), adopts temporary regulations in Chapters 535, 541, 543, 545 and 551 to read as set forth in Annex A. The Board's temporary regulations will be added to Part VII (relating to Gaming Control Board) as part of Subpart K (relating to table games).
Purpose of the Temporary Rulemaking
This temporary rulemaking contains table game rules for Pai Gow, Minibaccarat, Midibaccarat, Baccarat and Spanish 21.
Explanation of Chapters 535, 541, 543, 545 and 551
Chapter 535 (relating to Pai Gow) contains the rules governing the play of Pai Gow, which is a game that uses dice and tiles instead of cards. The provisions in this chapter address: definitions of terms; physical characteristics of Pai Gow tables; tiles and other related equipment; the number and use of dice; the opening of Pai Gow tables; the procedures for shuffling and dealing tiles; wagers; procedures for completion of each round of play; payment and collection of wagers and vigorish; and how irregularities in play are to be handled.
Chapters 541, 543 and 545 (relating to Minibaccarat; Midibaccarat; and Baccarat) contain the rules for the versions of baccarat that the certificate holders may offer. Each of these chapters is organized in a similar manner which includes: definitions of terms; the layout of tables used; the decks of cards to be used; the opening of tables; the procedures for shuffling, cutting and dealing; the value of cards and how to determine a hand's point count; the wagers that may be made; the procedures for the actual play of each game; the collection of losing wagers and payment of winning wagers; the minimum payout odds; and how irregularities in play are to be handled.
Chapter 551 (relating to Spanish 21) establishes the rules for the game of Spanish 21. Included in this chapter are: definitions for terms used in this game; the requirements pertaining to Spanish 21 tables and other equipment used in the play of this game; provisions governing the number of decks of cards that are required and the value of each card; procedures for the inspection of the cards and the procedures for shuffling and cutting of the cards before they are dealt; the procedures for dealing the initial two cards and subsequent cards and the collection of the cards at the end of a round of play; the wagers that may be placed, what constitutes a winning or losing wager and the collection and payment of wagers; provisions which allow certificate holder's to determine whether or not players may play at multiple adjacent positions at the Spanish 21 table; and provisions addressing unusual circumstances that might arise during the play of the game.
Affected Parties
Slot machine licensees who elect to become certificate holders will be required to hire and train dealers for the table games they wish to offer and purchase the equipment necessary to conduct the table games.
The Board will experience increased regulatory demands resulting from the implementation of table games. The most significant increases will be the hiring of additional casino compliance agents to oversee the operation of the table games at the licensed facilities and increased number of license and occupation permit applications that will have to be processed by the Bureau of Licensing.
Fiscal Impact
Commonwealth
The Board expects that it will experience increased costs related to adding additional staff at the licensed facilities and at its offices to handle the increased licensing and oversight requirements that will result from the introduction of table games. Because the Board is just starting to receive petitions from slot machine licensees seeking permission to conduct table games, the extent of these additional costs are not known. However, the Board does not expect these increased costs to exceed the additional funding provided to the Board under Act 1.
Political Subdivisions
This rulemaking will have no direct fiscal impact on political subdivisions of this Commonwealth. Eventually, host municipalities and counties will benefit from the local share funding that is mandated by Act 1.
Private Sector
This rulemaking will result in additional costs for slot machine licensees who elect to become certificate holders. More specifically, certificate holders will be required to purchase equipment to conduct the table games they elect to offer and to hire and train employees to operate table games. While these costs are expected to be significant, they will be offset by the revenues generated from the table games.
General Public
This rulemaking will have no direct fiscal impact on the general public.
Paperwork Requirements
This rulemaking will require certificate holders to file Rules Submissions for each table game they elect to offer. These filings may take the form of standardized checklists for each game and should be relatively simple to fill out.
Effective Date
This temporary rulemaking will become effective upon publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
Public Comments
While this rulemaking will be effective upon publication, the Board is seeking comments from the public and affected parties as to how this temporary regulation might be improved. Interested persons are invited to submit written comments, suggestions or objections regarding this temporary rulemaking within 30 days after the date of publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin to Richard Sandusky, Director of Regulatory Review, Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, P. O. Box 69060, Harrisburg, PA 17106-9060, Attention: Public Comment on Regulation #125-113.
Contact Person
The contact person for questions about this rulemaking is Richard Sandusky, Director of Regulatory Review at (717) 214-8111.
Regulatory Review
Under 4 Pa.C.S. § 1303A, the Board is authorized to adopt temporary regulations which are not subject to the provisions of: sections 201—205 of the act of July 31, 1968 (P. L. 769, No. 240) (45 P. S. §§ 1201—1208), referred to as the Commonwealth Documents Law (CDL); the Regulatory Review Act (71 P. S. §§ 745.1—745.12); and sections 204(b) and 301(10) of the Commonwealth Attorneys Act (71 P. S. §§ 732-204(b) and 732-301(10)). These temporary regulations shall expire 2 years after publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
Findings
The Board finds that:
(1) Under 4 Pa.C.S. § 1303A, the temporary regulations are exempt from the requirements of the Regulatory Review Act, sections 201—205 of the CDL and sections 204(b) and 301(10) of the Commonwealth Attorney Act.
(2) The adoption of the temporary regulations is necessary and appropriate for the administration and enforcement of 4 Pa.C.S. Part II (relating to gaming).
Order
The Board, acting under 4 Pa.C.S. Part II, orders that:
(1) The regulations of the Board, 58 Pa. Code, are amended by adding temporary §§ 535.1—535.13, 541.1—541.15, 543.1—543.14, 545.1—545.15 and 551.1—551.16 to read as set forth in Annex A.
(2) The temporary regulations are effective March 20, 2010.
(3) The temporary regulations will be posted on the Board's web site and published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
(4) The temporary regulations shall be subject to amendment as deemed necessary by the Board.
(5) The Chairperson of the Board shall certify this order and Annex A and deposit them with the Legislative Reference Bureau as required by law.
GREGORY C. FAJT,
ChairpersonFiscal Note: 125-113. No fiscal impact; (8) recommends adoption.
Annex A
TITLE 58. RECREATION
PART VII. GAMING CONTROL BOARD
Subpart K. TABLE GAMES
CHAPTER 535. PAI GOW Sec.
535.1. Definitions. 535.2. Pai Gow table; Pai Gow shaker; physical characteristics. 535.3. Pai Gow tiles; physical characteristics. 535.4. Pai Gow tiles; ranking of hands, pairs and tiles; value of the hand. 535.5. Dice; number of dice; Pai Gow shaker. 535.6. Opening of the table for gaming; shuffling procedures. 535.7. Wagers. 535.8. Procedures for dealing the tiles. 535.9. Alternative dealing procedures. 535.10. Procedures for completion of each round of play; setting of hands; payment and collection of wagers; payout odds; vigorish. 535.11. Player bank; co-banking; selection of bank; procedures for dealing. 535.12. Irregularities; invalid roll of the dice. 535.13. A player wagering on more than one betting area. § 535.1. Definitions.
The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
Copy hand—A high hand or low hand of a player which is identical in pair rank or point value and contains the same highest ranking tile as the corresponding high hand or low hand of the dealer or bank.
High hand—The two tile hand formed with two of the four tiles dealt that ranks higher than the hand formed from the remaining two tiles.
Low hand—The two tile hand formed with two of the four tiles dealt that rank lower than the hand formed from the remaining two tiles.
Marker—An object used to designate the bank and the co-bank, as approved by the Bureau of Gaming Operations.
Setting the hands—The process of forming a high hand and a low hand from the four dealt tiles.
Supreme Pair—The pair of tiles that form the highest ranking hand formed with the Six (2-4) tile and the Three (1-2) tile.
Value—The numerical point value assigned to a pair of tiles in accordance with the provisions of § 535.4 (relating to Pai Gow tiles; ranking of hands, pairs and tiles; value of the hand).
§ 535.2. Pai Gow table; Pai Gow shaker; physical characteristics.
(a) Pai Gow shall be played at a table having on one side places for six players and on the opposite side a place for the dealer.
(b) The layout for a Pai Gow table shall be approved by the Bureau of Gaming Operations and contain, at a minimum, the following:
(1) Six separate designated betting areas for the players at the table with each area being numbered one through six.
(2) A separate area, located to the left of the dealer, for the placement of four tiles which shall be referred to as the Dead Hand.
(3) The name or logo of the certificate holder offering the game.
(c) Each Pai Gow table must have a drop box with a tip box attached to it on the same side of the gaming table as, but on opposite sides of, the dealer, in locations approved by the Bureau of Gaming Operations.
(d) Pai Gow shall be played with a Pai Gow shaker, approved by the Bureau of Gaming Operations, used to shake three dice before each hand of Pai Gow is dealt to determine the starting position for the dealing of the Pai Gow tiles. The Pai Gow shaker shall be designed and constructed to maintain the integrity of the game and, at a minimum, adhere to the following specifications:
(1) The Pai Gow shaker must be capable of housing three dice and be designed to prevent the dice from being seen while being shaken by the dealer.
(2) The Pai Gow shaker must have the name or logo of the certificate holder imprinted or impressed thereon.
§ 535.3. Pai Gow tiles; physical characteristics.
(a) Pai Gow shall be played with a set of 32 rectangular tiles. Each tile in a set must be identical in size and shading to every other tile in the set.
(b) Each tile used must:
(1) Be made of a nontransparent black material, formed in the shape of a rectangle, and be no smaller than 2.5 inches in length, 1 inch in width and .375 of an inch in thickness.
(2) Have the surface of each of its sides perfectly flat, except that the front side of each tile must contain spots which extend into the tile exactly the same distance as every other spot.
(3) Have on the back of each tile an identifying feature unique to each certificate holder.
(4) Have an identical texture and finish on each side, with the exception of the front side containing the spots.
(5) Have no tile within a set contain any marking, symbol or design that enables a person to know the identity of any element on the front side of the tile or that will distinguish any tile from any other tile within a set.
(6) Have identifying spots on the front side of the tiles which are either red or white or both.
(c) Each set of tiles must be composed of 32 tiles with the identifying spots set forth in § 535.4(g) (relating to Pai Gow tiles; ranking of hands, pairs and tiles; value of the hand).
(d) Each set of tiles shall be packaged separately and completely sealed in a manner so that any tampering shall be evident.
§ 535.4. Pai Gow tiles; ranking of hands, pairs and tiles; value of the hand.
(a) When comparing high hands or low hands to determine the higher ranking hand, the determination shall first be based upon the rank of any permissible pair of tiles which are contained in the hands. A hand with a permissible pair of tiles shall rank higher than a hand which does not contain any permissible pair. The permissible pairs of tiles and their rank, with the Supreme Pair being the highest or first ranking pair, are as follows:
Ranking Pairing Supreme Pair First Six (2-4) and Three (1-2) Matched Pairs Second Twelve (6-6) and Twelve (6-6) Third Two (1-1) and Two (1-1) Fourth Eight (4-4) and Eight (4-4) Fifth Four (1-3) and Four (1-3) Sixth Ten (5-5) and Ten (5-5) Seventh Six (3-3) and Six (3-3) Eighth Four (2-2) and Four (2-2) Ninth Eleven (5-6) and Eleven (5-6) Tenth Ten (4-6) and Ten (4-6) Eleventh Seven (1-6) and Seven (1-6) Twelfth Six (1-5) and Six (1-5) Mixed or Unmatched Pairs Thirteenth Mixed Nines (3-6 and 4-5) Fourteenth Mixed Eights (3-5 and 2-6) Fifteenth Mixed Sevens (3-4 and 2-5) Sixteenth Mixed Fives (1-4 and 2-3) Wongs Seventeenth Twelve (6-6) and Nine (4-5)
Twelve (6-6) and Nine (3-6)Eighteenth Two (1-1) and Nine (4-5)
Two (1-1) and Nine (3-6)Gongs Nineteenth Twelve (6-6) and Eight (2-6)
Twelve (6-6) and Eight (3-5)
Twelve (6-6) and Eight (4-4)Twentieth Two (1-1) and Eight (2-6)
Two (1-1) and Eight (3-5)
Two (1-1) and Eight (4-4)(b) When comparing high hands or low hands which are of identical permissible pair rank, the hand shall be considered a copy hand, and the dealer or, if applicable, the bank shall win the hand.
(c) Except as provided in subsection (e), when comparing the rank of high hands or low hands which do not contain any of the pairs listed in subsection (a), the higher ranking hand shall be determined on the basis of the value of the hands. The value of a hand shall be a single digit number from 0 to 9 inclusive and shall be determined by adding the total number of spots which are contained on the two tiles which form the hand. If the total of the spots is a two digit number, the left digit of the number shall be discarded and the right digit shall constitute the value of the hand. Examples of this rule are as follows:
(1) A hand composed of a two (1-1) and a six (3-3) has a value of 8.
(2) A hand composed of an eleven (5-6) and a seven (1-6) has a value of 8, because the numeric total of the hand is 18 and the left digit in the number 18 is discarded.
(d) If the tiles which form the Supreme Pair are used separately, the numeric total of the 1-2 tile may be counted as a 3 or a 6 and the numeric total of the 2-4 tile may be counted as a 3 or a 6. When the 1-2 tile is counted as 6, its individual ranking under subsection (g) shall be fifteenth instead of seventeenth and when the 2-4 tile is counted as 3, its individual ranking shall be seventeenth instead of fifteenth.
(e) When comparing high hands or low hands which are of identical value, the hand with the highest ranking individual tile shall be considered the higher ranking hand.
(f) The individual ranking for each tile, from highest rank to lowest rank, is as follows:
Ranking Tile Number of Tiles
In SetFirst Twelve (6-6) 2 Second Two (1-1) 2 Third Eight (4-4) 2 Fourth Four (1-3) 2 Fifth Ten (5-5) 2 Sixth Six (3-3) 2 Seventh Four (2-2) 2 Eighth Eleven (5-6) 2 Ninth Ten (4-6) 2 Tenth Seven (1-6) 2 Eleventh Six (1-5) 2 Twelfth Nine (3-6) 1 Twelfth Nine (4-5) 1 Thirteenth Eight (2-6) 1 Thirteenth Eight (3-5) 1 Fourteenth Seven (2-5) 1 Fourteenth Seven (3-4) 1 Fifteenth Six (2-4) 1 Sixteenth Five (1-4) 1 Sixteenth Five (2-3) 1 Seventeenth Three (1-2) 1 (g) If the highest ranking tile in each hand being compared is of identical rank after the application of subsection (f), the hand shall be considered a copy hand, and the hand of the dealer or, if applicable, the bank shall be considered the higher ranking hand.
§ 535.5. Dice; number of dice; Pai Gow shaker.
(a) Pai Gow shall be played with three dice which shall be maintained at all times inside a Pai Gow shaker while at the table.
(b) The Pai Gow shaker and the dice are the responsibility of the dealer and may never be left unattended while at the table.
(c) Dice that have been placed in a Pai Gow shaker for use in gaming may not remain on a table for more than 24 hours.
§ 535.6. Opening of the table for gaming; shuffling procedures.
(a) After receiving one set of tiles at the table, the dealer shall sort and inspect the tiles and the floorperson assigned to the table shall verify the inspection. Nothing in this section precludes a certificate holder from cleaning the tiles prior to the inspection required herein. The tiles at the gaming table shall be inspected as follows:
(1) Each set of tiles shall be sorted into pairs to assure that the Supreme Pair and all 15 matched and unmatched pairs as identified in § 535.4 (relating to Pai Gow tiles; ranking of hands, pairs and tiles; value of the hand) are in the set.
(2) Each tile shall be placed side by side to determine that all tiles are the same size and shading.
(3) The back and sides of each tile shall be examined to assure that it is not flawed, scratched or marked in any way.
(i) If the dealer finds that certain tiles are unsuitable for use, a floorperson or above shall bring another set of tiles to the table from the reserve in the pit stand.
(ii) The unsuitable set of tiles shall be placed in a sealed envelope or container, identified by table number, date and time and shall be signed by the dealer and floorperson or above.
(b) Following the inspection of the tiles and the verification by the floorperson assigned to the table, the tiles shall be turned face up, then placed into 16 pairs and arranged according to rank starting with the Supreme Pair. The tiles shall be left in pairs for visual inspection by the first player to arrive at the table.
(c) After the first player arriving at the table is afforded an opportunity to visually inspect the tiles, the tiles shall be turned face down on the table, mixed thoroughly by shuffling the tiles.
(d) The dealer shall mix the tiles with the heels of the palms of the hands. The dealer shall mix the tiles in a circular motion with one hand moving clockwise and the other hand moving counterclockwise. Each hand shall complete at least eight circular motions to provide a random mixing. The dealer shall then randomly pick up four tiles with each hand and place them side by side in stacks in front of the table inventory container, forming eight stacks of four tiles.
(e) If during the stacking process described in subsection (d), a tile is turned over and exposed to the players, the entire set of tiles shall be remixed.
(f) After each round of play has been completed, the dealer shall turn all of the tiles face down and mix the tiles in accordance with subsection (d).
(g) If there is no gaming activity at the Pai Gow table, the tiles shall be turned face up and placed into 16 pairs according to rank starting with the Supreme Pair. Once a player arrives at the table, the dealer shall follow the procedures in subsections (c) and (d).
§ 535.7. Wagers.
(a) Wagers at Pai Gow shall be made by placing gaming chips or plaques on the appropriate betting area of the Pai Gow layout. No verbal wagers accompanied by cash will be accepted.
(b) Only players who are seated at the Pai Gow table may place a wager. Once a player has placed a wager and received tiles, that player shall remain seated until the completion of the round of play. If a player leaves the table during a round of play, any wagers made by the player shall be considered abandoned and may be treated as losing wagers.
(c) Wagers shall be placed prior to the dealer announcing ''no more bets'' in accordance with the dealing procedures in § 535.8 (relating to procedures for dealing the tiles). No wager may be made, increased or withdrawn after the dealer has announced ''no more bets.''
§ 535.8. Procedures for dealing the tiles.
(a) After the dealer has completed mixing and stacking the tiles, the dealer shall announce ''no more bets.'' The dealer shall then shake the Pai Gow shaker at least three times to cause a random mixture of the dice.
(b) The dealer shall then remove the lid covering the Pai Gow shaker, total the dice and announce the total. The total of the dice shall determine which player receives the first stack of tiles.
(c) To determine the starting position for dealing the tiles, the dealer shall count counterclockwise around the table, with the position of the dealer considered number one and continuing around the table with each betting position, regardless of whether there is a wager at the position, and the Dead Hand until the count matches the total of the three dice. Examples are as follows:
(1) If the dice total 9, the dealer would receive the first stack of four tiles.
(2) If the dice total 15, the sixth wagering position would receive the first stack of four tiles.
(d) The dealer shall deal the first stack of four tiles, starting from the right side of the eight stacks, to the starting position as determined in subsection (c) and, moving counterclockwise around the table, deal all other positions including the Dead Hand and the dealer a stack of tiles, regardless of whether there is a wager at the position. The dealer shall place a marker on top of his stack of tiles immediately after they are dealt.
(e) After all the stacks of tiles have been dealt, the dealer shall, without exposing the tiles, collect any stacks dealt to a position where there is no wager and place the stacks with the Dead Hand on the layout to the left of the dealer in front of the table inventory container.
(f) Once all tiles have been dealt and any tiles dealt to positions with no wagers have been collected, the dealer shall place the cover on the Pai Gow shaker and shake the shaker once. The Pai Gow shaker shall then be placed to the right of the dealer.
§ 535.9. Alternative dealing procedures.
(a) As an alternative to the procedure in § 535.8 (relating to procedures for dealing the tiles), the dealer may, if specified in the certificate holder's Rules Submission under § 521.2 (relating to table games Rules Submissions), use one of the following procedures for dealing the tiles:
(1) House Way From the Left. The dealer shall indicate the use of House Way From the Left by pushing forward the first stack of tiles on the dealer's left. The dealer shall deliver the stack pushed forward to the starting position. The remaining stacks of tiles shall be delivered from the dealer's left to right.
(2) Cup Say (pick four) From the Right. The dealer shall indicate the use of Cup Say From the Right by pushing forward the first two stacks of tiles on the dealer's right. The dealer shall deliver the top two tiles from each of the two stacks pushed forward to the starting position. The four remaining tiles pushed forward shall be delivered to the next position. The remaining stacks of tiles shall be delivered from the dealer's right to left in the same manner as the first two stacks.
(3) Cup Say (pick four) From the Left. The dealer shall indicate the use of Cup Say From the Left by pushing forward the first two stacks of tiles on the dealer's left. The dealer shall deliver the top two tiles from each of the two stacks pushed forward to the starting position. The four remaining tiles pushed forward shall be delivered to the next position. The remaining stacks of tiles shall be delivered from the dealer's left to right in the same manner as the first two stacks.
(4) Jung Quat (take the heart). The dealer shall indicate the use of Jung Quat by pushing forward the fourth stack of tiles from the dealer's right and the fourth stack of tiles from the dealer's left (the two center stacks of the eight). The dealer shall deliver the top two tiles from each of the two stacks pushed forward to the starting position. The four remaining tiles pushed forward shall be delivered to the next position. The remaining stacks shall be pushed together and the two new center stacks shall be pushed forward and delivered in the same manner as the first two stacks. This procedure shall be repeated until all eight stacks of tiles have been delivered.
(5) Chee Yee (chop the ears). The dealer shall indicate the use of Chee Yee by pushing forward the first stack of tiles on the dealer's right and the first stack of tiles on the dealer's left. To deliver the tiles, the dealer shall center the two stacks pushed forward in front of the remaining stacks. The dealer shall deliver the top two tiles from each of the two centered stacks to the starting position. The four remaining tiles from the two centered stacks shall be delivered to the next position. The dealer shall then center and deliver the first stack remaining on the dealer's right and the first stack remaining on the dealer's left in the same manner. This procedure shall be repeated until all eight stacks of tiles have been delivered.
(6) Pin Say (slice four) From the Right. The dealer shall indicate the use of Pin Say From the Right by removing the top tile of the first stack of tiles on the dealer's right and placing it diagonally across the top of the second, third and fourth stacks of tiles from the dealer's right. The dealer shall deliver the top tile from each of the first four stacks on the dealer's right to the starting position (the diagonal tile plus the three tiles it covers). The top tile from each of the first four stacks on the dealer's left shall be delivered to the next position. The top tile remaining on each of the first four stacks on the dealer's right shall be delivered to the third position and the top tile remaining on each of the first four stacks on the dealer's left shall be delivered to the fourth position. This procedure shall be repeated until four tiles have been delivered to all eight positions.
(7) Pin Say (slice four) From the Left. The dealer shall indicate the use of Pin Say From the Left by removing the top tile of the first stack of tiles on the dealer's left and placing it diagonally across the top of the second, third and fourth stacks of tiles from the dealer's left. The dealer shall deliver the top tile from each of the first four stacks on the dealer's left to the starting position (the diagonal tile plus the three tiles it covers). The top tile from each of the first four stacks on the dealer's right shall be delivered to the next position. The top tile remaining on each of the first four stacks on the dealer's left shall be delivered to the third position and the top tile remaining on each of the first four stacks on the dealer's right shall be delivered to the fourth position. This procedure shall be repeated until four tiles have been delivered to all eight positions.
(8) Dragon Head and Phoenix Tail From the Right. The dealer shall indicate the use of Dragon Head and Phoenix Tail From the Right by placing all four tiles in the first and second stacks from the dealer's right directly on top of the four tiles in the third and fourth stacks from the dealer's right and then pushing forward the top two tiles in each of the eight-tile stacks that are created (forming the dragon head). The dealer shall deliver the four tiles pushed forward to the starting position. The top tile from each of the four stacks of four tiles to the dealer's left (the phoenix tail) shall be delivered to the next position. The dealer shall deliver the top two tiles from each of the two stacks on the dealer's right to the third position and the top tile from each of the four stacks on the dealer's left to the fourth position. This procedure shall be repeated until four tiles have been delivered to all eight positions.
(9) Dragon Head and Phoenix Tail From the Left. The dealer shall indicate the use of Dragon Head and Phoenix Tail From the Left by placing all four tiles in the first and second stacks from the dealer's left directly on top of the four tiles in the third and fourth stacks from the dealer's left and then pushing forward the top two tiles in each of the eight-tile stacks that are created (forming the dragon head). The dealer shall deliver the four tiles pushed forward to the starting position. The top tile from each of the four stacks of four tiles to the dealer's right (the phoenix tail) shall be delivered to the next position. The dealer shall deliver the top two tiles from each of the two stacks on the dealer's left to the third position and the top tile from each of the four stacks on the dealer's right to the fourth position. This procedure shall be repeated until four tiles have been delivered to all eight positions.
§ 535.10. Procedures for completion of each round of play; setting of hands; payment and collection of wagers; payout odds; vigorish.
(a) After the dealing of the tiles has been completed, each player shall set his hands by arranging the tiles into a high hand and low hand. After setting the hands the tiles shall be placed face down on the layout immediately behind that player's betting area and separated into two distinct hands.
(b) Each player at the table shall be responsible for setting his own hands and no other person except the dealer may touch the tiles of that player. If a player requests assistance in the setting of his hands, the dealer may inform the requesting player of the manner in which the certificate holder requires the hands of the dealer to be set in accordance with the certificate holder's Rules Submission under § 521.2 (relating to table games Rules Submissions). Each player shall be required to keep the four tiles in full view of the dealer at all times. Once each player has set a high hand and low hand and placed the two hands face down on the layout, the player may not touch the tiles again.
(c) After all players have set their hands and placed the tiles on the table, the four tiles of the dealer shall be turned over and the dealer shall set his hands by arranging the tiles into a high and low hand. The high hand shall be placed on the layout face up to his right and the low hand shall be placed on the layout face up to his left.
(d) The dealer shall comply with the following rules when setting his hands:
(1) If the dealer has the Supreme Pair, it shall be played as the Supreme Pair.
(2) If possible, the dealer shall always play a pair, Wong or Gong as set forth in § 535.4 (relating to Pai Gow tiles; ranking of hands, pairs and tiles; value of the hand).
(3) If the dealer does not have any combinations described in paragraph (1) or (2), the dealer shall play any two tiles together which have a value equal to nine, eight or seven.
(4) If the dealer does not have a combination listed in paragraph (1), (2) or (3), the dealer shall play the highest ranking tile with the lowest ranking tile.
(e) A player may surrender his wager after the hands of the dealer have been set. The player shall announce his intention to surrender prior to the dealer exposing either of the two hands of that player as provided for in subsection (g). Once the player has announced his intention to surrender, the dealer shall immediately collect the wager from that player and collect the four tiles dealt to that player and stack them face down on the right side of the table in front of the table inventory container without exposing the tiles to any other player at the table.
(f) After the dealer has set a high and low hand and collected the wagers and tiles for any wagers that are surrendered under subsection (e), the dealer shall expose both hands of each player, starting with the player farthest to the right of the dealer and proceeding counterclockwise around the table. The dealer shall always compare the high hand of the player to the high hand of the dealer and the low hand of the player to the low hand of the dealer and shall announce if the wager of that player shall win, lose or be considered a tie.
(g) A wager shall lose if the high hand of the player is identical in rank or lower in rank than the high hand of the dealer, and the low hand of the player is identical in rank or lower in rank than the low hand of the dealer, or has a value of zero. Losing wagers shall be collected immediately by the dealer and put in the table inventory container. The tiles of all losing hands shall be collected by the dealer immediately after he collects the losing wagers.
(h) A wager shall be a tie if:
(1) The high hand of the player is higher in rank than the high hand of the dealer, but the low hand of the player is identical in rank to the low hand of the dealer, lower in rank than the low hand of the dealer or has a value of zero.
(2) The high hand of the player is identical in rank to the high hand of the dealer or lower in rank than the high hand of the dealer, but the low hand of the player is higher in rank than the low hand of the dealer.
(i) If a wager is a tie, the dealer shall return the player's wager and immediately collect the tiles of that player.
(j) A wager shall win if the high hand of the player is higher in rank than the high hand of the dealer and the low hand of the player is higher in rank than the low hand of the dealer. Winning hands shall remain face up on the layout. Winning wagers shall be paid after all hands have been exposed. The dealer shall pay winning wagers beginning with the player farthest to the right of the dealer and continuing counterclockwise around the table. The tiles of all winning hands shall be collected by the dealer immediately after he pays the winning wagers.
(k) A winning Pai Gow wager shall be paid off by a certificate holder at odds of 1 to 1, except that the certificate holder shall extract a vigorish from the winning player in an amount equal to 5% of the amount won; provided, however, that when collecting the vigorish, the certificate holder may round off the vigorish to 25 cents or the next highest multiple of 25 cents. A certificate holder shall collect the vigorish from a player at the time the winning payout is made.
(l) Tiles collected by the dealer shall be picked up in order and in such a way that they can be readily arranged to reconstruct each hand in case of a question or dispute and shall be placed face up to the right of the dealer in front of the table inventory container.
§ 535.11. Player bank; co-banking; selection of bank; procedures for dealing.
(a) A certificate holder may, in its Rules Submission under § 521.2 (relating to table games Rules Submissions), offer to all players at a Pai Gow table the opportunity to bank the game. If the certificate holder elects this option, the provisions of this section control for any round of play in which a player is the bank and all the other provisions of this subchapter apply to the extent that they do not conflict with the provisions of this section.
(b) A player may not be the bank at the start of the game. For the purposes of this section, the start of the game means the first round of play after the dealer is required to restack and shuffle the tiles in accordance with § 535.6 (relating to opening of the table for gaming; shuffling procedures).
(c) After the first round of play, each player at the table shall have the option to either be the bank or pass the bank to the next player. The dealer shall, starting with the player farthest to the right of the dealer, offer the bank to each player in a counterclockwise rotation around the table until a player accepts the bank. The dealer shall place a marker designating the bank in front of the player who accepts the bank. If the first player offered the bank accepts, the player seated to the right of that player shall first be offered the bank on the next round of play. The initial offer to be the bank shall rotate counterclockwise around the table until it returns to the dealer. No player may bank two consecutive rounds of play. If no player wishes to be the bank, the round of play shall proceed in accordance with the rules of play provided in this chapter.
(d) Before a player may bank a round of play, the dealer shall confirm that:
(1) The player placed a wager against the dealer during the last round of play in which there was no player banking the game.
(2) The player has sufficient gaming chips on the table to cover all of the wagers placed by other players at the table for that round of play.
(e) A certificate holder may, in its Rules Submission under § 521.2, offer the player banking the round of play the option of having the certificate holder cover 50% of the wagers made during that round of play. If the certificate holder offers this option, it shall make it available to all players at the table. If the bank wishes to use this option, the bank must specifically request the dealer to accept responsibility for the payment of one-half of all winning wagers. When the certificate holder covers 50% of the winning wagers, it shall be known as co-banking and the dealer shall place a marker designating the player co-banking that round of play. When the dealer is co-banking, the dealer shall be responsible for setting the hand of the bank in the manner submitted to the Board in the certificate holder's Rules Submission. When co-banking is in effect, the dealer may not place a wager against the bank.
(f) If a player is the bank, the player may only wager on one betting area.
(g) Once the tiles have been shuffled and formed into stacks under § 535.6, the bank shall have the option to cut the tiles one time. If the bank does not wish to cut the tiles, there shall be no cut. Upon direction from the bank, the dealer may move the tiles in one of the following ways:
(1) One or more adjacent stacks of four tiles to the right or left end of the original eight stacks of tiles.
(2) Two or more adjacent stacks of four tiles, of which at least one stack is moved to one end and the other stacks are moved to the opposite end of the original eight stacks of tiles.
(h) Once the dealer has determined that a player may be the bank as required under subsection (d) and the tiles have been shuffled and, if applicable, cut, the dealer shall, unless co-banking is in effect, remove gaming chips from the table inventory container in an amount equal to the last wager made by that player against the dealer or in an amount specified in the certificate holder's Rules Submission. This amount shall be the amount the dealer wagers against the bank. The bank may direct that the sum wagered by the dealer be a lesser amount or that the dealer place no wager during that round of play. Any amount wagered by the dealer shall be placed in front of the table inventory container. Immediately upon receipt of the four tiles dealt to the dealer pursuant to subsection (k), the dealer shall place his wager on top of these tiles, instead of the marker otherwise required under § 535.8 (relating to procedures for dealing the tiles), before dealing the remaining tiles. If co-banking is in effect, the dealer may not remove any gaming chips from the table inventory container pursuant to this subsection.
(i) Once the dealer has announced ''no more bets,'' the bank may, by issuing a verbal instruction to the dealer, choose to have the dealer deliver the stacks of tiles using any one of the styles of delivery described in § 535.9 (relating to alternative dealing procedures). If the bank does not choose a style of delivery, the dealer shall use the procedure in § 535.8(d). After the style of delivery has been determined, the dealer shall indicate the style of delivery to be used by verbally repeating the selected style of delivery, and taking such other action, as specified in the certificate holder's Rules Submission, that identifies the selected delivery style to the certificate holder's surveillance department, and moving certain stacks of tiles or individual tiles slightly forward, backward or diagonally in the manner described in § 535.9. After the dealer has indicated the style of delivery, the bank shall shake the Pai Gow shaker. It shall be the responsibility of the dealer to ensure that the bank shakes the Pai Gow shaker at least three times so as to cause a random mixture of the dice. Once the bank has completed shaking the Pai Gow shaker, the dealer shall remove the lid covering the Pai Gow shaker, total the dice and announce the total. The dealer shall always remove the lid from the Pai Gow shaker and if the bank inadvertently removes the lid, the dealer shall require the Pai Gow shaker to be covered and reshaken by the bank.
(j) To determine the starting position for dealing the tiles, the dealer shall count counterclockwise around the table, with the position of the bank considered number one and continuing around the table with each betting position, including the dealer, regardless of whether there is a wager at the position, and the Dead Hand counted in order until the count matches the total of the three dice.
(k) The dealer shall deal the first four tiles, in accordance with the selected style of delivery, to the starting position as determined in subsection (j) and, moving counterclockwise around the table, deal all other positions including the Dead Hand and the dealer, regardless of whether there is a wager at the position. The dealer shall place his wager or marker, as applicable, on top of his stack of tiles immediately after the tiles are dealt.
(l) After all the stacks of tiles have been dealt, the dealer shall, without exposing the tiles, collect any stacks dealt to a position where there is no wager and place the stacks with the Dead Hand on the layout to the left of the dealer in front of the table inventory container.
(m) Once all tiles have been dealt and any tiles dealt to positions with no wagers have been collected, the dealer shall place the cover on the Pai Gow shaker and shake the shaker once. The Pai Gow shaker shall then be placed to the right of the dealer.
(n) If the tiles dealt to the dealer have not been previously collected, after each player has set his two hands and placed them on the layout, the two hands of the dealer shall then be set. Once the dealer has formed a high and low hand, the dealer shall expose the hands of the bank and determine if the hands of the dealer are higher in rank than the hands of the bank. If the dealer wins, the tiles of the dealer shall be stacked face up to the right of the table inventory container with the amount wagered by the dealer against the bank placed on top. If the dealer's hand is a tie with the banker's hand, the dealer shall return the amount wagered by the dealer against the bank to the table inventory container. If the dealer loses, the amount wagered by the dealer against the bank shall be moved to the center of the layout.
(o) If banking is in effect, once the dealer has determined the outcome of the wager of the dealer against the bank, if any, the dealer shall expose the hands of each player starting with the player farthest to the right of the dealer and proceeding counterclockwise around the table. The dealer shall compare the high and low hand of each player to the high and low hand of the bank and shall announce if the wager shall win, lose or be considered a tie. Losing wagers shall be immediately collected and placed in the center of the table. After all hands have been exposed, winning wagers, including the dealer's wager, shall be paid by the dealer with the gaming chips located in the center of the table. If this amount becomes exhausted before winning wagers have been paid, the dealer shall collect from the bank an amount equal to the remaining winning wagers and place that amount in the center of the layout. The remaining winning wagers shall be paid from the amount in the center of the layout. If, after collecting all losing wagers and paying all winning wagers, there is a surplus in the center of the table, this amount shall be charged a 5% vigorish in accordance with § 535.10 (relating to procedures for completion of each round of play; setting of hands; payment and collection of wagers; payout odds; vigorish). Once the vigorish has been paid, the remaining amount shall be given to the bank.
(p) Immediately after a winning wager of the dealer is paid, this amount and the original wager shall be returned to the table inventory container.
(q) Each player who has a winning wager against the bank shall pay a 5% vigorish on the amount won to the dealer, in accordance with § 535.10.
(r) If co-banking is in effect, once the dealer has set the co-bank hand under subsection (e), the dealer shall expose the hands of each player starting with the player farthest to the right of the dealer and proceeding counterclockwise around the table. The dealer shall compare the high and low hand of each player to the high and low hand of the bank and shall announce if the wager shall win, lose or be considered a tie. Losing wagers shall be immediately collected and placed in the center of the table. After all hands have been exposed, winning wagers shall be paid by the dealer with the gaming chips located in the center of the table. If this amount becomes exhausted before winning wagers have been paid, the dealer shall collect from the co-bank an amount equal to one-half of the remaining winning wagers and place that amount in the center of the layout. The dealer shall remove an amount equal to one-half of the remaining winning wagers from the table inventory container and place that amount in the center of the layout. The remaining winning wagers shall be paid from the total amount in the center of the layout. If, after collecting all losing wagers and paying all winning wagers, there is a surplus in the center of the table, this amount will be counted and the dealer shall place one-half of this amount into the table inventory container. The dealer shall collect a 5% vigorish in accordance with § 535.10 on the remaining amount and place the vigorish amount in the table inventory container. The remaining amount shall then be given to the co-bank.
§ 535.12. Irregularities; invalid roll of the dice.
(a) If the dealer uncovers the Pai Gow shaker and all three dice have not landed flat on the bottom of the shaker, the dealer shall call a ''no roll'' and reshake the dice.
(b) If the dealer uncovers the Pai Gow shaker and a die or dice fall out of the shaker, the dealer shall call a ''no roll'' and reshake the dice.
(c) If the dealer incorrectly totals the dice and deals the tiles to the wrong positions, all hands shall be void, all wagers shall be returned to the players and the dealer shall reshuffle the tiles.
(d) If the dealer exposes any of the tiles dealt to a player, the player shall have the option of voiding the hand. Without looking at his unexposed tiles, the player shall make the decision either to play out the hand or to void the hand. If the player elects to void his hand, any wagers placed by the player shall be returned to the player.
(e) If a tile dealt to the dealer, the Dead Hand or any position where there is no wager is exposed, all hands shall be void, all wagers shall be returned to the players and the tiles shall be reshuffled.
(f) If the dealer does not set his hands in the manner set forth in the certificate holder's Rules Submission under § 521.2 (relating to table games Rules Submissions), the hands shall be reset in accordance with the Rules Submission and the round of play completed.
§ 535.13. A player wagering on more than one betting area.
(a) A certificate holder may, if specified in the certificate holder's Rules Submission under § 521.2 (relating to table games Rules Submissions), permit a player to wager on two adjacent betting areas at a Pai Gow table.
(b) If a certificate holder permits a player to wager on two adjacent betting areas, the tiles dealt to each betting area shall be played separately. If the two wagers are not equal, the player shall be required to rank and set the hand with the larger wager before ranking and setting the other hand. If the amounts wagered are equal, each hand shall be played separately in a counterclockwise rotation with the first hand being ranked and set before the player proceeds to rank and set the second hand. Once a hand has been ranked and set and placed face down on the layout, the hand may not be changed.
CHAPTER 541. MINIBACCARAT Sec.
541.1. Definitions. 541.2. Minibaccarat table physical characteristics. 541.3. Cards; number of decks. 541.4. Opening of a table for gaming. 541.5. Shuffle and cut of the cards. 541.6. Value; point count of hand. 541.7. Dealing shoe. 541.8. Wagers. 541.9. Hands of player and banker; procedure for dealing initial two cards to each hand. 541.10. Procedure for dealing a third card. 541.11. Rules for determining whether a third card shall be dealt. 541.12. Announcement of result of round; payment and collection of wagers. 541.13. Payout odds; vigorish. 541.14. Irregularities. 541.15. Continuous shuffling dealing shoe or device. § 541.1. Definitions.
The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
Natural—A hand which has a Point Count of 8 or 9 on the first two cards dealt.
§ 541.2. Minibaccarat table physical characteristics.
(a) Minibaccarat shall be played on a table having a place for the dealer on one side and on the opposite side, numbered places for a maximum of seven seated players.
(b) The dimensions of a Minibaccarat table shall be approved by the Bureau of Gaming Operations.
(c) The layout for a Minibaccarat table shall be approved by the Bureau of Gaming Operations and contain, at a minimum:
(1) The name or logo of the certificate holder offering the game.
(2) Specific areas designated for the placement of wagers on the Banker's Hand, Players Hand and Tie Hand.
(3) A phrase that states the payout odds for Tie Bets.
(4) Numbered areas that correspond to the seat numbers for the purpose of marking vigorish.
(5) An area designated for the placement of cards for the Player's Hand and Banker's Hand.
(d) If marker buttons are used for the purpose of marking vigorish, the marker buttons shall be placed in the table inventory float container or in a separate rack designed for the purpose of storing marker buttons. If a separate rack is used, the rack shall be placed in front of the table inventory float container during gaming activity.
(e) Each Minibaccarat table must have a drop box and a tip box attached to it on the same side of the gaming table as, but on opposite sides of, the dealer, in locations approved by the Bureau of Gaming Operations.
(f) Each Minibaccarat table must have a discard rack securely attached to the top of the dealer's side of the table.
§ 541.3. Cards; number of decks.
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), Minibaccarat shall be played with six to eight decks of cards having backs of the same color and design and two additional cover cards to be used in accordance with § 541.5 (relating to shuffle and cut of the cards).
(b) If an automated card shuffling device is utilized, Minibaccarat shall be played with 12 to 16 decks of cards in accordance with the following requirements:
(1) Each deck of cards must comply with the requirements of subsection (a).
(2) The cards shall be separated into two batches, with an equal number of decks included in each batch.
(3) The backs of the cards in each batch must be of the same design, but of a different color than the cards included in the other batch.
(4) One batch of cards shall be shuffled and stored in the automated card shuffling device while the other batch is being used to play the game.
(5) Both batches of cards shall be continuously alternated in and out of play, with each batch being used for every other dealing shoe.
(6) The cards from only one batch shall be placed in the discard rack at any given time.
(c) Except as provided in § 541.2(a) (relating to Minibaccarat table physical characteristics), the decks of cards opened for use at a Minibaccarat table shall be changed at least once every 4 hours.
§ 541.4. Opening of a table for gaming.
(a) After receiving the six or more decks of cards at the table, the dealer calling the game shall sort and inspect each deck of cards separately, facedown and the floorperson assigned to the table shall verify the inspection.
(b) Following the inspection of the cards by the dealer and the verification by the floorperson assigned to the table, the cards shall be spread out face up on the table for visual inspection by the first player to arrive at the table. The cards shall be spread out in horizontal rows by deck according to suit and in sequence.
(c) After the first player is afforded an opportunity to visually inspect the cards, the cards shall be turned face down on the table, mixed thoroughly by a washing of the cards and stacked.
(d) If a certificate holder uses an automated card shuffling device to play the game and two batches of six to eight decks of cards are received at the table as permitted under § 541.3(b) (relating to cards; number of decks), each deck of cards in each batch of cards shall be separately sorted, inspected, verified, laid out, inspected, washed and stacked in accordance with subsections (a), (b) and (c).
§ 541.5. Shuffle and cut of the cards.
(a) Immediately prior to the commencement of play, unless the cards were preshuffled, and after each dealing shoe of cards is completed, unless an automated shuffling device is used, the dealer shall shuffle the cards so that they are randomly intermixed.
(b) After the cards have been shuffled by a dealer, the dealer shall leave the entire stack of cards intermixed but not entirely squared off (leave them feathered) so that the floorperson can verify that the shuffle did not result in any uneven distribution of cards.
(c) After shuffling the cards and, when applicable, reshuffling them, the dealer shall offer the stack of cards, with backs facing away from the dealer, to the players to be cut. The dealer shall begin with the player seated in the highest number position at the table and, working clockwise around the table, shall offer the stack to each player until a player accepts the cut. If no player accepts the cut, the dealer shall cut the cards.
(d) The cards shall be cut by placing a cover card in the stack at least ten cards in from the top or the bottom of the stack.
(e) Once the cover card has been inserted into the stack, the dealer shall take all cards above the cover card and the cover card and place them on the bottom of the stack. The dealer shall then insert the second cover card in a position at least 14 cards above the bottom of the stack, and the second cover card at the bottom of the stack. The stack of cards shall then be inserted into the dealing shoe for commencement of play.
(f) After the cards have been cut and before the cards have been placed in the dealing shoe, a floorperson or above may require the cards to be recut if the floorperson or above determines that the cut was performed improperly or in any way that might affect the integrity or fairness of the game. If a recut is required, the cards shall be recut by the next person entitled to cut the cards, as determined by subsection (c).
(g) Prior to commencement of play, the dealer shall remove the first card from the dealing shoe and place it, and an additional number of cards equal to the face value of the first card drawn, in the discard rack after all cards have been shown to the players. When determining the face value of the first card removed from the dealing shoe, a 10, jack, queen or king shall count as ten and an ace shall count as one.
(h) If there is no gaming activity at a Minibaccarat table which is open for gaming, the cards shall be removed from the dealing shoe and the discard rack, and spread out on the table either face up or face down. If the cards are spread face down, they shall be turned face up once a player arrives at the table. After the first player is afforded an opportunity to visually inspect the cards, the cards shall be turned face down on the table and:
(1) If there is no automated shuffling device in use, the cards shall be mixed thoroughly by a washing of the cards, stacked, then shuffled and cut in accordance with this section.
(2) If an automated shuffling device is in use, the cards shall be stacked and placed into the automated shuffling device to be shuffled. The batch of cards already in the shuffler shall then be removed. Unless a player so requests, the batch of cards removed from the shuffler need not be spread for inspection and reshuffled prior to being dealt, if:
(i) The automated card shuffling device stores a single batch of shuffled cards inside the shuffler in a secure manner approved by the Bureau of Gaming Operations.
(ii) The shuffled cards have been secured, released and prepared for play in accordance with procedures approved by the Bureau of Gaming Operations.
§ 541.6. Value; point count of hand.
(a) The value of the cards in each deck shall be as follows:
(1) Any card from 2 to 9 shall have its face value.
(2) Any 10, jack, queen or king shall have a value of zero.
(3) Any ace shall have a value of one.
(b) The Point Count of a hand shall be a single digit number from 0 to 9 inclusive and shall be determined by totaling the value of the cards in the hand. If the total of the cards in a hand is a two-digit number, the left digit of the number shall be discarded and the right digit shall constitute the Point Count of the hand. Examples of this rule are as follows:
(1) A hand composed of an ace, 2 and 4 has a Point Count of 7.
(2) A hand composed of an ace, 2 and 9 has a total of 12 but only a Point Count of 2 since the digit 1 in the number 12 is discarded.
§ 541.7. Dealing shoe.
The cards used to play Minibaccarat shall be dealt from a manual dealing shoe specifically designed for that purpose.
§ 541.8. Wagers.
(a) The following wagers shall be permitted to be made by a player at the game of Minibaccarat:
(1) A wager on the Banker's Hand which shall:
(i) Win if the Banker's Hand has a Point Count higher than that of the Player's Hand.
(ii) Lose if the Banker's Hand has a Point Count lower than that of the Player's Hand.
(iii) Be void if the Banker's Hand and the Player's Hand have the same Point Count and either:
(A) Be returned to the player.
(B) If the licensee charges vigorish in accordance with § 541.13(f) (relating to payout odds; vigorish), be charged a vigorish equal to 25% of the wager.
(2) A wager on the Player's Hand which shall:
(i) Win if the Player's Hand has a Point Count higher than that of the Banker's Hand.
(ii) Lose if the Player's Hand has a Point Count lower than that of the Banker's Hand.
(iii) Be void and be returned to the player if the Point Counts of the Banker's Hand and the Player's Hand are equal.
(3) A Tie Bet which shall:
(i) Win if the Point Counts of the Banker's Hand and the Player's Hand are equal.
(ii) Lose if Point Counts of the Banker's Hand and the Player's Hand are not equal.
(b) Wagers at Minibaccarat shall be made by placing gaming chips or plaques on the appropriate areas of the Minibaccarat layout. A verbal wager, accompanied by cash may be accepted provided the verbal wager is confirmed by the dealer calling the game and the cash is expeditiously converted into gaming chips or plaques.
(c) No wager at Minibaccarat may be made, increased or withdrawn after the dealer has announced ''no more bets.''
§ 541.9. Hands of player and banker; procedure for dealing initial two cards to each hand.
(a) There shall be two hands dealt in the game of Minibaccarat, one of which shall be designated the Player's Hand and the other designated the Banker's Hand.
(b) Prior to dealing any cards, the dealer calling the game shall announce ''no more bets.''
(c) The dealer shall then deal an initial four cards from the dealing shoe. The first and third cards dealt shall constitute the first and second cards of the Player's Hand. The second and fourth cards dealt shall constitute the first and second cards of the Banker's Hand. The dealer shall deal the initial four cards in accordance with one of the following options selected in the certificate holder's Rules Submission under § 521.2 (relating to table games Rules Submissions):
(1) The dealer shall remove cards from the dealing shoe with his left hand, turn them face up and then place them on the appropriate area of the layout with his right hand. The first and third cards dealt shall be placed on the area designated for the Player's Hand and the second and fourth cards dealt shall be placed on the area designated for the Banker's Hand.
(2) The first and third cards dealt shall be placed face down on the area designated for the Player's Hand and the second and fourth cards dealt shall be placed face down underneath the right corner of the dealing shoe until the Player's Hand is called as provided for in § 541.10 (relating to procedure for dealing a third card), at which time the second and fourth cards shall be turned face up and placed on the area designated for the Banker's Hand.
(d) Players may not handle, remove or alter any cards used to play Minibaccarat.
§ 541.10. Procedure for dealing a third card.
(a) After the dealer positions the cards in accordance with § 541.9(c)(1) or (2) (relating to hands of player and banker; procedure for dealing initial two cards to each hand), the dealer shall announce the point count of the Player's Hand and then the Banker's Hand.
(b) Following the announcement of the Point Counts of each hand, the dealer shall determine whether to deal a third card to each hand in conformity with the requirements of § 541.11 (relating to rules for determining whether a third card shall be dealt).
(c) After the dealer positions the cards in accordance with § 541.9(c)(1) or (2), any third card required to be dealt shall first be dealt face up to the Player's Hand and then to the Banker's Hand by the dealer.
(d) In no event may more than one additional card be dealt to either hand.
(e) Whenever the cover card appears during play, the cover card shall be removed and placed to the side and the hand will be completed. Upon completion of that hand, the dealer calling the game shall announce ''last hand.'' At the completion of one more hand, the cards shall be reshuffled.
§ 541.11. Rules for determining whether a third card shall be dealt.
(a) If the Player's Hand or the Banker's Hand after the initial two cards are dealt to each is a Natural, no more cards may be dealt to either hand.
(b) If the Point Count of the Player's Hand and the Banker's Hand on the first two cards is 0 to 7 inclusive, the Player's Hand shall:
(1) Draw (that is, take a third card) if the Player's Hand has a Point Count of less than 6.
(2) Stay (that is, not take a third card) if the Player's Hand has a Point Count of 6 or more.
(c) If the Point Count of the Player's Hand and the Banker's Hand on the first two cards is 0 to 7 inclusive, the Banker's Hand shall draw (that is, take a third card) or stay (that is, not take a third card) in accordance with the following requirements:
(1) If the Player's Hand does not receive a third card, the Banker's Hand shall be dealt a third card if the Point Count of the Banker's Hand is 5 or less.
(2) If the Player's Hand is dealt a third card and:
(i) The Banker's Hand has a Point Count of less than 3, the Banker's Hand shall be dealt a third card.
(ii) The Banker's Hand has a Point Count of 7, the Banker's Hand may not be dealt a third card.
(iii) The Banker's Hand has a Point Count of 3, 4, 5 or 6, the Banker's Hand shall be dealt or not dealt a third card in accordance with Table 1 as follows:
TABLE 1
Value of the Third Card
Drawn by Player's Hand
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Point Count of Banker's Hand
After Two Cards3
D D D D D D D D S D 4
S S D D D D D D S S 5
S S S S D D D D S S 6
S S S S S S D D S S
(d) The first vertical column in Table 1 labeled ''Point Count of Banker's Hand'' refers to the Point Count of the Banker's Hand after the first two cards have been dealt to the Banker's Hand.
(e) The first horizontal row at the top of Table 1 labeled ''Value of the Third Card Drawn by Player's Hand'' refers to the value of the third card drawn by the Player's Hand, not the Point Count of the Player's Hand.
(f) In Table 1, the letter ''D'' means that the Banker's Hand must draw a third card and the letter ''S'' means that the Banker's Hand must stay (that is, not draw a third card).
(g) To use Table 1, first find the Point Count of the Banker's Hand in the first vertical column and trace that horizontally across the table until it intersects the vertical column that corresponds to the value of the third card drawn by the Player's Hand. The symbol located where the intersection occurs shall determine whether the Banker's Hand must draw a third card or stay. For example, if the Point Count of the Banker's Hand after two cards is 5 and the value of the third card drawn by the Player's Hand is 4, the table shows that the Banker's Hand must draw a third card.
§ 541.12. Announcement of result of round; payment and collection of wagers.
(a) After each hand has received all the cards to which it is entitled under §§ 541.9, 541.10 and 541.11 (relating to hands of player and banker; procedure for dealing initial two cards to each hand; procedure for dealing a third card; and rules for determining whether a third card shall be dealt), the dealer shall announce the final Point Count of each hand indicating which hand has won the round. If two hands have equal Point Counts, the dealer shall announce ''Tie Hand.''
(b) After the result of the round is announced, the dealer responsible for the wagers on the table shall first collect each losing wager. After the losing wagers are collected, the dealer shall, starting at the highest numbered player position at which a winning wager is located, mark or collect the vigorish owed by that player and immediately thereafter pay that player's winning wager and then, proceeding in descending order to the next highest numbered player position at which a winning wager is located, repeat this procedure until the vigorish owed by each player is either marked or collected and each winning wager is paid.
(c) At the conclusion of a round of play, all cards on the layout shall be picked up by the dealer and placed in the discard rack, in order and in such a way that they can be readily arranged to indicate the Player's Hand and the Banker's Hand in case of a question or dispute.
§ 541.13. Payout odds; vigorish.
(a) A winning wager made on the Player's Hand shall be paid off by a certificate holder at odds of 1 to 1.
(b) A winning Tie Bet shall be paid off by a certificate holder at odds of at least 8 to 1.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (f), a winning wager made on the Banker's Hand shall be paid off by a certificate holder at odds of 1 to 1, except that the certificate holder shall extract a vigorish from the winning players in an amount equal to the amount specified in the Rules Submission under § 521.2 (relating to table games Rules Submissions) of either 4% or 5% of the amount won.
(d) When collecting the vigorish, the certificate holder may round off the vigorish to 5 cents or the next highest multiple of five cents.
(e) A dealer, in accordance with the option selected in the certificate holders Rules Submission under § 521.2, may collect the vigorish from a player at the time the winning payout is made or may defer it to a later time; provided, however, that outstanding vigorish shall be collected prior to reshuffling the cards in a dealing shoe or when the player leaves the gaming table, whichever occurs first. The amount of any vigorish not collected at the time of the winning payouts shall be tracked by placing a coin or marker button containing the amount of the vigorish owed in a rectangular space in front of the dealer on the layout imprinted with the number of the player owing the vigorish. The coin or marker button may not be removed from the layout until the vigorish owed is collected.
(f) A certificate holder may, in its Rules Submission under § 521.2, elect to charge every player at a Minibaccarat table a vigorish equal to 25% of the player's wager on the Banker's Hand if the Point Counts of the Banker's Hand and the Player's Hand are equal. The vigorish authorized by this subsection shall be collected at the end of the round of play and prior to any cards being dealt for the next round of play. If a certificate holder elects to charge the vigorish authorized by this subsection, the vigorish otherwise required by subsection (c) may not be collected.
(g) The type and percentage of vigorish charged at a Minibaccarat table applies to all players at that table. The same type and percentage of vigorish shall be used for all Minibaccarat tables located within a licensed facility.
§ 541.14. Irregularities.
(a) A card drawn in error from the dealing shoe that is not disclosed shall be used as the first card of the next hand of play.
(b) A third card dealt to the Player's Hand that is not disclosed, when no third card is authorized under § 541.11 (relating to rules for determining whether a third card shall be dealt), shall become the third card of the Banker's Hand if the Banker's Hand is obliged to draw under § 541.11(c). If the Banker's Hand is required to stay, the card dealt in error shall become the first card of the next hand.
(c) If a card dealt in error under the circumstances described in subsection (a) or (b) is disclosed at the time it is dealt, the dealer shall place the disclosed card and one additional card drawn face down from the dealing shoe in the discard rack without disclosing the additional card.
(d) Any card found face up in the dealing shoe may not be used in the game and shall be placed in the discard rack, along with an additional number of cards, drawn face up, equal to the value of the card found face up in the dealing shoe.
(e) If there are insufficient cards remaining in the dealing shoe to complete a round of play, that round shall be void and all wagers shall be returned. A new round shall commence after the entire set of cards are reshuffled and placed in the dealing shoe.
§ 541.15. Continuous shuffling dealing shoe or device.
In lieu of the dealing and shuffling requirements in §§ 541.5 and 541.7 (relating to shuffle and cut of the cards; and dealing shoe), a certificate holder may utilize a dealing shoe or other device designed to automatically reshuffle the cards provided that the device and the procedures for dealing and shuffling the cards through use of this device are approved by the Bureau of Gaming Laboratory Operations.
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