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Catch a Wave game
Introduction
Catch a Wave was a popular table game at Foxwoods, running from around 2001 until it was discontinued in April 2005, when it was succeeded by another game. Card Sharks .
Rules
This game utilizes eight standard decks of cards, with poker hand rankings—where aces hold the highest value—and the suit is irrelevant. The gameplay commences when a player places a bet. Both the player and the dealer are dealt one face-up card each. At this moment, the player must choose to either hit or stand. If the player opts to hit, they must predict whether the next card drawn will be higher or lower than the first. If the prediction is wrong, or if the values of the two cards match, the player loses and their wager along with their cards gets collected immediately. However, if the prediction is correct, the player can decide to stand or hit again. If the player continues hitting, they must repeat their prediction about whether the next card will be higher or lower than the last drawn card. This continues until the player either makes an incorrect prediction, decides to stand, or successfully predicts six times in a row. If they successfully hit all six times, this is termed 'catching a wave', resulting in a payout of 6 to 1 on their initial bet.
Once all players have completed their turns, and as long as at least one wager remains active, the dealer plays their hand using similar rules. The first card dealt to the dealer becomes their initial card. If this card is 7 or less, the dealer must call for a higher card, while if it’s 8 or above, the dealer must call for a lower one. If the dealer’s call is wrong or if both cards match, any active player bets win and pay out at 1 to 1. After their first card, the dealer will call higher if their card is 4 or less, stand if it’s between 5 and 10, and must call for lower if a jack or higher card is dealt. The dealer continues this process until they either stand or make a wrong call. Unlike the player, the dealer does not have a maximum of six cards for automatic wins.
If the dealer makes a wrong call and the player is still in the game, the player will receive 1 to 1 on their bet. Conversely, if both the player and dealer have stood, the total amount of successful hits for each is compared. If the dealer has a higher total, the dealer wins. If they are tied, the bet is considered a push. Should the player have a greater total of successful hits than the dealer, they win based on the difference in their totals. For instance, if the player hit successfully five times while the dealer only hit two, the player would win at 3 to 1.
Strategy
The following chart indicates when players should consider standing, based on the dealer's initial card and the number of successful hits prior. If the strategy suggests not standing, players should aim to call 'higher' with a card that is below the specified stand range and 'lower' if it's above. For example, if the dealer displays a 5 and the player has achieved three successful hits, they should stand on a 6 through 10. If the chart indicates 'none', players should hit regardless, even if holding an 8. If the recommendation is to hit with an 8, the player should analyze the visible cards to ascertain whether the remaining deck favors higher or lower cards and decide accordingly.
Player's Stand Range
Dealer's Card |
0 hits | 1 hit | 2 hits | 3 hits | 4 hits | 5 hits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | none | 8 | 7-9 | 6-10 | 6-10 | 7-9 |
3 | none | 8 | 6-10 | 6-10 | 6-10 | 7-9 |
4 | 8 | 7-9 | 6-10 | 5-J | 6-10 | 8 |
5 | 7-9 | 6-10 | 6-10 | 6-10 | 7-9 | 8 |
6 | 5-J | 6-10 | 5-J | 6-10 | 7-9 | 8 |
7 | 4-Q | 5-J | 5-J | 6-10 | 8 | none |
8 | 4-Q | 4-Q | 5-J | 6-10 | 8 | none |
9 | 4-Q | 5-J | 5-J | 6-10 | 8 | none |
10 | 5-J | 6-10 | 5-J | 6-10 | 7-9 | 8 |
J | 7-9 | 6-10 | 6-10 | 6-10 | 7-9 | 8 |
Q | 8 | 7-9 | 6-10 | 5-J | 6-10 | 8 |
K | none | 8 | 6-10 | 6-10 | 6-10 | 7-9 |
A | none | 8 | 7-9 | 6-10 | 6-10 | 7-9 |
House Edge
Using the strategy outlined above, the house exhibits a mere edge of 0.50%.