Push Your Luck, currently being tested at Sunset Station in Henderson, Nevada (just east of Las Vegas), is a new twist to a familiar game. It transforms those frustrating ties between the player and the dealer into a contest that awards as much as 625-times a side bet on the tie.

In order to get the most out of Push Your Luck, players will be encouraged to hit any number below 17, so they have the best chance to tie the dealer (only totals 21 or below qualify; it’s not a tie when both the dealer and the player bust).

According to George Long, a longtime casino player who developed Push Your Luck (PYL), the odds of the game vary according to the house rules of the casino where the game is offered. At Sunset Station, the house rules are six-deck shoes, double down on any two cards, doubles allowed after splits, players are permitted to resplit Aces, and no surrender. With those rules, players are bucking a house edge of only .42 percent. The side bet—the Push Your Luck bet—gives the house a 3.66 percent edge. Because the dealer hits soft 17 at Sunset Station, you have to add .2 percent to the house edge.

Unlike most blackjack games, PYL players want more decks, because that increases their chances at getting a push (although just marginally). The worst games for PYL are hand-held single- or double-deck games.

Split hands are most valuable to PYL players because it gives them the opportunity to have more than one push per round. (Note: Split hands require an additional PYL bet for each hand.)

At Sunset Station, players can bet anywhere from $1 to $10 on the Push Your Luck bet, but no more than half their main bet. Not all casinos will use this formula. Some casinos may set a bet limit of $1 at a $5-minimum table, or $5 at a $25 table. It’s up to the individual casino how much exposure to the side bet they want to take.

So what’s the expectation of getting a push? For the basic strategy player, a tie will occur 8.7 percent of the time. For those employing the optimal Push Your Luck strategy—splitting at every opportunity and hitting every hand to 17 or higher—ties will occur on 10.5 percent of all hands dealt.

Players using the PYL strategy can actually get an edge over the house on the tie bet of as much as 24 percent (over millions of hands), but the subsequent damaging effect on the main bet is significant—the house gains an edge of almost 13 percent.

As a defense to the argument that the radical PYL strategy will turn off serious blackjack players, Long explains that skilled card counters alter their strategy almost as radically to take advantage of a large plus count.

He also makes the point that another player’s bad move has no bearing on your hand.

"If a player makes a bad play, he is as likely to help as to hurt another player's chances," says Long. "By the same token, making the ‘correct’ play may hurt or help another player. Yes, a lot of players have the mistaken notion that unorthodox play by another will hurt them. The fact is that, over the long run, the only person affected is the player making the ‘wrong’ moves. Some players may resent a player's actions to get more split hands in action or to hit ‘stiffs,’ but they will do this wherever they go."

Push Your Luck was designed with a "jackpot" option that includes a dice cage, but Long says that aspect of the game is still being perfected, and may be too confusing to the average player. Even further down the road is a progressive feature, similar to Caribbean Stud or Let It Ride poker.

A remote jackpot accelerator has been submitted for approval to the appropriate state gaming commissions, and Long expects it to be approved. A player who hits a tie can add to the payoff.

"It adds color and excitement to the game without getting in the way," he explains.

An arrow on the display moves constantly from left to right, always pointing to one of the jackpot amounts, ranging from $5-$100 for one tie hand, and much higher for split tie hands. The winning player stops the arrow by pointing the Push Your Luck remote control at the screen. Pushing the remote button activates a random number generator to select the prize indicated by the arrow.

While traditional blackjack players may shun Push Your Luck because of the radical strategy necessary (and the whopping house edge), new table game players may take to the game because it’s easy to learn, creates excitement for the often-frustrating tie bets, and offers a large, slot-style payoff. If you don’t mind paying extra for your entertainment, it may be worth a try.