Crown Casino Blackjack Basic Strategy

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• Melbourne Crown Blackjack Rules(PDF)
• Crown Casino Blackjack Basic Strategy Games
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• Star City Sydney Blackjack Rules(PDF).

There are a few rule variations at different tables and at different casinos, so minor adjustments must be made to any basic blackjack strategy guide. Still, most of them will advise the following. For starters, the basic rule is that you should normally not take a Hit (another card) if your total is 17 or more. Over the past three years a little-known game called Blackjack Plus has been gathering quite a bit of momentum at Australia’s largest and most popular casino, so much so its tables now dominate the vast gaming floor at Melbourne’s Crown, at a ratio greater than 2:1 against traditional blackjack. According to my analysis, the house edge under the basic strategy above is 6.36% (ouch!). This makes 6-5 blackjack seems like a great bet in comparison. This the highest house edge I've ever seen on a blackjack variant, which usually doesn't creep much above 1%. Crown Melbourne Rules (PDF) — Rule document from the casino website. The basic blackjack strategy involves knowing when to bet, when to fold and when to hold your cards, understanding exactly what your hand is going to do and should hit the button, how to choose the right card, the exact value of your cards, when to draw, the way to deal out the chips correctly, the way to create an aggressive play, when to fold and when to increase and when to lay down the.

Crown Casino in Melbourne is not only Australia’s premier land-based gambling venue, but the largest gaming complex in the entire Southern Hemisphere. As such, you would expect it to be a mecca for the most popular casino game in the world: real money blackjack.

However, the Southbank establishment – along with its sister site at Burswood, Perth – has become something of a no man’s land for players of 21 in recent years, due largely to the introduction of a controversial format known as Blackjack Plus. Let us show you why this is one game Aussie blackjack enthusiasts should look to steer well clear of, and what alternatives we might consider instead.

Why to avoid Blackjack Plus

Blackjack Plus tables began to appear at Crown around 2011, and have since replaced most low-to-medium limit 21 games on the casino floor. But what is it about this particular style that has so infuriated punters and anti-gaming spokesmen alike?

At a glance, the game has plenty of rules that benefit the player:

• Natural blackjack pays 3/2
• All 21 hands are paid out straight away
• All five-card hands under 21 are paid out straight away
• Dealer stands on soft 17
• Players can double down on any hand of two or three cards

For starters, the 3/2 payout on a natural 21 is a significant improvement on the 6/5 return found in many Australian blackjack games. The fact all 21s and five-and-under hands win immediately is another big yes that was previously hard to come by. But all these player-friendly rules are made redundant by one big, fat stinker: the dealer cannot bust with 22.

The first time we here at Blackjack.com.au came across this rule, we were gobsmacked. Try explaining it to someone from overseas, and they will look at you like you’ve told them their dog just died. For in a game built around the premise of scoring 21 or less, how on Earth can the house be allowed to stand off with 22? It makes no sense.

And here’s the fun part: how does the 22 rule affect the house edge? Well, the original Crown Blackjack game bore a theoretical return of around 99.44 per cent – i.e. playing with good strategy, we could expect to regain about $99.44 of every $100 wagered. With Blackjack Plus, that figure sinks as low as 97.14 per cent when using a full shoe of eight standard decks. In the blackjack world, where the casino’s mathematical advantage is often less than 0.50 per cent, a house edge of 2.86 per cent is extremely high.

But what’s an extra $2.30 out of every $100? Think about the big picture here. This is not just your money, but every dollar spent on Blackjack Plus. If 1,000 punters gambled an average of $100 each, Crown could statistically expect to rake in over $28,000 – and that’s assuming every player is clued up and using basic strategy, which is incredibly unlikely. In the old 6/5 blackjack, that figure would be under $6,000.

So, to sum up, Blackjack Plus is a gross perversion of the game of 21 and should be avoided like the plague. Unfortunately, if you can’t afford to bet $100 per hand, you may find that your options at Crown Casino are very limited.

Other 21 games at Crown Casino

If you’re one of the lucky ones with a bankroll to burn, you can sidestep the BJ+ tables altogether for more traditional (and much fairer) variations on the grand old game of 21. You may find a few low-bet tables for these game styles, but as a general rule you should expect to pay a minimum wager of $50 or more per hand.

Crown Blackjack

This used to be the stock-in-trade before the scourge that is Blackjack Plus took hold on Southbank. It uses conventional Australian rules, with a 6/5 payout on natural blackjacks, no hole card for the house, and the dealer hitting all soft 17s. The house edge for Crown Blackjack is around 0.56 per cent.

Vegas Blackjack

If you have the cash and the clout to hang with the high rollers in the Mahogany Room, you might just find a halfway decent Vegas Blackjack table. This is as close to Nevada rules as you will get in Melbourne. The dealer takes a hole card (as is standard in the US), splits and doubles are allowed, and you have the option to surrender half your initial bet when the house’s upcard shows 10 or Ace.

Crown Pontoon

This is a distinctly Aussie blackjack variation, and probably your best chance of finding a low minimum bet limit outside BJ Plus. Crown Pontoon uses up to eight modified decks with all face-value Tens removed (i.e. there is no Ten of Clubs, Ten of Spades, Ten of Diamonds, or Ten of Hearts, for a total of 48 cards per deck). Naturals pay 3/2, and there are various bonus prizes for hands of 7 7 7 or 6 7 8 – including a Super Bonus of up to $5000. Crown also offers 6 to 5 Pontoon, with a decreased payoff for naturals.

Blackjack Sidebets in Melbourne & Perth

A handful of Crown’s blackjack games will offer side bets. These wagers are independent of your initial blackjack bet, and can be made on a specific set of incidental outcomes that might occur within the player’s hand.

Below are a few sidebet options you might find on any of the available 21 games at Southbank or Burswood. Be warned: these wagers come with a big house edge, so we suggest avoiding them unless you’re feeling extremely lucky.

Crown Suits: Wins at 2 to 1 odds when your first two cards are of the same suit. If the dealer’s card is also of the same suit as your first two cards, the wager pays 5 to 1. This is one of the more winnable blackjack side-wagers out there.

Perfect Pairs: Pays off when your first two cards turn up a pair. Exact payouts vary depending on the number of decks used and the specific form of 21 being played. In Crown Blackjack with eight decks, a mixed pair (different suits and colours) pays 6 to 1; a coloured pair (same colour, different suit) pays 12 to 1; and a perfect pair (same colour, same suit) pays 25 to 1. The house edge here is 4.1 per cent, but it can go as high as 12 per cent in Crown Pontoon.

Magnificent Sevens: One of the most tempting blackjack side-bets, with a maximum payout of 16,000 to 1 when you draw three Sevens in the same suit. You can also salute with off-suit Sevens (50 to 1) and suited Sevens (150 to 1) on your first two cards, as well as 7 7 7 in mixed suits (up to 950 to 1).

Blackpot: A semi-electronic blackjack variant, where players can place side-bets on a two-hand progressive jackpot using digital betting devices. If you draw a hand of 6 7 8 (pays 100 to 1) when playing the side-bet, you can then press the wager into the next hand and play for up to 20,000x your initial wager.

Tipping isn’t expected in Australian casinos, but many players do choose to tip the dealer. If you’re not sure about tipping etiquette during a game of blackjack, read our guide to when to tip the dealer.

Crown Rewards for blackjack players

One part of the Crown Casino which makes up for the terrible Blackjack Plus variant is Crown Rewards. This is a loyalty rewards program which is free to sign up for (either online or through the help desk at the casino) which grants members points for every transaction made within the Crown Entertainment Complex in Melbourne (and Crown Perth, if you play 21 there). Use your card while playing blackjack at the tables, electronic blackjack or any other table game or pokies machine and you will gain points, which, when saved up enough, can be redeemed for freebies and experiences. Examples include: Crown gift cards, movie tickets, free parking, birthday offers, hotel discounts, grand final experiences and helicopter tours.

To gain the maximum rewards, it also pays to be a CrownBet.com.au member as well, as the Crown Rewards program ties in with every wager you make with your Crownbet account – make sure to link your Crown Signature Club Card to your Crownbet account first to ensure points are correctly awarded each time to place a bet.

For a full comprehensive break-down of what CrownBet Rewards entails and what kind of things you can redeem with the points, check out our in-depth guide to the CrownBet Rewards program.

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Get Better Blackjack Odds – Play Real Cash 21 Online

We’ll be blunt: if you’re not playing at least $50 a hand, most of the live blackjack games at Crown Casino are a rip off. From a purely statistical point of view, every gambler is better off playing 21 over the Net – and that’s not taking into account all the added perks of online casino betting. Play from home, avoid the crowds, and save money on extortionate cab fares, all while enjoying a far greater range of real money blackjack options than you would find at any land-based casino.

Unfortunately, online gambling is illegal in Australia as of September 2017 following the introduction of the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016, so online play is available for international readers only.

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Melbourne Crown Blackjack Rules(PDF)

If Dealer hits 22 and Player is less than 21, it's a standoff (neither win nor lose...US use a different term, right?).

I think you mean if the Dealer's hand reaches the value of 22 rather than 'if dealer hits' which would mean if dealer takes another card.
Rather than 'standoff' we often use the term 'push' which is probably a bit less confrontational sounding than 'standoff'.
The term 'push' may appear to be more pleasant and the rule itself may appear to be innocuous but appearances are deceptive.
I recently visited a casino that had two separate Blackjack Pits... one was 6:5 and hit soft 17, the other was 3:2, did not hit 17 and did not allow any midshoe entry. The two separate rule sets were clearly indicated by major signage and minor signage at each table.
I wonder if your Crown Casino should be improving its signage?Sorry to wake up a three-year-old thread but I saw this game in New Zealand so of course had to analyze it. Fortunately, it is similar to Blackjack Challenge, which I saw in Sydney, that I also just analyzed.
Please see my new page on Blackjack Plus. As my loyal guinea pigs, I welcome all questions, comments, and especially corrections.

Thanks a lot Wizard
I will be at Crown next week but will definitely stick to the regular BJ tables which are unfortunately hard to find nowadays.

You're welcome. As long as you're there, can you tell me what the Blackjack Plus rules are down there. In particular:
1. What happens if the player splits/doubles and the dealer gets a blackjack. They may tell you 'the player loses his original bet only,' but what about any busted bets from splitting?
2. Can the player double on soft totals?
3. How many hands can the player re-split to? What about aces?
Thanks!
Mike

You're welcome. As long as you're there, can you tell me what the Blackjack Plus rules are down there. In particular:
1. What happens if the player splits/doubles and the dealer gets a blackjack. They may tell you 'the player loses his original bet only,' but what about any busted bets from splitting?
2. Can the player double on soft totals?
3. How many hands can the player re-split to? What about aces?
Thanks!
Mike

Ok folks I've just done some investigative journalism on the gaming floor and the good folks tell me the following rules in place for Blackjack Plus:
Blackjack pays 3/2
OBBO rule is in place (i.e. if the dealer gets blackjack, they will only take your original bet and leave any remaining bets from splits and doubles. However, if you split and bust, you lose that cash regardless)
Double on any two or three cards
Split twice (i.e. Up to three hands) but only once with aces

Crown Casino Blackjack Basic Strategy Games

No surrender
Stand on any 17 including soft.

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Glorious weather here today in Melbourne

Star City Sydney Blackjack Rules(PDF).

Cheers