Buster Blackjack

For those that like to visit land-based casinos and play blackjack, this game offers a similar experience. Buster Blackjack comes with a relatively unique set of rules, all of which will be covered in this review. The game is set on a traditional blackjack table, and a maximum of five positions can be occupied by the player, with a minimum stake size of 1.00 per hand. A female voice will read out the value of each hand and will also announce the results at the end of the round. Finally, a majority of the essential information can be found on the table itself. 

Buster Blackjack was created by Playtech, one of the largest software providers in the world. They specialise mainly in slots but have a variety of table games in their portfolio. Some of their standout titles include Full Moon Wild Track, Mighty Hat Mystic Tales, and Kingdoms Rise: Shadow Queen. 

This base game in Buster Blackjack is the same as other blackjack alternatives. The main aim is to get as close to 21 as possible, without going over and 'busting' the hand. At the start of the round, the player will be dealt two cards, as will the dealer, with one of these cards being face up. From here, players can choose to 'hit', which means another card will be dealt, or 'stand', which locks the total value in for the rest of the round.  

If the two cards dealt to the player are the same, they can also split, doubling the bet size and forming two different hands. The last option is to double down, which doubles the stake size for a specific hand before one more card is drawn. After the player makes their decision, the dealer will then show their face up card. Should this be 16 or less, the dealer must draw until their hand reaches a value of 17 or more. Players will be awarded with 2x their stake size if their value is closer to 21 than the dealers, or 1x the bet if the numbers are identical. If the dealer gets closer to 21, the round is marked as a loss. 

In this variation of the game, a blackjack will award players at the rate of 2.5x their bet size, or a push if the dealer also has a blackjack. Finally, there is an active mechanic known as the '10 Card Charlie' rule. This means that if the player draws to a total of 10 cards, they will automatically be awarded with 2x their stake size. 

The most notable bonus feature in Buster Blackjack is the 'Buster' side bet. Players can choose whether or not they'd like to bet on this option, which is played alongside the standard game. Again, the minimum stake size here is 1.00 per round. 

Now, the 'Buster' side bet, as the name suggests, relies on the dealer busting their hand. Players will then be awarded based on the total number of cards in the dealer's hand, as long as the value is not greater than 28, in total. There are potential winnings for 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8+ cards, which sit at 3x, 5x, 19x, 51x, or 251x, respectively. 

In addition to this, there is a different set of potential winnings if the player has a blackjack of their own. These sit at 801x, or 2001x, for 7 or 8+ cards, respectively. Last but not least, players can opt for insurance, should the dealer show an ace. This will double the bet size, and if the dealer has a blackjack, the insurance bet will be awarded at 3x the stake. 

Buster Blackjack is a table game that uses the standard rules of blackjack, while also incorporating the '10 Card Charlie' mechanic. Perhaps the most notable aspect of this slot is the 'Buster' side bet option, which can award players up to 2,001x their stake size, should the dealer bust their hand.