Buster Blackjack variant has been around for years, although it is not as prevalent as some other types of blackjack. The doesn’t really alter much the main gameplay, as it relies on the special Buster bet which is based on the possibility of the dealer going bust.
If you haven’t ever had the chance to play Buster Blackjack, here’s how to approach it.
Solidify the Blackjack Basics
Playing side bets is what fives blackjack flavor, but you won’t be able to maximize your blackjack opportunities if don’t actually know how the regular game is played.
The main aim in blackjack is to get as close to 21 as possible without going over. The game is played with 6 decks and the player needs to finish with a higher total than the dealer.
Considering the Buster bet, in this case, you should attempt to make the highest total hand with as fewer cards as possible. The perfect hand is a combination of Ace with a 10, Jack, Queen or King. This scores 21 and is known as natural blackjack.
All number cards carry the numbered values, and all picture cards count as 10. The Ace can count as either 1 or 11, whichever favours the player more. Blackjack pays the player at 3:2 odds and the dealer must always stand on a soft 17.
Hands with the Ace are called soft hands, and the ones without Ace and only one possible total are called hard hands. Before a hand is dealt, each participant must decide how much to wager within the table limit range. When the two initial cards are dealt, one at a time, the player has options to hit, stand, double down or split a pair.
Specific Rules for Buster Blackjack
Standard set of rules aside, the Buster Blackjack has some specified requirements. For instance, this is a multi-hand game. It means the player can play with up to 5 hands.
Insurance and Surrender are both available and splitting is possible once per hand. There are no re-splits. One can hit on split Aces and double down on 9-11 only. Doubling down after split is enabled and the dealer does not peek for blackjack.
Understanding the Buster Side Bet
The Buster bet wins under the condition that the dealer goes bust. The size of the win is affected by the number of the cards in dealer’s hand at the moment when it went bust.
It is important to remember that the players can win their main blackjack bet and the Buster side bet should the dealer bust.
In the same vein, they can lose their blackjack bit still win their Buster optional bet. If there is a Buster bet active, the dealer must still play even if the player has exceeded 21.
Buster Side Bet Payouts
If the dealer’s hand goes bust with 3 or 4 cards, the payouts on the side bet are awarded at 2:1 odds. However, the odds improve significantly if the dealer busts with more cards in hand.
A hand of 5 cards awards 4:1 odds, if the hand goes bust with 6 cards, the player will receive an 18:1 odds payout, and if the dealer collects 7 cards in his hand, the player wins at 50:1 paying odds.
The highest possible payout you can expect from Buster Blackjack is a win worth 2,000:1 paid when you win both the blackjack and the Buster bet with the dealer holding 8+ cards in his hand.
