Blackjack Challenge

The game known as Blackjack Challenge is a property of The Star Casino, located in Sydney, Australia. As such, they are the only place with this new twist on the classic. Reports on Blackjack Challenge generated by local players first began appearing online around 2012.

A few crucial changes to the rules distinguish this game from the traditional version of twenty-one.

Our Blackjack Challenge guide takes you through all of the different rules that you’ll encounter. We’ll cover the comprehensive strategy you need to get better odds of winning.

Rules and How to Play

Blackjack Challenge is an offshoot of traditional blackjack, so the rules remain the same across both games aside from the changes we mention below.

Players must place a mandatory ante bet to begin each hand. The game’s objective is to reach a total of 21 or closest to it without going over. Making a “blackjack” (any ten-value card plus an ace) results in an automatic win.

Blackjack Challenge uses the standard 52-card deck with the same value as the base blackjack game. The Star Casino utilizes a six-deck shoe at the Blackjack Challenge table.

Blackjack Challenge includes several critical adjustments to the rules. We’ll run through them individually, explaining each one and how it affects the overall game.

Best Places to Play Blackjack Challenge

The best place to play Blackjack Challenge happens to be the only place on the planet where you’re sure to find the game: The Star Casino in Sydney, Australia.

As a proprietary offering, Blackjack Challenge is essentially a house hybrid or a game found solely in a single location. To that end, locating alternative versions of Blackjack Challenge is next to impossible. Your options for playing the game appear limited to a few tables found in one particular venue.

Currently, this Australian blackjack variant has yet to find its way online. Still, considering the popularity of online gambling in Australia, it wouldn’t be surprising to see The Star Casino license their concept out at some point.

Blackjack Challenge Strategy

You can break down the fundamental nature of Blackjack Challenge with mathematical analysis to arrive at the most profitable decision for any possible scenario.

Use a “basic blackjack strategy” chart to govern optimal play. No matter what cards you hold, the relative strength of those cards against the dealer’s exposed, up card will always leave you with a choice between hitting, standing, splitting, or doubling down.

By committing the basic strategy chart to memory, even rookie blackjack players can give themselves a puncher’s chance to reduce the house edge and increase their odds.

Fortunately for fans of Blackjack Challenge, one of the world’s foremost authorities on casino game theory and statistical probability has tackled the task of analyzing this variant’s basic strategy. You can also read about Blackjack Challenge on the Wizard of Odds page. But sufficed to say, this breakdown represents the “perfect” play under any possible combination of cards.

One strategic aspect to keep in mind, though, concerns the concept of the house edge. Essentially, this percentage defines the theoretical rate of return that the casino can expect on any given wager. When playing traditional blackjack, even as a beginner who has no clue about basic strategy, the house edge against you stands right around 1.5 percent. That means that for every $100 you wager over the infinite long run, the casino can expect to collect $1.50 in perpetuity.

By employing a basic strategy, sharp players can reduce this house edge on blackjack to under 0.50 percent, making it one of the best bets in the house from the player’s perspective. Compared to games like roulette and Three Card Poker, blackjack under any circumstances is usually a much more advantageous game for players.

Blackjack Challenge, however, differs from ordinary blackjack in several crucial ways. As such, the house edge varies as well, jumping to 2.53 percent. Of course, this percentage assumes you will be playing strictly according to optimal strategy. For all but the most skilled players, this is usually a lot to ask. In fact, Blackjack Challenge offers a house edge of approximately 3.5 percent to the average player.

The best strategy for Blackjack Challenge is to simply walk right by the table and seat yourself in a traditional blackjack game. Sure, you won’t be playing with all of the bells and whistles that make Blackjack Challenge appealing to casual gamblers. Still, you’ll instantly reduce the house edge against you by 2 to 3 percent, which can make the difference between a profitable year and an extended downswing.

Star Casino Creation

As part of The Star Casino’s comprehensive package of blackjack offerings, Blackjack Challenge joins games like Pinkjack and Pontoon in providing a fresh way to play one of casino gambling’s most venerable formats. By tinkering with a few basic blackjack’s fundamental rules – including adjustments to both player and dealer actions – Blackjack Challenge creates a gameplay experience that can serve as a breath of fresh air for players who have grown tired of optimal strategy and simple decisions.

Of course, these rule changes have a direct influence on the game’s bottom line. As you’ll soon discover, blackjack by any other name never holds the same value when it comes to the house edge.

If you’re going Down Under sometime soon, and enjoy learning about new blackjack variations, then check out Blackjack Challenge. You can find the game on the Star Casino website.