Crown casinos in Australia are wonderful casinos and entertainment venues having casinos in Melbourne, Perth and now soon in Sydney. Crown Melbourne was opened in 1997, and is a large integrated resort, and has Australia’s largest casino, three hotels, function rooms, award-winning restaurants, and world-class shopping and entertainment facilities.
On 3 November 2014, the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) amended the Melbourne Casino Licence to give effect to the agreement reached between Crown Melbourne and the Victorian State Government. Crown Melbourne is licensed to operate 2,628 gaming machines and 540 table games, with a casino license that extends to 2050.
This opened in 1985 and is Western Australia’s premier integrated resort with world-class convention and gaming facilities, three hotels, the newly-opened Crown Towers (with 500 rooms), the award-winning Crown Metropol (with 397 rooms), and the award-winning Crown Promenade (with 291 rooms), spa, resort pools, restaurants and bars, nightclub and a 2,300-seat theatre. This casino is also a significant tourist attraction in Western Australia. This is licensed to operate 2,500 electronic gaming machines and 350 table games.
Crown Sydney
It is another upcoming casino by Crown offering a world-class, luxury six-star hotel resort, which incorporates VIP gaming facilities, at Barangaroo South, Sydney.
Blackjack tables at Crown Melbourne
Crown Casino has over 500 table games and 2,500+ pokie machines (including slots and video poker. Pokies machines betting limits start as low as one cent, with some VIP machines allowing bets of up to $5-$10 per spin. The major casino table games on offer include roulette, blackjack, craps, poker, pai gow, baccarat, casino war, and sic bo, with other smaller gaming activities including the electronic version of roulette (Rapid Roulette), the big-wheel, tia to, and the electronic Vegas Star Roulette and Rapid Baccarat.
The casino area is huge with the numbers of Blackjack Tables as follows:
$10-$500: 16
$15-$700: 4
$25-$1000: 18
$50-$2000: 15
$100-$4000: 3
At first, it would appear that Crown now has some of the best conditions for card counters; with one and a half to two decks being cut from the 8 decks in the shoe; and not a continuous shuffling machine insight. Although there are no $5 tables for blackjack; you should have no trouble finding a $10 table at any time of the day; especially in the upstairs gaming floor where they actually advertise ‘$10 blackjack tables available 24 hours’.
Maximum bet per box is $200
However, on these $10 tables the maximum bet per box is only $200; which makes for a very poor spread when those high true counts come in. When you do need to make those big bets; one way around this restriction is to bet the maximum on more than one playing box; like the $200 maximum applies per box, not per table. This means that you could actually bet up to $1400 on a high true count hand.
Click here to know the Blackjack rules to play at Crown
Back betting is allowed up to three hands per box. Knowledge of the basic strategy of the general player is quite good so this could be a good strategy. Also Crown has a side bet called Perfect Pairs. It is based on the first two cards that are dealt with your hand. A mixed pair pays 6 to 1, a same-colored pair pays 12 to 1; and a perfect pair (two cards are exactly alike; including color and suit) pays 25 to 1.
lower-priced tables
Crown Perth offers lower-priced tables of Blackjack and Roulette. And you can experience the thrill of playing tables games with more than $2.50 Roulette and $5 Blackjack Plus. So this is another variant of Blackjack available to play and it is known as 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.
The game rules of this game have plenty to 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. But all these player-friendly rules are made redundant by one thing that the dealer cannot bust with 22.
House edge
If you are thinking about how does the 22 rule affects the house edge; then note that the original Crown Blackjack game bore a theoretical return of around 99.44 percent. I.e. playing with good strategy, and you could expect to regain about $99.44 of every $100 wagered. With Blackjack Plus, that figure sinks as low as 97.14 percent 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 percent; a house edge of 2.86 percent is extremely high.
Therefore, 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. Finally, understand that Blackjack Plus is a gross perversion of the game of 21; and should be avoided and so as you can’t afford to bet $100 per hand; you may find that your options at Crown Casino are very limited.
Other Blackjack games at Crown Casino
You may find a few low-bet tables of Blackjack. But as a general rule, you should expect to pay a minimum wage of $50 or more per hand.
1. Crown Blackjack
This game variant 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 percent.
2. Vegas Blackjack
If you are one of the high rollers like 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.
3. Crown Pontoon
As you know that this is distinctly Aussie blackjack variation; and probably your best chance of finding a low minimum bet limit outside Blackjack Plus. Crown Pontoon uses up to eight modified decks with all face-value Tens removed (i.e. there are 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 Crown Melbourne & Perth
Few 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.
Here are a few side bet options you might find on any of the available 21 games at Southbank or Burswood. Note that these wagers come with a big house edge, so unless you are well versed in the game or are sure shot lucky then only play this bet.
1. 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.
2. 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 colors) pays 6 to 1; a colored pair (same color, different suit) pays 12 to 1; and a perfect pair (same color, 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.
3. 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).
4. Blackspot
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.
Crown Rewards for blackjack players
At Crown Casino; there is a loyalty rewards program – 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 the games of Blackjack. You can 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; like getting Crown gift cards, movie tickets, free parking, birthday offers, hotel discounts, grand final experiences, and helicopter tours.
