The release of Playtech’s Quantum Blackjack live dealer game was quite a groundbreaking moment for online blackjack. It was the first major title to successfully implement multipliers into a live dealer blackjack format. Since then, the original game became quite famous and earned several modified variants.
Quantum Blackjack Plus was the first of these, featuring an improved multiplier system that offered an even higher RTP value. While the live dealer version never eclipsed the popularity of the original release, it represented a marked improvement on the formula.
In June 2021, Playtech decided to release the game in an Instant Play variant. As the name implies, this game was simply changed and adapted to an RNG system instead of using live dealers. Since Quantum Blackjack Instant Play is no longer available, the Plus game is your best chance if you want to play Quantum Blackjack online with no real dealers.
In our Quantum Blackjack Plus review, we’ll take a look at what was changed from the original. Being RNG-based comes with a number of advantages, of course. For instance, the limits can go as low as $0.01 on some casino sites. You also won’t have to worry about betting times or similar downsides to live gaming. Simply open the game, and start playing! Additionally, you can play up to 5 hands at a time.
The downsides mostly concern the experience itself. There is no interaction with real dealers or other players, which some players might enjoy.
If you ever played the original game, not much has changed in terms of gameplay. The extra RTP mostly comes down to an improved chance for multipliers. We’ll explain how Quantum Blackjack Plus works for any beginners, though.
The game is a typical 6-deck online blackjack game with standard American rules. You can Hit, Stand, Double, or Split as usual. The dealer must draw to 16 and stand on any 17. You can split on any Pair and also Double after a Split.
Quantum Blackjack Plus Instant Play comes with multipliers applied to 3-5 randomly selected cards each round. These multipliers can be anywhere from x3 to x10. If any of the cards in your hand have a multiplier and you win, you’ll receive a payout as per the multiplier. Multiple multipliers in one hand stack additively. For instance, two x3 cards add up to x6. The only exception is if the two cards are identical, in which case you only receive one multiplier.
The increased Instant Play Quantum Blackjack Plus payouts are compensated by one additional rule: players push if the dealer busts with 3 cards. However, if your winning hand has a multiplier applied to it, a 3-card dealer push pays out the multiplier minus the stake.
Standard rounds of Quantum Blackjack Plus come with the usual payouts – even money on regular wins, 3:2 for Blackjack, and 2:1 for Insurance. However, the real magic kicks in once you draw a card with an assigned multiplier. The multipliers are determined before the round begins, and all cards in a given round have the same multiplier.
Winning with a multiplier replaces the initial payout completely. As mentioned, they range from 2.5x to 10x. You could also theoretically win with several multipliers, which can increase your payout even further. All of this amounts to an RTP of 99.57%. That’s 0.10% more than Quantum Blackjack before the Plus update!
You cannot influence whether you draw multipliers or not. As such, basic blackjack strategy is still recommended. Just follow the charts and you’ll be good to go.
The 3-card dealer bust rule is something to consider, though. However, for purposes of strategy, you should treat the push as a win. There’s nothing you can really do about that, and adjusting your whole plan to account for possible pushes would be quite hard. Instead, count on the fact that multipliers will compensate for the decreased losses. This is true both in the Quantum Blackjack Plus Instant Play and the live dealer variant.
Quantum Blackjack Plus Instant Play is fairly transparent with what it achieves. It brings all the excitement and massive wins of live dealer Quantum Blackjack, minus the drawbacks of live-streamed games. If that sounds interesting to you, this game is perfect.