Blackjack Extreme is a gambling game developed by MADtek Entertainment. It cannot be played at online casinos because it is played directly between players like poker cash games. It is also not normally offered at land casinos. Blackjack Extreme is however, replacing poker as a home gambling game. This is because it combines certain elements of poker with blackjack. MADtek Entertainment says, “If you have the heart to bluff, the courage to make big plays and the brains to stay two jumps ahead of your opponents then Blackjack Extreme is the game.”

In Blackjack Extreme players take turns to be the dealer. When a player is the dealer he is automatically the banker and accepts bets from all other players. Therefore players must have the capacity to face large wagered amounts. Because the dealer takes this risk, he is given certain advantages in Blackjack Extreme. Before the cards are dealt each player has to make a blind bet. As in poker games there is a schedule for the blind bet. The minimum blind bet increases with each level and the maximum blind bet is capped at three times the minimum.

The dealer deals two cards to each player as in blackjack, but with a difference. One card is dealt face up and the other is dealt face down. Hence players can see more cards and can make some assessment of the cards left in the deck. The dealer deals his cards face down to start with. He peeks at his cards and decides which one to turn up. The dealer can use this facility to bluff and show a position of apparent strength or apparent weakness. The players then engage in the second round of betting. The first option available to players is to fold. They surrender their hand but can take back half of the blind bet. The second option is to check. In this option they place a wager equal to the blind bet. Finally, the players can raise. They have to increase the bet by at least double of the blind bet and when their turn comes they have to hit at least once. The dealer can fold and pay half the blind bet to the players who have not folded. Alternatively he can continue with the game.

In Blackjack Extreme each player plays his hand as follows. He first exposes the card that was dealt face down. Natural blackjacks are immediately paid at 3 to 2. The hand is then played according to standard blackjack rules. However, the players who have raised cannot stand on the two dealt cards. Any pair may be split, but the player must match the total bet on the second hand, or on subsequent hands if splits again. Blackjacks on split hands pay even money. If a player goes bust then his bets are immediately transferred to the dealer.

After all the players have played out their hands the dealer plays his hand. He first reveals his hole card. The dealer can hit on any soft hand but must stand on a hard 17 or higher. If the dealer busts he then pays the players still standing. Otherwise hand values are compared in the usual manner and losing bets are collected by the dealer and the winning players paid. Tied hands push. The dealer position rotates clockwise around the table after each deal.