Thndr Skill-Based Player vs Player Blackjack: Review, How To Play, Strategies & Gameplay Analysis
No doubt you are familiar with blackjack strategies, which are essential in ensuring that the house edge is as low as possible. But is it possible to remove the house edge completely with skill?
Well, not in a ‘normal’ blackjack game. But the answer is ‘Yes’ in this unique variant – by removing the house itself! This is a fresh innovation from THNDR, and it is so simple that it makes you wonder why no one has done it before.
Player versus Player Blackjack
You’ve certainly heard of tournaments and leaderboards, things that every online casino organises. THNDR takes that idea and refines it further. Rather than competing on who can spend the most money on table games, the system pits player against player and gives them the exact same hands to play.
You don’t place a bet against the house, you simply bet that you can play those same hands better than whoever the competitor is that takes your bet. This is also known as P2P, player-to-player, or peer-to-peer gaming.
Crypto Transfers Over Bitcoin Lightning Network
THNDR is a company that operates in a rather niche cryptocurrency setup. Most iGaming producers are concentrated around building slots for traditional online casinos, leaving the payments entirely to individual casinos to figure out.
Here Bitcoin is incorporated into the system directly. THNDR’s PvP Blackjack uses the Lightning Network to process instant payouts. It doesn’t only apply to cryptocurrencies, as casinos can enable all other methods of payment too.
Thndr’s games can be embedded into third-party websites so that operators can offer the games to their players. The technical process is described here.
THNDR’s cross-operator liquidity network enables instant bet matching across partner platforms, including BetOpenly, Speed Wallet, Maincard, and Telobet. If a BetOpenly user places a $200 bet, THNDR matches it with a $200 bet from another partner platform, ensuring a 99.9% instant match rate.
How PvP Blackjack Works: Game Rules
The game follows the standard rules of blackjack, and you still play your hand against the house. The bet you make is matched with a bet placed by another player.
The difference lies in the way the session is set up. You will be given a set amount of chips to use, together with ten rounds to make the most of them. What matters is how much money you manage to win across those ten rounds. This is then compared to the result of another player, who will play exactly the same hands as you. Whoever scores higher takes home the money bet. It’s as simple as that.
The blackjack here uses the following additional rules:
- No insurance.
- No side bets.
- Push returns bet to player, keeps win streak intact.
- 2 decks of 104 cards in total.
- Players can split and double.
- The dealer draws until 17.
- There’s a time limit of 6 minutes per contest. At the 6-minute point, the game will end and each player’s score is recorded up to that point.
- Minimum bet 10 chips, maximum all-in (will bet all available chips)
Additionally, the following rules affect the score:
- A natural blackjack adds 50% to the player’s score.
- A win streak increases the score. Two consecutive wins add 20% whereas seven consecutive wins add 200% in bonus chips.
Free practice play
You can practice on the free play page on the Thndr website.
Strategies For Winning
To get the most points, you’ll need to follow standard blackjack strategies. However, there are some additional aspects of gameplay you can introduce that are specific to this contest format:
- Avoid unnecessary risks without a winning streak. Play cautiously and place smaller bets to minimize losses.
- Maximize bonuses by increasing bets when you have a high win streak multiplier. A larger bet can yield a higher payout.
- Consider card sequences strategically. Your opponent plays with the same sequence, so adjust wagers accordingly.
- Maintain a balance between risk and advantage. Protect a significant chip lead rather than taking reckless risks.
- Clearly, completing all hands within the 6-minute time-limit will be advisable in most circumstances. But if your bank is particularly strong heading towards the latter stages, then consider lowering your bets.
Advanced Strategic Play
There are several more advanced strategies:
- Predict your opponent’s decisions based on the identical card sequence. If they take risks and fail, playing conservatively increases your chances of winning.
- Use win streak multipliers strategically. Take calculated risks to sustain the streak and maximize chip gains.
- Consider All-in timing. If your opponent will likely be forced into an All-in, play cautiously to secure a safer win.
- Plan the endgame wisely. If many Aces and 10-point cards remain, the dealer’s chance of Blackjack rises. Surrendering might be smarter if your opponent takes the risk.
- Use the ‘Double’ button when in a strong position (e.g., 9, 10, or 11 points) against a weak dealer card (4, 5, or 6). This move doubles the bet but carries high risk.
PvP Blackjack Summary
What the company introduces here is an entirely new, more strategy-oriented way of playing blackjack. The way the scoring works also ensures that players need to take risks but balance this with a healthy focus on bankroll management.
If you’ve had your fill of automated blackjack tables, and you’ve perfected your strategy in live blackjack, this version of blackjack from THNDR Gaming is a must-add to your list. It is also the company’s first venture into iGaming and a very promising one at that. We can’t wait to see what the company comes up with next.
It’ll be interesting to see how players take to this blackjack variant when it’s available in crypto casinos. In the meantime, you can play standard blackjack alongside various variants on these platforms:
Best Bitcoin Casinos For Standard Blackjack Games
Four Part Deal up to $20,000, Sports Welcome Bonus, Varied Betting Promos, Task Rewards, Rakeback, Recharges, and more.
BC.Game is a crypto casino featuring provably fair games, slots, live games and an attractive VIP program for loyal players.
150% up to 1.5 BTC with 100 free spins
Vave Casino is a young crypto gambling site that features almost 6,000 games and an amazing sportsbook.
Login
Register