Quick Summary
- Dead or Alive: Saloon is a unique live card game from Evolution where you predict which regular playing card will appear first, with bets available on individual cards, values, suits, or multiple cards.
- Every round starts with a 20x potential win, which can increase when Bonus Cards appear before the first regular playing card ends the round.
- The 104-card deck contains 52 regular cards and 52 Bonus Cards, including 20x, 30x, 50x, 100x, Double, and Bounty cards.
- Bounty Hunt adds an interactive bonus feature where you choose one of three wanted targets to reveal an additional multiplier.
- The game offers an optimal RTP of 97.02%, with payouts reaching 1,999:1 and a maximum total payout of €500,000 per round.
- Our expert view: Dead or Alive: Saloon is much more interesting than its simple card-prediction concept initially suggests. Different betting approaches can significantly change the volatility, while the Bonus Cards, Doubles, and Bounty Hunt create genuine tension as you wait for the first regular card to appear.
How We Scored This Game
We score every game with the same framework. Four categories, each with its own weight
Where to Play Dead or Alive: Saloon
You can play this game at every casino below. Each one meets our criteria for a good live casino experience. You can read what they are on our casinos page.
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What Is Dead or Alive: Saloon?
Dead or Alive: Saloon is a live game show created by Evolution. It does not use a wheel or dice, but everything is based on playing cards. One 52-card deck contains the regular cards, while the second deck holds Bonus cards that add multipliers or trigger special features.
What makes this game stand out is that it combines the simplicity of a card game with the thrill of big multipliers.
With an optimal RTP of 97.02%, it also offers a stronger theoretical return than many multiplier-based live game shows.
How to Play Dead or Alive: Saloon
Enter the Live Studio
Evolution really nailed it this time. The live studio is amazing. It’s just like a saloon back in the Wild West. A live dealer sits behind a table and deals the cards.
Place Your Bets
At the bottom of your screen, you can pick the value of your betting chip. You must guess which regular playing card the dealer will draw first. You can place a bet on numerous options: either a particular card, a specific suit, or a certain card value. Alternatively, you can choose to bet on several cards or all cards.
I also often use the Autoplay option, which lets you repeat your previous bet with one click.
Dealing the Cards
The deck contains 52 regular playing cards, plus 52 Bonus cards. The deck includes three Double cards, six Bounty cards, twenty 20× cards, nineteen 30× cards, three 50× cards, and one 100× card.
After betting closes, the game presenter deals the cards face up, one by one.
Bonus Cards
If a Bonus card with 20x, 30x, 50x, or 100x is drawn, the multiplier value gets added to your initial potential win amount, and the round continues. (Example: initial potential win 20x + 30x Bonus card = 50x potential win amount.)
If you draw a Double card, you double your current potential win (Example: 50× potential win × 2 = 100×). The Double card does not affect the values of any future Bonus cards.
Bounty Hunt Event
During a round, if a Bounty card is drawn, you will enter the immersive Bounty Hunt event.
You will be presented with three targets, each holding a hidden multiplier value. Select your chosen target, take aim, and shoot. The won multiplier is revealed and added to your potential win amount.
Result
The round ends once a regular playing card is drawn. You win if you have correctly predicted which regular playing card will be drawn first. In the event of a win, your bet will be multiplied by your accumulated multiplier value.
“Every new card creates tension. You hope for another Bonus Card, but you know the next regular card can end the round.
That simple mechanic works surprisingly well.”
How the Multipliers Work
The real thrill of Dead or Alive: Saloon comes from the bonus deck. This second deck also has 52 cards, but they are packed with multipliers and special features. You will find twenty cards with a 20x multiplier, nineteen with 30x, three with 50x, and one single 100x card. On top of that, there are three Double cards and six Bounty cards.
Every time you draw a multiplier, its value is added to your potential win. For example, if the win amount is 20x and you hit a 30x, the new potential win becomes 50x.
Multiple multipliers simply keep stacking, which is where the game can get really exciting. Double cards are even stronger, because they instantly double your current total. So if you are at 50x and a Double card appears, it jumps to 100x.
Then there are the Bounty cards, which trigger a short bonus round. When this happens, you choose one of three wanted posters and shoot it with a revolver. Behind each poster is a hidden multiplier that gets added to your winnings. It is a fun, interactive element that makes you feel more involved than in most card games.
How the Game Looks and Feels
Dead or Alive: Saloon is one of those games where the studio really adds to the experience. Evolution has created a convincing Wild West saloon with wooden furniture, warm lighting, a fireplace, and presenters dressed to match the theme.
The camera work keeps the cards easy to follow, which is important because every new card can change the potential win or end the round. I particularly like how the physical studio and Western theme make a relatively simple card game feel much more atmospheric.
Tips and Strategies for Dead or Alive: Saloon
There is no strategy that can predict which card will appear, but your betting choices can greatly change the risk and volatility of your session. The key is deciding how much of the betting grid you want to cover.
Choose Your Risk Level
Betting on a single card offers much higher potential payouts, but you should expect plenty of losing rounds. We experienced this ourselves when betting only on the Ace of Spades. It took several rounds to hit, although a 50x Bonus Card followed by a Double made the eventual win particularly rewarding.
Covering suits or multiple cards gives you a better chance of hitting the winning card. During our balanced test, we covered Hearts and Clubs. The wins were more frequent, while the Bonus Cards still gave us opportunities for larger payouts.
Don’t Chase the Biggest Payout
The highest-paying bets may look attractive, but they also come with a much lower chance of winning. A 1,999:1 payout is possible, but that does not make chasing individual cards the best choice for every session.
If you want to play for longer, spreading your stake across more outcomes can reduce the swings in your balance.
Remember That Bonus Cards Don’t Guarantee a Win
Seeing several Bonus Cards can be exciting because your potential payout keeps increasing. However, you still need the final regular card to match one of your bets.
Do not increase your next bet simply because the previous round built a huge multiplier that you missed. Each new round starts again, and previous results do not make your chosen card more likely to appear.
Understand the Double Card
A Double can be particularly valuable because it doubles the potential win accumulated up to that point. However, Bonus Cards appearing afterwards are not included in that earlier doubling.
Understanding this makes it much easier to follow how a large potential payout develops during a round.
Set Your Stake Before You Start
Because single-card betting can produce long losing streaks, decide beforehand how much you are prepared to spend. We found broader coverage more comfortable for longer sessions, while single-card betting provided the biggest excitement but also much greater volatility.
Our tip: There is no betting system that changes the house edge or predicts the next card. Choose your bets according to how much volatility you are comfortable with, rather than simply chasing the largest possible payout.
My Dead or Alive: Saloon Sessions
When I first saw this game, I was very eager to play. I was very curious about the gameplay and the excitement. I played two sessions.
Balanced Play
I started by betting on two suits, Hearts and Clubs. My chance to win felt solid. After a few Bonus cards, my multiplier climbed to 40×.
When the round ended, I hit a card from my suits and got a nice win. It wasn’t huge, but steady.
High-Risk Chase
Then I tried betting on one single card, the Ace of Spades. Several rounds passed without hitting it, and I lost small bets again and again.
But in one round, I collected a 50× and a Double card before the Ace appeared. That one win paid back everything and more.
Pros and Cons of Dead or Alive: Saloon
- Excellent 97.02% optimal RTP
- Fantastic Wild West atmosphere and saloon studio
- Simple rules that are easy to understand
- Bonus Cards create real suspense with every card reveal
- Interactive Bounty Hunt adds extra variety
- Maximum payout of up to 1,999:1
- Dealers could be more enthusiastic and engaging
- Gameplay may become repetitive during longer sessions
- Very large multipliers are difficult to hit
- Limited strategic decision-making once bets are placed
- Betting on individual cards can create long losing streaks
What Type of Player Is Dead or Alive: Saloon Best Suited For?
Dead or Alive: Saloon is best suited to players who enjoy simple gameplay with plenty of suspense. The rules are easy to learn, but the Bonus Cards and changing potential win make every card reveal exciting.
The game particularly suits players who:
- Enjoy multiplier-based games where a win can grow as the round progresses.
- Like choosing between different levels of risk, from covering suits or multiple cards to chasing a single high-paying card.
- Prefer games with strong themes and atmosphere, especially the Wild West setting.
- Enjoy interactive bonus features such as Bounty Hunt.
- Want a game that is easy to understand but still offers different betting approaches.
- Prefer card games but want something different from traditional blackjack or baccarat.
Dead or Alive: Saloon is less suitable for players who want strategy-heavy gameplay or constant decision-making. Once your bets are placed, the outcome is down to chance; the excitement comes from watching the potential win build as each new card is revealed.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Game Type | Live card game show |
| Provider | Evolution |
| Theme | Wild West – shootouts, bounties, and multipliers |
| Gameplay Concept | Bet on which regular card (suit, value, or specific card) will be drawn first |
| Deck Composition | 52 regular playing cards + 52 Bonus cards |
| Bonus Cards Include | 3 Double cards, 6 Bounty cards, 20× 20x cards, 19× 30x cards, 3× 50x cards, 1× 100x card |
| Bounty Hunt Feature | Triggered when a Bounty Card is drawn — shoot one of three targets to reveal an extra multiplier |
| Multiplier Cards | Bonus multipliers (20x–100x) increase potential payouts until a regular card is drawn |
| Starting Potential Win | 20x before additional Bonus Cards |
| RTP (Return to Player) | 97.02% (optimal play) |
| Max Payout | 1,999:1 (2,000x total return), subject to a €500,000 maximum payout per round |
| Volatility | High |
| Special Features | Double Cards (double current potential win), Bounty Hunt Bonus, Autoplay, and Bet All option |
| User Interface | Intuitive betting grid for single or multiple card bets |
| Studio Design | Authentic Wild West saloon with live presenters and cinematic visuals |
| Devices | Desktop, tablet, and mobile |
| Release Year | 2022 |
| Unique Element | Combines Western action with suspenseful card draws and dynamic multiplier progression |
What’s My Opinion on Dead or Alive: Saloon?
Dead or Alive: Saloon is a game I really enjoyed. The Wild West atmosphere is fantastic, from the detailed saloon studio to the costumes and overall presentation. For a moment, it genuinely feels like you have stepped into an old Western saloon.
What I like most, however, is the tension created with every card the dealer turns over. You want to see another Bonus Card to build your potential win, but you know that a regular playing card can end the round at any moment. It is a simple idea, but Evolution has turned it into something surprisingly exciting. The dealers could be a little more enthusiastic, but that did not take much away from the experience.
Our expert view: Dead or Alive: Saloon proves that a live game does not need complicated mechanics to create excitement. The combination of an excellent Wild West setting, strong 97.02% RTP, and the suspense of every new card makes this one of Evolution’s more original live games.
FAQs
It is a live casino card game by Evolution. You place a bet on which regular card the dealer will draw first and collect multipliers as the game continues.
The game uses 52 regular playing cards and 52 Bonus cards.
The maximum win per game is capped at €500,000.
In a single game of Dead or Alive: Saloon, the biggest multiplier is 2000x.
The theoretical RTP is 97.02%.
Yes. You can bet on a single card, a suit, a value, several cards, or even all cards.
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