Almost every game is better when played with friends. It adds another layer of enjoyment, which can transform even mediocre rounds into exciting events! Hence why poker has been the king of card games for so long. This social element is built into the core of poker, making an excellent release that much better!
Live Speed Blackjack: No More Waiting to Make a Move
Live blackjack has also gained a fair amount of popularity, though it wasn’t without its flaws. One of the most obvious being the time you spend waiting for the dealer to play your hand. If someone was taking their time, they could hold up the entire table!
But those days are now behind us. Evolution Gaming takes what seems like an obvious idea, and makes an awesome game around it. Welcome to Live Speed Blackjack, where the dealer attends to your hand as soon as you decide what to play!
How It Works
You may not see the difference at first glance. After all, it’s the same seven-player table we’re used to seeing from these developers. However, the change will become apparent as soon as the round starts.
First, the dealer will deal two cards to the punter. From there, the first person who makes a decision to hit, stand or double will have the next hand dealt to them. The dealer will continue to play the round following the rules of first come first serve. This means your round will be completed much quicker than on a standard blackjack table.
There’s a timer active, which the game uses to keep things moving at a reasonable pace. To avoid AFK players from holding everyone back, Evolution Gaming added new AutoPlay functions. If the timer runs out, the game checks your card total. If it’s more than twelve, the punter will be forced to stand. But if it’s eleven or less, then the computer will make the AFK player hit.
Side Bets
Any live casino enthusiast will love a good side bet. And Live Speed Blackjack offers two: Perfect Pairs and 21+3. Perfect Pairs is simple: your first two cards must form a pair. The better the pair is, the more you win. A mixed coloured pair pays 6:1, and increases to 12:1 if the colours match. If both the colour and suit match, you receive a tidy 25:1 prize.
One more popular side bet is available here: 21+3. The goal is to use the first two hands and the dealer’s visible card to form a viable poker hand. The more valuable said poker hand is, the better your pay will be! The top prize is awarded for Suited Trips, which grants a 100:1 win!
Finally, there’s also Bet Behind. This isn’t an official side bet, so much as a way to stay in-game even if there’s no available seat. Essentially, you’re making a stake in hopes of that player scoring a win. If he does, you get a prize proportional to how much you bet.
Is It Worth It?
It can be incredibly tempting to just leap in head-first and be done with it. Live Speed Blackjack is a thrilling experience, but it does come with some caveats worth mentioning. The first of which is visible to punters before they even take a seat at the table.
Yes, limited spaces on each table are back! After Infinite Blackjack, we assumed Evolution Gaming would stick to that format. Just the dealer and the table, where your only point of contact with other players is through chat. Seeing them occupy a space on this virtual table is nice, as it gives the game a more immersive feeling. The obvious downside is that you’ll be stuck with Bet Behind until a seat opens up.
One more area that won this game points were its table rules! The dealer will take a peek to check if he has blackjack and offers you insurance. Furthermore, the dealer must stand on all seventeens, both hard and soft. Double is only available for the first two hands, but you can split whichever pair of cards you want!
Put all of this together and combine it with the core mechanic of Live Speed Blackjack. The end result is a release with great rules, which is played up to 30% faster than regular blackjack. We think we can answer the question of ‘is it worth it’ with a resounding yes!
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