Live Blackjack by Pragmatic Play is a live dealer blackjack game released in 2018. It boasts an RTP of 99.59% with a minimum bet of $10 and a $2,000 maximum wager. The game is available on both desktop and mobile and offers a straightforward, world-class experience for lovers of classic blackjack.
Pragmatic Play only recently established a foothold in the live casino gaming industry, having been previously known for RNG creations. They’ve since established several live dealer blackjack tables, including Azure Blackjack and ONE Blackjack. This Pragmatic Play Live Blackjack review, however, takes a look at the variant that started it all.
Game Specifications | |
---|---|
Game name | Live Blackjack (Pragmatic Play) |
Game provider | Pragmatic Play |
Game type | Blackjack |
Streaming from | Romania |
RTP | 99.59% |
Bet range | €10 - €2000 |
Max win | 100:1 |
Side bets | Yes |
Supported platforms | |
Supported OS | |
Languages |
Bulgarian
Chinese
Danish
English
French
German
+14
All supported languages
|
Pragmatic Play joined the live casino universe in 2018 when they purchased Extreme Live Gaming and took their studio operations. Soon after, the company decided to start fresh with a brand-new product, so they built a studio in Bucharest and hired skilled staff to host blackjack, roulette, and baccarat tables, for starters. They’ve since been established as a serious competitor in the business, but these simple tables got the ball rolling.
The live blackjack version released by Pragmatic Play is a standard version of the classic card game. It is played on a 7-seat table and uses 8 decks of cards. However, the version encompasses several engaging features and optional bets. These allow the players to reap more benefits from their bets and enjoy the game on various levels. The betting interface is quite adequate, as it takes minimal space and focuses on the high-quality video stream. Rather than being stiff and uninterested, the live dealers are enthusiastic and professional.
Better yet, Pragmatic Play continues to grow and improve as a provider of live casino gaming solutions. You can play Blackjack by Pragmatic Play on dozens of casinos, and a new studio and UI have been introduced since launch.
When the game is loaded you will be prompted to take a seat at the table. As mentioned, the table has 7 seats, but Live Blackjack by Pragmatic Play accepts caters to more players than that.
Users can use the Bet Behind option to select one of the main players and place wagers in accordance with their decisions. This mostly helps in situations when there are no available seats. The round commences when the croupier deals two cards to each participant, face-down. Two cards are also dealt to the bank/house, one face-down and one face-up.
The players need to decide how to form their hands to get as close as possible to a total of 21 without going over (busting). Players can hit, stand, double down or take advantage of the early decision feature. Blackjack pays 3:2, insurance pays 2:1. The dealer is required to draw until 16 and stand on all 17s. To start betting you need to invest at least £10, and if you want to up the stakes to the maximum, you will be able to go as high as £2,000.
You can double down on any hand, which is always nice to hear when you play Pragmatic Play Blackjack for real money. You can also split cards of any value, including any two 10-point cards. Overall, it’s a fairly standard but player-friendly set of live blackjack rules.
A live table blackjack game with sub-standard payouts wouldn’t make it very far in this industry. As you’d expect, Pragmatic Play are up to the highest standards with this title. This extends to the side bets as well. The maximum and minimum bet in Live Blackjack by Pragmatic Play, however, may depend on the casino you’re playing at. Generally, though, the low limit is $10, and there are up to three tables with different upper limits.
Bet/Hand | Payout | ||
---|---|---|---|
Pragmatic Play Live Blackjack Payouts | |||
Regular | 1:1 | ||
Blackjack | 3:2 | ||
Blackjack Insurance | 2:1 | ||
Perfect Pairs Side Bet | |||
Mixed Pair | 6:1 | ||
Colored Pair | 12:1 | ||
Suited Pair | 25:1 | ||
21+3 Side Bet | |||
Suited Trips | 100:1 | ||
Straight Flush | 40:1 | ||
Three of Kind | 30:1 | ||
Straight | 30:1 | ||
Flush | 5:1 |
The RTP is an advantage you can feel whenever you play Live Blackjack for real money. It’s easily the best live casino game with a theoretical return of 99.59%. This is fairly high even for the high standards of this game. That said, the Perfect Pairs and 21+3 side bets trail slightly behind with RTPs of 95.90% and 96.30%, respectively.
Make sure to choose the game that suits your taste and budget. For more extensive guides on live blackjack basics, read this article.
The Pragmatic Play blackjack offer is presented through their familiar interface, so returning customers will quickly catch their bearings. Most of its features are tucked away in the upper right-hand corner. There’s a live chat window, live help and support, and a detailed information panel. Players can also adjust things like video quality, audio levels, and the language of the interface. Also, you can switch between three view modes, including fullscreen.
As far as the extra bets go, there are two – Perfect Pairs and 21+3. If you already know how to play blackjack and have some experience online, these are probably familiar to you. They’re not the most innovative but are a tried-and-true way to make things more interesting.
Perfect Pairs is the simpler of the two. Simply put, this side bet predicts that the first two cards you draw will be a pair. If the two cards are also of the same color, your payout will be bigger. If they happen to be identical in both suit and value, you’ll win even more.
If you don’t know what 21+3 is in blackjack, we’ll give you a quick rundown. The gist of this side bet is trying to assemble standard poker hands with 3 cards – your starting hand and the dealer’s face-up card. Any potential payout depends on the hand that you end up putting together, and a suited Three of a Kind is the best option.