Evolution Launches Speed Blackjack

Fastest 7 Seat Blackjack

I’m sure there will be an official press release coming from Evolution, but I found a series of new Blackjack tables while I was browsing around some of the casinos this week.

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The new tables are labelled Speed Blackjack and as you’d surmise these tables offer a very quick game of Live Blackjack.

How Speed Blackjack Works

It’s really clever how Evolution has shaved time of a standard 7 Seat game. You’d think reducing betting time would be the most obvious place, and it is, that’s been reduced.

But most “lost” time in the game is waiting for players to make their playing decisions.

Each player normally gets about 15 seconds to decide what to do for each card he’s dealt. You multiply that up across a whole table and you’re talking lots of wasted time.

So the genius thing is, after all the first two player cards are dealt the next player to get a card is the one that makes his playing decision the fastest.

The dealer then deals to that position and then to the next quickest and so on until all hands are complete.

This way waiting time is reduced. Most of the time there is no waiting and the dealer just deals card after card after card. Quite a feat really.

So what happens with Splits?

If a players decides to split, the dealer splits them and then deals a first card to each.

He then goes on and deals cards elsewhere until it’s you turn to have a card. Both hands are completed in this way.

The reality is if you’ve split your normally the last hand to finish during the game round, because you’ve got more decisions to make than anyone else.

Anything Else We need to know?

Yep, there’s and additional auto play option that comes into affect if a player has failed to make a decision within the allotted time.

• If his hand is 12 or more then a Stand is actioned.
• If the hand contains 11 or less then a Hit is made until 12 or more is reached, when a Stand is made.

Video Review

Watch my Video review if you’d like to see the game in action.

What Evolution Say About Speed Blackjack

Todd Haushalter, Chief Product Officer at Evolution, explained:

“For the last hundred years or so, Blackjack players have made decisions from the dealer’s left to right, in order, and everyone has had to wait for the deciding player because that is how it’s always been done in casinos. We asked ourselves, ‘Why should players have to wait?’.

With Speed Blackjack, players make their decision when they are ready and whoever is fastest gets the next hit card, giving the player more control. This has no impact on the maths of the game, it just reduces waiting time.”

Haushalter added,

“Compared to our standard Live Blackjack game, Speed Blackjack is about 30–40% faster. I must say, it feels really good as a player because it is the game you know and love, but you have more control and there’s much less waiting time.”

Summary

As a player that likes a fast game of Blackjack, this is aimed at my sweet spot.

I was a bit wary of the dealing not being done in order, but once I got into the game it wasn’t an issue. The RTP isn’t affected by the order of the cards so there’s no excuse.

It’s a really clever idea and something I see catching on quite quickly right across the sector.

Oh and the dealers! Well played to them for being able to keep up with who needs a card next. They do it quickly and seamlessly.

A Hit from me :-)

Play it First at Leo Vegas