A lesser known live casino provider called OnAir Entertainment is behind Eclipse Blackjack, which is a standard version of the game that is loaded up with five different side bets and played with 8 decks.
Being a live game, the dealer is a human being who can interact with the players, and the cards dealt are real too, so it is not an RNG based game.
The name is a little confusing as the ‘Eclipse’ part doesn’t obviously link in to anything, the game is essentially the same as All Bets Blackjack Live, but with one less side bet. Nevertheless, it is well delivered and fun to play.
Playing the Game
Eclipse Blackjack has a familiar set up to other live dealer providers.
It is a common draw game so an unlimited number of players can all play the same hand, meaning there is no betting behind or anything like that. Each player can make independent decisions and the dealer will continue to play the hand until every player has either stuck or bust, before revealing his own hand.
The live element is complimented by digital assets like the cards and chips which are overlaid onto the screen so make things clearer and allow for instant information like hand totals to be displayed.
Betting time is just 12 seconds, and at this stage the different value chips will appear, so that you can build your stakes however you choose, although the table maximum is £2,000. The minimum bet is just £1.
Rules are as follows:
- Dealer stands on all 17s
- Doubling allowed on any initial deal
- No doubling after splitting
- Player can split any pair including Aces
- Single card only dealt to split Aces
- Re-splitting not allowed
Nothing here is particularly outlandish, and leaves the RTP pretty much where it should be.
There are some nice additional features to the interface, such as the ability to see what other players are choosing to do on percentage, which might help newer players who aren’t sure what the best move is.
You will also notice betting areas for the five different side bets, which we will cover in the next section, but the base game plays out just like you would expect from any classic blackjack game.
Blackjack Eclipse Side Bets
Although all of these side bets are available before every hand, there is no rule that says you have to use them.
You can bet on one of them, three of them, none of them, it’s completely up to you
Here’s how they stack up.
Perfect Pairs
This bet is on the player’s hand only, and pays out if you are dealt a pair.
The minimum bet for Perfect Pairs is £1 and the maximum is £200.
However, the payout can range depending on exactly which pair of cards you are dealt; see the table below.
| Outcome | Payout |
|---|---|
| Red/Black Pair | 6:1 |
| Coloured Pair | 12:1 |
| Perfect Pair | 25:1 |
21+3
This bet looks at the player’s two cards and the dealer’s up card, and can be placed with stakes of between £1 and £100.
It pays out if the 3 card combination makes up a mini poker hand as detailed below.
| Outcome | Payout |
|---|---|
| Flush | 5:1 |
| Straight | 10:1 |
| 3 of a Kind | 30:1 |
| Straight Flush | 40:1 |
| Suited Trips | 100:1 |
Lucky Lucky
The Lucky Lucky bet is another that is played using the player’s first two cards and the dealer’s up card.
It can be played for as little as £1 or as much as £100, and pays out for certain ‘lucky’ number combinations.
| Outcome | Payout |
|---|---|
| Any 20 or 19 | 2:1 |
| Unsuited 21 | 3:1 |
| Suited 21 | 10:1 |
| Unsuited 678 | 30:1 |
| Unsuited 777 | 50:1 |
| Suited 679 | 100:1 |
| Suited 777 | 200:1 |
Buster Blackjack
With Buster Blackjack you are betting on the fate of the dealer’s hand.
You need them to bust for this side bet to win, but the more cards it takes them to do so, the higher your payout will be, and if you have blackjack as well, then odds are huge.
This is the only side bet that isn’t won or lost after the initial deal.
The standard £1 minimum bet applies but the maximum is a little lower too at £50, due to the higher potential payouts.
| Outcome | Payout |
|---|---|
| 3 or 4 Cards | 2:1 |
| 5 Cards | 4:1 |
| 6 Cards | 18:1 |
| 7 Cards | 50:1 |
| 8+ Cards | 250:1 |
| 7 Cards + Player Blackjack | 800:1 |
| 8+ Cards + Player Blackjack | 2000:1 |
Royal Jacks
Not as common as the other side bets, Royal Jacks is yet another that takes both the player’s first two cards and the dealer’s up card into consideration.
Unsurprisingly, the aim of the bet is to get Jacks, and the payout increases depending on what combination of Jacks are dealt.
Just like Buster Blackjack, the bet can be made for between £1 and £50.
| Outcome | Payout |
|---|---|
| Mixed Jack Pair | 35:1 |
| Suited Jack Pair | 75:1 |
| Diamonds Jack Pair | 150:1 |
| Mixed Jack Trips | 250:1 |
| Suited Jack Trips | 600:1 |
RTP
For the base game of Eclipse Blackjack, the way the rules are set up means the theoretical return to player percentage is solid at 99.44%.
However, when playing the side bets you take a good hit to the RTP for the privilege of being able to win higher returns.
The RTPs for the side bets are as follows:
- Perfect Pairs – 95.90%
- 21+3 – 96.30%
- Lucky Lucky – 94.72%
- Buster Blackjack – 93.88%
- Royal Jacks – 89.88%