Although Majority Rules Speed Blackjack does have a couple of side bets, it is the way the game plays out that makes this game interesting.
8 Decks are used and each round is played using 2 hands. However, each of those hands are played as a team with your fellow players.
This is a live game so many other people are betting alongside you, and each decision is put to the vote. That means that when deciding whether to hit or stand the decisions will be made based on democracy – whichever option has the most votes wins.
Majority Rules Feature
The table looks pretty normal to start with and the general game rules are standard. There are two seats available – although you don’t have to play at both of them – with side bets that you can use if you want to.
Once the game begins and your initial two cards are dealt, the unique element of the game becomes more apparent.
You will be given the options to double, stand or hit as normal (or split if appropriate), but there will also be yellow, green, and red progress bars representing the number of votes each option has received. You can see an example on the right.
Whatever you vote for, you will need at least 50% of the vote for your choice to be implemented, and if not everyone votes then the option with the highest number will win even if it is not above 50%.
Note: If there are fewer than 3 players taking part the game decides for you according to basic strategy.
One other thing about this particular version is that it is played extremely quickly, so concentration is key.
Side Bets
Two of the more commonly found side bets are included in the game; Player Pairs and 21 + 3.
These are the only part of the game played individually, so other players will not affect the outcome of these bets if you choose to use them.
Player pairs is a bet that your cards will both have the same face value, and 21+3 requires the player’s hand and the dealer’s up card to create specific hands when put together.
You can see both side bets’ payouts below:
Player Pairs
| Outcome | Payout |
|---|---|
| Any Pair | 6:1 |
| Same Colour Pair | 12:1 |
| Same Suit Pair | 25:1 |
21+3
| Outcome | Payout |
|---|---|
| Flush | 5:1 |
| Straight | 10:1 |
| 3 of a Kind | 30:1 |
| Straight Flush | 40:1 |
| Suited 3 of a Kind | 1000:1 |
RTP
Assuming an optimal strategy is played the theoretical return to player percentage is 99.54%, but of course you are not fully in control of what happens in each hand so this could be difficult to achieve.
The 21+3 side bet has a return of 96.25% and the Player Pairs side bet is worse again at 95.90%.
It is perhaps not the best game for beginners due to the speed of it and the fact that there are side bets.