This RNG based game has been developed by Realistic Gaming, is played using 6 decks, and has an interesting side bet that is a fairly unique yet simple idea.
The side bet can be played independently of the base game which is very rare, and there are some useful preference options built into the control panel for the game too.
The base game remains as favourable as always which an undamaged RTP, while the side bet enables a max win of 5000x.
Playing the Game
The base game is fairly standard and unaffected by the rainbow side bet.
It can be played for as little as 10p per hand, with five hands available to play in each game round, but of course you can play as many or as few as you like.
The rules are as follows:
- 6 decks
- Dealer stands on all 17s
- No re-splits allowed
- Split hands do not qualify for enhanced blackjack payout
- Doubling after splits allowed except split aces
- Only one card to split aces
- Dealer checks for blackjack
There are some interesting personalisation options that come with the game, including the ability to turn off insurance offers, toggle game warnings (such as flagging the choice to hit when it is not recommended), and setting the game to stand automatically on high value hands.
These are optional of course, but can be very useful if you get fed up with turning down insurance every time it is available, for example.
Chip values range from 10p to £50 and the cards are shuffled between each round.
Rainbow Cards Side Bet
The side bet here is very basic in design; some of the cards in the shoe have been given a colour, and you are simply betting that the first card you are dealt will be a coloured card.
To place this bet you just need to drop a chip worth 10p or more onto the rainbow coloured area above the regular betting area, and unusually for blackjack, you can play the rainbow side bet without having to play the base game if you like.
Given that the shoe is made up of 6 decks it will contain 312 cards in total, and 35 of them will be randomly assigned a colour before each hand. These cards will be different on each hand too, and each colour has a different value.
Here is how it all shapes up:
| Colour | # in Shoe | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| Violet | 8 | 2x |
| Indigo | 7 | 3x |
| Blue | 6 | 4x |
| Green | 5 | 5x |
| Yellow | 4 | 6x |
| Orange | 3 | 7x |
| Red | 2 | 8x |
So you have a 35 in 312 chance of a coloured card being dealt which works out at 11.22%, although you do need it to be the first card as well. The example below was not a side bet win for us despite an indigo card being dealt, because it came second.
Plus, for that top payout of 8x you specifically need a red card, and the chances of either of them being dealt is just 0.64%.
If you are very lucky and get two rainbow cards dealt in the same hand, then the second card’s value is multiplied by the first. For example, being dealt an indigo card (3x) and a red card (8x) would work out like this:
- 3 x 8 = 24x
So you would get a payout of 24 times your stake on the side bet.
If both of your first two cards are the same colour though, there is a whole new payout structure:
| Colour | # in Shoe | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| Violet | 8 | 80x |
| Indigo | 7 | 120x |
| Blue | 6 | 160x |
| Green | 5 | 200x |
| Yellow | 4 | 300x |
| Orange | 3 | 500x |
| Red | 2 | 5000x |
Of course the probabilities here are incredibly low, but the potential for a 5,000x max win exists nonetheless.
RTP
There are two RTPs to consider for Rainbow Blackjack, because the side bet is essentially a game in its own right.
The theoretical return to player percentage for the base game of blackjack remains at 99.59% assuming basic strategy is applied to decision making.
The RTP for the rainbow side bet is much lower at 96.98%, which is usual for a side bet. Just be aware that the figure includes the rare occasions when someone might win the 5000x multiplier, so most people’s personal experience of the side bet is likely to be much lower than the stated figure.