Perhaps not the most obvious combination, but blackjack has been paired up with ex-Wimbledon legend and current tough guy film star, Vinnie Jones, by a developer called Real Dealer Studio.
It’s the regular game of blackjack with a 21+3 side bet bolted on, but it has been filmed by a Hollywood film crew and uses the latest digital technology to incorporate the VIP dealer, and a give a one on one feel to the game.
Of course it is all pre-recorded, and the game runs using an RNG just like any other non-live game of online blackjack.
Vinnie Jones Blackjack Rules and Gameplay
The rules of the game are pretty standard, with one or two slight adjustments that you will notice from the list below:
- Uses 6 decks
- No hole card
- Dealer stands on all 17s
- Doubling allowed after any two initial cards
- 6 card Charlie beats any dealer hand
- Only one card to split Aces
- Split Ace cannot go on to create blackjack, only 21
The game plays at a fairly slow pace to allow for Vinnie’s interjections, such as congratulating you on wins and offering commiserations on losses, and it uses changes in camera angle to allow one pre-recorded segment to move on to another.
Chip value is selected using a wheel to the right of the screen and then chips are laid on the table by clicking on the betting area.
Vinnie will guide you through the game, but all user controls are located to the right of the screen, with the options only appearing as and when applicable so don’t panic if you can’t see all of the game options all of the time.
The maximum bet allowed is £1,000, and the minimum bet is £1.00, and the payouts for wins and blackjack are as standard.
21+3
This side bet is optional, although there must be a bet on the blackjack game in order to place a 21+3 side bet.
In fact, you cannot even place a chip on the side bet unless you already have one on the main game.
You are betting that a mini 3 card poker hand will be created using your first 2 cards and the dealer’s first card.
The hands and payouts are as follows:
| Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| Suited 3 of a Kind | 100:1 |
| Straight Flush | 40:1 |
| 3 of a Kind | 25:1 |
| Straight | 10:1 |
| Flush | 5:1 |
The side bet is won or lost after the initial deal, and the result of the side bet does not impact the result of the base game in any way – so you can win both, neither, or one but not the other.
RTP
Given that there are no major changes to the game, the theoretical return to player percentage is 99.51%, assuming you play basic strategy.
The 21+3 side bet has its own much lower RTP of 95.38%, however, but of course it offers the chance for bigger wins I and when they come along.
This is all fairly standard.