Despite being virtually unchanged for decades, classic blackjack has remained one of the most entertaining casino games. Nevertheless, blackjack players sometimes like adding variety to their experience through side bets and interesting rule variations.
ONE Blackjack is the latest game that gamblers can try. It’s a live dealer blackjack variation that offers payouts worth up to 2,000x the stake.
If you’re interested in trying a hot new blackjack variation, then you can learn more about ONE Blackjack in the following post.
Basics of ONE Blackjack
This blackjack variation takes place in Pragmatic Play’s live dealer studio. Pragmatic Play is typically known for their online slots, but they’ve been branching out into live dealer casino games as of late.
ONE Blackjack is the latest edition of Pragmatic’s growing live-dealer collection. It offers unique aspects that set it apart from the average blackjack variation.
Here’s a look at what makes the ONE version so intriguing:
- Unlimited number of players can join a table
- Win up to 2,000x your stake (through side bets)
- Four side bets, including 21+3, Bust Bonus, Crazy 7’s, and Perfect Pairs
- Six Card Charlie delivers an automatic win when you draw for six cards without busting
As you can see, ONE Blackjack has plenty of extras to offer. Like other live games, it also gives you the opportunity to chat with the dealer.
More on ONE Blackjack’s Side Bets
Most of the time in real money blackjack, games only offer one or two side wagers. ONE, on the other hand, features four different side bets. Here’s a closer look at each of these bets.
21+3
21+3 is based on your first two cards and the dealer’s upcard. The goal is to form a poker hand (e.g. flush, straight) within these three cards.
The nice thing about 21+3 is that you don’t need to hit for another card to win, like with some side wagers. Instead, the bet will be decided after you receive your first two cards.
This wager also has better return to player (RTP) than most side bets. It offers 95.76% RTP with four decks, 96.76% with six, and 97.26% with eight.
You receive a 9:1 payout no matter what qualifying hand you receive. Here’s a list of the qualifying hands:
- Straight flush
- Three of a kind
- Straight
- Flush
- Pair + flush (e.g. 7s-7s-Js)
Bust Bonus
As the name implies, this bet revolves around the dealer busting out. It even allows you to see the croupier’s upcard before betting. Assuming the dealer doesn’t have a natural blackjack, they’ll give you the opportunity to place this wager.
The bust bonus offers variable payouts based on the dealer’s upcard, if they have suited cards, or if they have three 8s. Here’s a common pay table:
- Ace upcard – Non-suited payout = 3:1; suited payout = 50:1
- 2 upcard – Non-suited payout = 1:1; suited payout = 25:1
- 3 upcard – Non-suited payout = 1:1; suited payout = 15:1
- 4 upcard – Non-suited payout = 1:1; suited payout = 10:1
- 5 upcard – Non-suited payout = 1:1; suited payout = 5:1
- 6 upcard – Non-suited payout = 1:1; suited payout = 3:1
- 7 upcard – Non-suited payout = 2:1; suited payout = 15:1
- 8 upcard – Non-suited payout = 2:1; suited payout = 10:1
- Three 8s – Non-suited payout = 25:1; suited payout = 75:1
- 9 upcard – Non-suited payout = 2:1; suited payout = 20:1
- 10 upcard – Non-suited payout = 2:1; suited payout = 20:1
The bust bonus RTP varies based on which upcard the dealer is showing. Here are payout percentages for each dealer card based on an eight-deck game where the dealer hits a soft 17:
- Ace upcard – 90.97% RTP
- 2 upcard – 92.54%
- 3 upcard – 91.67%
- 4 upcard – 92.81%
- 5 upcard – 91.0%
- 6 upcard – 92.07%
- 7 upcard – 94.02%
- 8 upcard – 95.87%
- 9 upcard – 89.7%
- 10 upcard – 91.25%
Crazy 7s
Crazy 7s revolves around your first three cards. You can actually win on your first card just by getting a seven. You’ll need to split once, however, to chase the top payouts.
Simply put, you want consecutive sevens to be dealt. Assuming you get three consecutive 7s to start a hand, then you’ll win a larger prize.
Some casinos guarantee that you’ll receive a third card with the crazy 7s bet, even if the dealer has a natural blackjack. Others cap how many cards you get at two if the dealer has a blackjack.
Here’s the pay table based on the version where you’re guaranteed three cards no matter what:
- Three suited 7s – 2,000:1 payout
- Three non-suited 7s – 500:1
- Two suited 7s – 150:1
- Two non-suited 7s – 25:1
- One 7 – 5:1
As you can see, crazy 7s is the side bet that allows wins up to 2,000x your stake. Even with a $1 side wager, a suited 7-7-7 would deliver $2,000 in winnings.
The RTP for this crazy 7s pay table is 93.5%. The payout percentage drops to 92.5% if you’re not guaranteed three cards when the dealer has blackjack.
Perfect Pairs
No doubt one of the most famous blackjack side bets, perfect pairs is based on if your first two cards are a pair. The “perfect pair” is two identical cards, such as two jacks of hearts.
A “colored pair,” meanwhile, is two cards of the same color and rank, like the 10 of diamonds and 10 of hearts. You can also receive payouts for mixed-colored pairs, such as eight of clubs and eight of diamonds.
The RTP on perfect pairs can vary wildly depending upon the pay table. It can deliver anywhere from 97.8% to 92.0% payback.
In the case of 97.8% RTP, you’re dealing with one of the highest payout percentages for a side bet. Here’s a look at the pay table for this version:
- Perfect pair – 25:1 payout
- Colored pair – 15:1
- Mixed-colored pair – 5:1
What’s the Main Draw to ONE Blackjack?
As mentioned before, many blackjack games offer side wagers. Few of them, however, combine four different side bets into one variation.
ONE Blackjack is a rare game in this regard. It gives you the chance to pick and choose from four different wagers in each round. Therefore, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to win large side payouts.
Of course, you can also simply choose to focus on the main game without placing side bets. This route is nice for when you just want to enjoy live blackjack while taking less bankroll risks.
Speaking of the live aspect, ONE Blackjack happens in Pragmatic Play’s designer studio. You’ll get to feel like you’re playing in a brick and mortar casino while also chatting with the dealer in between hands.
What Are the Drawbacks to This Game?
You likely play online blackjack because you want a solid opportunity to beat the casino. Side wagers aren’t always in line with this goal.
Instead, they can take what’s normally a high-paying game and turn it upside down. In the case of Bust Bonus, for example, you’ll only be looking at around 90% RTP with some of the upcards.
Live dealer blackjack normally offers between 99% and 99.5% RTP. With that said, you might simply ignore the side bets after a while.
Even if you’re interested in the side wagers, you may find ONE Blackjack’s selection to be a little overwhelming. It can be hard enough figuring out one side bet, let alone four.
Will ONE Blackjack Ultimately Be Popular?
The key thing with ONE Blackjack is that you don’t have to place any side wagers. Instead, these extra wagers are optional.
This game merely gives you the chance to chase side payouts. In doing so, it offers much more variety than the average live-dealer blackjack game.
For this reason, ONE Blackjack will probably become one of the more entertaining and popular variations. It not only takes place in a well-polished live dealer studio, but it also provides chances at huge wins in the process.
Crazy 7s boasts a payout worth 2,000:1 for three suited sevens. Meanwhile, Bust Bonus (50:1) and Perfect Pairs (25:1) also offer fairly large top payouts.
21+3 doesn’t feature a big prize like these other games. Instead, it spreads the wealth by paying 9:1 for any qualifying hand.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to spice up your blackjack experience, then ONE Blackjack is a worthwhile choice. It delivers a tantalizing combination in the form of live blackjack and four side bets.
The latter provides a nice variety of wagers to try when you’re looking to shake up blackjack sessions. You could make a 21+3 bet on one hand, for example, and a Bust Bonus wager on the next. Assuming you’re not having much success with the side bets, you can always stick to playing the main game for a while.
This abundance of options and ways to play is bound to make ONE Blackjack a successful game. That said, you might consider trying it at a Pragmatic Play live casino.
Michael Stevens
Michael Stevens has been researching and writing topics involving the gambling industry for well over a decade now and is considered an expert on all things casino and sports betting. Michael has been writing for GamblingSites.org since early 2016. …
