Honing in on the classical aspects of this fan-favourite table game, Grand Blackjack is one of the multitudes of releases from Playtech that falls within their extensive collection of live casino games. This game takes all of the refined gameplay elements from many of their other blackjack titles, presenting this in a much more glitzy and glamorous way thanks to the studio in which this takes place.
Grand Blackjack takes place within a shiny, sophisticated studio setting, with gold being the predominant colour thrown across the entirety of the playscreen. In front of a fancy staircase and some other shiny decorations, the blackjack table sits, which is also golden. Across the felt there are 7 different seats, which allows for the same number of hands to be played simultaneously.
Sitting behind the table is the live host, with them dealing cards from the shoes sitting to the right of them. Besides just leading the proceedings of Grand Blackjack, the dealers here will also communicate and interact with players in the lobby, something which can be done thanks to the live chat menu located towards the top corner of the playscreen. Overlaid on the top of the table are different icons with names displayed beneath them, something which avoids confusion in regards to the multiple hands in play. Beneath all of this, players can see their balance and their current bet, too, with this general user interface layout also being carried over to other Playtech releases such as Royale Cashback Blackjack and All Bets Blackjack.
Understanding how to play Grand Blackjack works the same as it would with most other live blackjack games, with the objective being for players to try and form a card hand with a total value as close to 21 as possible. When doing this, however, they must also beat the dealers' hand value without surpassing 21 crucially. Once bet stakes have been selected, players will be dealt two cards each. At the same time, the dealer also adds two cards to their own hand, with one of these cards initially being positioned facing down.
All of the different cards in Grand Blackjack have their own corresponding values, with the royal Jack, Queen and King all being worth 10 points. As for numbers 2-10, these are all worth the same value in which they display. The ace is the most unique card here, with this being valued at either 11 or 1, completely dependent on whatever may benefit the player's hand best.
Throughout Grand Blackjack, players can make 4 different decisions:
Hitting sees players add another card to their current hand.
Standing sees players stick with their current hand, not receiving any further cards.
Doubling down sees players receive one final card, doubling their initial stake at the same time.
Splitting sees players dissect their initial hand into 2 different ones; however, this requires for the hand to feature a pair of matching cards. What’s more, players must also double their initial stake in order for this to be possible.
Following all players at the table making their desired decisions, the dealer will then flip their face-down card. In Grand Blackjack, if their two cards merge to form a value of 17 or more, the dealer is forced to stand. Alternatively, if this total is lower than 17, the dealer must draw more cards, with this proceeding until their hand reaches a minimum of 17. This is something that is also applicable to Jade Blackjack and Blackjack 10 also within Playtech’s catalogue.
One of the only additions in Grand Blackjack that could be considered a bonus is the ‘Bet Behind’ feature. With this, even if all seats at the table are filled by players, stakes can still be placed on certain hands. Essentially, this allows players to participate by betting on the potential outcomes of others who are seated at the table.
One thing that can be applied to every one of Playtech’s live releases we have available at BoyleSports Games, including Grand Blackjack, is mobile play. No matter the preferred play method a gamer may have, the high-quality gameplay and accompanying smooth, live-streamed elements are not hindered in any way at all, with this all being made possible by just an internet connection.
With its golden aesthetic, bet behind feature and refined gameplay blueprint, Grand Blackjack is yet another impressive addition to Playtech’s collection of blackjack titles, with their expertise in this genre shining through once again.
If you are a fan of the seamless gameplay in Grand Blackjack, you may enjoy Soho All Bets Blackjack and Unlimited Blackjack that hail from the same development studio.
Please remember to always gamble responsibly, this is a real money gambling site.