General information and rules

Evolution Gaming is a huge software developer and at the moment, it is easier to find an online casino that includes Live Tables streamed from their studios than a gambling site that doesn’t. If you find a casino with the Live Dealer gaming category, chances are that most of their tables will be signed by none other than Evolution.

The reason they are so popular is their user-friendly platform, modern studios, and a great selection of games – in other words, their software is one of the most competitive ones in the business and you will definitely find yourself comparing other Live Tables with those launched by Evolution, using the developer as an indicator of quality and functionality.

Another reason the company has managed to maintain the competitive edge for some many years is their strive for innovation and the fact their designers are clearly not afraid of going outside the box – honestly, who would have thought that merging sports commentary and Blackjack could be a good idea, and yet, somehow it works!

This is not the company’s only venture to the unknown; when it comes to market analysis and meeting the demands of an average player, no one does it quite like Evolution, and the company is among the first developers to customise the tables and adjust the platform to the players’ gambling style, mood, and general preferences. The best examples would be their Celebrity Blackjack Party Table, Silent Table, and, of course, Sports Blackjack Table designed exclusively for the hardcore sports fans.

Sports Blackjack Rules

Apart from adding the stream of sports events, Sports Blackjack retains all the functionality and advanced features of the “original” platform that we have had the opportunity to test prior to this release. The table is opened throughout the week – from 5 pm to midnight during work days, and noon to midnight on weekends (CEST) –  and the table limits are set at £5 – £1000.

Fortunately, the concept does not change the familiar table and game command layout, nor does it remove the features that have made Evolution’s Blackjack tables so unique and easy to navigate. Bet Behind and Multi-Seat options are still here, along with the traditional Blackjack rules and payout odds.

As always, the goal is to strike the total that’s closest to 21, without going overboard and while you are pondering on your next move, you can entertain yourself with the Live Stream of football events that include the following:

• Champions League
• Premier League
• Spanish, German, and Swedish domestic football

One key difference that you will notice off the bat is that Sports Blackjack variant employs strictly English native speakers as the table dealers since the table is aiming at UK based players with a soft spot for football.

This is also one of the only tables where the dealer is not expected to honour the strict dress code and wear the formal casino uniform – or rather, they are expected to abide by a different dress code altogether, wearing a jersey.

Table layout and platform navigation

Evolution software designers have been wise enough to realise that applying a new concept should not automatically change the platform layout and fortunately for their Live Dealer games devotees, Sports Blackjack is played on the same reliable layout as so many of their other live games.

All the commands (apart from the customisation features which are strategically positioned in the game screen corners) will pop on the screen only when needed, which adds to the clean and sleek table appearance, creating a more authentic experience.

In this particular case, with a fellow football “fanatic” as a dealer, the game of Blackjack will actually come off as a friendly, social session between people who share the same passion rather than a conventional player-dealer relationship.

Benefits and key features

• Live stream of the latest and most important football events
• Live Chat feature enabling you to comment on the events with the dealer and other players
• Integrated rulebook with Blackjack rules and payout odds
• English native speakers as dealers
• Personal account history and advanced customisation features

Final Thoughts

Sports Blackjack is a rather limiting table, focusing on specific demographics which will inevitably make the variant unappealing to a wider crowd. On the other hand, it will extremely interesting to see where the developer will take the exclusive live dealer table concept next and what this particular idea will potentially produce.

Looking at some of the other tables, a pattern can be noticed and it is obvious that Evolution is launching their Live Dealer tables with the plan, instead of simply focusing on the quantity.

Football fans will have plenty of reasons to be extremely pleased with the offer and the dealer’s expertise and, in the meantime, we do hope that the trend of adjusting the live table offer to the specific demographics will continue – or maybe even be adopted by other developers.