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What is Speed Blackjack by Pragmatic Play and How to Play It

Staff Writer 07/18/2023 Blog 0 views

Have you ever played a great blackjack game, live or otherwise, and felt it was a bit slow? Speed Blackjack by Pragmatic Play has you covered with its fast-paced gameplay and auto-decision options. It follows a completely classic ruleset with the addition of fast-play features and side bets.

You have your standard 7-seat table and 8-deck shoe. The goal is the same as always but you can reach it much more swiftly. With faster dealers, speed features and limited live table betting time, this is the fastest blackjack game on the market. As Pragmatic Play puts it, this game is around 30% faster than your typical blackjack title.

Speed Blackjack by Pragmatic Play Explained

Essentially, Speed Blackjack is a faster version of their Live Blackjack release. If you utilize all the special features and autoplay it can be more than 30% faster than any blackjack game on the market. As for the gameplay, Speed Blackjack utilizes 8 standard decks of cards and follows the typical rules found in Vegas-style blackjack. This means that the dealer is required to draw to 16 and stand on any 17.

To begin, you need to choose an available seat at the table, with a total of 7 seats provided. Select the table that suits your preferred limits and click on a seat to place your main bet.

Before starting the game, it is recommended to review the settings. One notable feature that sets Speed Blackjack apart from regular tables is the Auto-Decision function, which contributes to its faster pace. With this feature, you can configure the game to automatically make decisions such as Hit, Stand, Double, or Split under certain circumstances. Setting up Auto-Stand is relatively simple, but accurately implementing basic blackjack strategy can be challenging. Nevertheless, it’s an intriguing option to consider.

Once you have taken your seat, the dealer will proceed with the game as usual. Each player receives two cards initially, after which they can make their decisions. The objective, as in traditional blackjack, is to get as close to 21 as possible without exceeding it. To achieve this, players can choose to Hit, Stand, Double, Split, or take Insurance.

In Pragmatic Play’s Speed Blackjack, you have the option to Double your wager on any hand total and split pairs up to 4 times. You can also double after a split and split aces, among other similar moves.

Auto Decisions and Side Bets

By accessing the Auto-Decision tab in the game’s settings menu, you have several options. Auto-Stand performs an automatic stand for you when your hand’s card value is equal to or greater than the value you select. It is a straightforward option commonly found in most tables nowadays.

Auto-Hit functions in the opposite manner. If your hand has a value lower than or equal to your chosen value, the game will automatically execute a hit. Double Offer and Split Offer are more intriguing options. By default, the game does not present the option to double or split. Instead, you can make these decisions only when the hand value corresponds to one of your designated Double/Split offers. This feature allows you to discard unfavorable opportunities for doubling or splitting.

Auto-Insurance automatically places an insurance bet whenever it is possible. It is advisable not to utilize this feature.

Additionally, Speed Blackjack tables include two common side betting options. If you have experience with online blackjack games, you are likely familiar with how these work:

  • Perfect Pairs – A side bet that predicts your first two cards will have the same rank. You receive a better reward if they are also of the same color or suit.
  • 21+3 – Speed Blackjack utilizes your initial two cards and the dealer’s upcard to form simplified poker hands. Pragmatic Play has implemented an improved payout table for this side bet, resulting in a better return-to-player (RTP) ratio compared to most competitors.

Be careful not to over-extend in auto-doubling and side-betting too much as the RTP values for the side bets are much lower than the base game RTP.

Strategic Tips and Final Remarks

Seeing as this is a classic ruleset blackjack game, you can employ the basic strategy chart for optimal moves. Furthermore, be careful of side-betting as the RTP values are drastically lower then just playing blackjack. Lastly, you have a choice to utilize the auto-play features for speedy gameplay. With less time to make your decisions, your optimal moves might suffer if you choose to play without a chart. That said, you get used to the fast gameplay eventually and playing Speed Blackjack becomes much easier. All in all, this is a great alternative for Pragmatic Play’s Live Blackjack.

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