Ever since it first appeared on the market, Sonya Blackjack became an interesting success story. Developed by well-known slot-makers Yggdrasil, that game’s goal was to merge the seamless experience of online blackjack with the engagement of live casino blackjack games. The result was a surprising, but resounding success.
If you’re not familiar with Sonya, the premise is simple. The game uses state-of-the-art graphics and motion-capture technologies to animate an in-game ‘dealer.’ Though not an actual live stream, Sonya grabs the player’s attention much as a live dealer does. Lucky Blackjack is essentially an updated version of this popular online blackjack game.
The new release doesn’t change the central idea too much. The animated dealer is still there, though with a fresh, Irish green look. That said, you can also customize the dealer and change how they look. However, the visuals of Lucky Blackjack all fit into this theme. Yggdrasil has done similar special titles in the past, most notably with John Carew Blackjack.
Lucky Blackjack by Yggdrasil follows a familiar ruleset with an amazing RTP rate. If you know the basics of how to play blackjack online, you’ll immediately know what to do. The shoe contains 6 decks, which is not great for card counting but still better than 8. That said, the shoe is shuffled each round, so you may just have to rely on other strategies for Lucky Blackjack. There is no option to surrender, but you can split any pair and double after a split.
Although it’s an RNG blackjack game, Lucky Blackjack offers a multiplayer experience. Essentially, up to 3 players can join a single game and can communicate with each other. Alternatively, you can play up to 3 hands at one time yourself.
Also, Yggdrasil Lucky Blackjack comes with two side bets we don’t see too often. The first is dubbed Lucky Ladies, in keeping with the Irish-themed presentation. It pays out whenever your first two hands equal exactly 20. It’s quite simple but offers a better RTP than Lucky Lucky.
Speaking of which, Lucky Lucky pays out if you manage to collect a poker hand. It takes into account your initial 2 cards and the dealer’s up-card. Essentially, it’s the common 21+3 blackjack side bet.
The payouts in Lucky Blackjack are pretty much industry standard, so there are no surprises there. Regular wins pay 1:1 while Blackjack pays 3:2. Bet insurance is also an option and pays 2:1.
All of this combines into a very strong RTP rate of 99.54%. It’s slightly above-average compared to other top online blackjack games. However, this only applies to the main game if an optimal blackjack strategy is used. The side bets are much worse off with 93.78% for Lucky Ladies and 92.93% for Lucky Lucky. As such, if long-term profits are your main concern, you should probably stick to the main game. That said, the side bets can be quite exciting.
The best strategy to win Lucky Blackjack is to follow standard Strategy Charts. Specifically, you want one that takes into account that 6 decks are used and the dealer has to stand on a soft 17. The side bets have too much of a house edge to truly be interesting.
This title is also quite generous on how and when you can double your stake. This can be a great way to increase your winnings if you’re willing to take the extra risk. Other than that, it’s a fairly standard ruleset and can be approached with a variety of strategies and game plans.
The biggest advantages Lucky Blackjack game offers are the presentation and overall experience. It plays as close to a live casino blackjack game without actually being one – which is quite the achievement. If you want to play blackjack online for such an experience, Yggdrasil’s blackjack offers are just the thing for you.