Rules of Lucky Blackjack by Yggdrasil

How to play and win Lucky Blackjack, a beautifully realistic 3D game of 21 exclusive to Yggdrasil-powered online casinos.

Lucky Blackjack by Yggdrasil, (not to be confused with Playtech’s Lucky Blackjack), is an online version of the game renowned for its beautifully rendered graphics. The dealer, a young Irish lass by the name of Lucky, is remarkably realistic, thanks to the high-tech motion-capture technology used to giver her smooth, true-to-life movements. It is the same type of CGI motion-capturing software that made the original animated blockbuster film, Toy Story, such a new-age sensation back in the late 90s.

This game has been repeatedly lauded as the perfect meld of live and RNG-based table gaming. You get the realistic experience of an interactive dealer and multiple active players, combined with the unpredictably fair expedience of an electronic, RNG-shuffled shoe. Throw in some common house rules, and you’ve got the makings for an admirable game of online blackjack.

How to Play Yggdrasil’s Lucky Blackjack

The base game of Lucky Blackjack is very typical. There are 6 decks in play, the dealer stands on soft 17, and she will peek for blackjack whenever an Ace or 10 lands face up on her side of the table. All in all, it comes a slightly below average RTP of 99.54% (house edge 0.46%). But don’t let that discourage you.

What these tables lack in RTP (which isn’t much) they make for (wholeheartedly) in realism and entertainment. If you follow the golden rule of “gamble for fun, not for money”, you’re likely to appreciate this one more than most RNG-dealt variants.

Timed Play with Bet Behind

There can be up to 3 live players at each table. Due to this multiplayer nature, unlike the usual online games, you’ll be subject to a timer when placing bets and making decisions. Plus, when other players are seated, you will have the option to ‘Bet Behind‘ them. In fact, you can Bet Behind other players instead of playing your own game. To Bet Behind another player is to wager that that player will win his hand versus the dealer.

Specific Rules of Play

• Decks: 6
• Soft 17: Dealer Stands
• Doubling: Yes, on any 2 cards
• Splitting: Yes, 1x only
• Double after Split: Yes
• Resplit Aces: No
• Draw to Split Aces: No
• Surrender: No
• Dealer Checks for Blackjack: Yes
• Blackjack Pays: 3 to 2

Lucky 21 Side Bets

Apart from the base game, there are two optional side bets players can make. Named after the game itself, they are the Lucky Ladies side bet and the Lucky Lucky side bet. Lucky Ladies is based on the player’s first two cards, while Lucky Lucky (referring to the name of the dealer) is based on the player’s first two cards, plus the dealer’s up-card.

Let’s have a closer look…

Lucky Ladies Side Bet

This bet is won when the player’s first two cards include at least one Queen, and/or equal 20 points in value. The following pay table applies. Note the house edge on this bet is an unfavorable 6.22%. Needless to say, I don’t recommend placing it.

Lucky Lucky Side Bet

This optional side bet combines the player’s first two cards with the dealer’s up-card to produce a 3-card hand. If the hand matches any of the ranks in the pay table below, the corresponding payout is awarded. Note the house edge is 7.07% in this one – just another sucker bet.

Strategy to Win Lucky Blackjack

With an RTP of 99.54% and no way to conduct efficient card counting (RNG-based games reshuffle the deck after every hand), you can’t realistically expect to make a long-term profit at this game – not without a lot of luck from Ms. Lucky herself. However, following the perfect strategy as defined below will give you the best possible odds of – if not winning – at least minimizing your losses.

The strategy charts below are divided into three different segments. The first details how to conduct any hard-hand total, second are soft-hand totals, and last are situations where the player is dealt a pair.

How to Decide a Hard Hand

A hard hand is any total of 21 or below that does not involve an 11-point Ace. Hitting any hard total of 12 or more can result in a bust. As such, the strategy is more restrictive on these hands.

How to Decide a Soft Hand

A soft hand is one that contains an 11-point Ace. These hands cannot possibly bust when hit, since the Ace can be dropped down to 1 point if needed to avoid busting. Therefore the strategy for soft hands is more liberal.

Conditions for Splitting Pairs

Last but not least is our section on splitting pairs, wherein you’ll learn how to play Yggdrasil’s Lucky Blackjack when given the option to split.