Blazing 7’s Blackjack
Even the most dedicated fans of slot machines have played blackjack, as after poker it’s the most popular casino card game. Many of us will have tried a few rounds, wondered what all the fuss is about, and gone back to the excitement of spinning the reels of the slots. But Blazing 7s Blackjack from Bally at least offers up something a little different. For that reason, we think it’s worth a closer look.
Put simply, you can make a side bet that pays out some big winnings if any of the drawn cards are number 7s, with up to 777x your stake returned if the first two cards and the Dealer's up card are all 7s of the same suit.
The slot has been released by famous casino games developer Bally. Based in Las Vegas, this company has been producing slots, table and card games since the 1960s, and it continues to bring out top-quality entertainment that’s enjoyed around the world. The company started out in the land-based casinos business (obviously, as the internet wasn’t around 50 years ago), and its games are now also available at online and mobile-optimized sites. Guaranteed to be fair and fully licensed for playing in multiple territories, Bally games usually look good and play well with smooth, sharp animations.
There are some nice sound effects to go with Blazing 7s Blackjack, where you’ll hear the soft clicks of cards being dealt out and chips being placed on the table. An equally gentle tune plays out in the background, adding to the feeling that you’re at a real casino. We’ll take a look at how the game works now, but for anyone who has never played blackjack, we’ll start with a brief run through the rules. Feel free to skip this next bit if you have played the basic game before.
Blackjack for Beginners
The aim of Blackjack is to get a hand of cards with a total as close as possible to, but not exceeding 21. Number cards are worth their face values, Jacks, Queens and Kings are worth 10 and Aces can be either worth one or 11, depending on what suits the hand best. Players are dealt two face-up cards, the Dealer also gets two cards, but one face up and one face down.
You get the option to ‘Hit’ or have another card dealt, in the hope that this will take your hand closer to 21, or to ‘Stand’ with the two cards you’ve already got. You can Hit any number of times but go over 21 and your Bust. Once you Stand, the Dealer reveals their face-down card and the hands are compared. The hand closest to 21 wins. If both have a score of 21 the bet is returned without loss, while players win a prize equal to their bet if their hand is closer to 21 than the Dealers.
It can get a little more complicated than this, but that’s the basics and all you really need to know to get started playing Blackjack. Now, it’s time to delve into Blazing 7s Blackjack and see what this side bet is all about.
Special Sevens
You can play up to three hands at a time in this game, but we’ll assume you’re starting with just one. Click a casino chip at the bottom of the screen, and then click the table to place the bet. Here’s when you have the chance to place the Blazing 7s bet. If you click a chip, which can be the same value, or for a different amount, and then click the red ‘777’ section, you win a special prize if any of the dealt cards are 7s.
Click to have cards dealt out, and play in the same way as a standard blackjack game. If either of the first two cards dealt to you is a 7, you win five times the Blazing 7s side bet. If both are 7s, the prize is 35 times the side bet. If the Dealer’s face-up card is also a 7, the win goes up to 77 times, while having your first two cards and the Dealer’s face-up card of the same color will be worth a prize of 350x. If you’re lucky enough to have both of your cards and the Dealer’s face-up card from the same suit, the reward will be a huge 777x the side bet amount.
Players can have one, two, or three hands in play, and they can make the 777 bet on any number of these hands. It’s entirely up to you, although as the whole point of this game is the special side bet, we think most gamblers are going to make it most of the time.
Betting Options
Chips are valued from just 0.10 through to 50.00, and you can have up to 100.00 in each bet area. Free Blazing 7s Blackjack tables can be found, and it’s probably worth having a couple of practice hands before playing for real cash just to see how the side bet works.
You can take an optional Insurance bet when the first Dealer card is an Ace, which pays out at 2 to 1 if the Dealer gets a score of 21, or Blackjack. It’s never a good idea to take Insurance though, so this is a betting option that’s best avoided. Another option is to Split the hand. If your first two cards are of the same value, you can Split the hand and play them both.
A Bet on the Side
A number of no download Blackjack games are available at online and mobile casino sites, where you can place optional side bets. One of the top titles is Buster Blackjack from NYX. In this game, you can make the Buster bet that the Dealer’s hand will go over 21, or Bust. The amount won depends on how many cards it takes him to go over, with three or four cards paying out at 2 to 1. In the unlikely event that it takes eight or more cards to go over, you win a prize equal to 2000x the Buster bet.
Super 7 Blackjack is very similar to Blazing 7s, but it pays out in slightly different ways. You only win three times your side bet if the first card is a 7 – not five times. But the payouts are higher when you have two 7s or the Dealer has 7s, as well as when cards are of the same color or suit. Up to 5,000x can be won in the perfect scenario. This sounds great, but because the most likely winning outcome is for just the first card to be a 7, it all evens out. We would prefer to win higher prizes more frequently than wait much longer for less likely card combinations.
A Bet Worth Taking
Like all Bally games, Blazing 7s Blackjack has a high return-to-player percentage. With up to 777x your side bet, you could be picking up some huge prizes – although it’s a shame that for the online game, Bally hasn’t followed the progressive jackpot format that the land-based version uses.
It’s still a fun, fair and exciting twist on the traditional blackjack game, and one we would recommend playing at trusted, reliable Bally online casinos – such as those recommended here at Vegas Slots Online.
