The original 2013 report
Original reporting follows. Offers, event dates, product details and opinions are historical. Old outbound links are shown as text.
Evolution Gaming, the noted provider of live dealer gambling solutions, will introduce side bets to its live blackjack games. As a result, live dealer blackjack variants such as 21+3 and Perfect Pairs will be rolled out by this month end.
The side bets are, however, optional and players can turn the feature on or off whenever they play the games. If enabled, the side bets give players the chance to win as much as 100 times their side bet amounts.
While the aim of the Perfect Pairs player is to get two cards of the same number, color, or suit, the aim of the 21+3 player is to get cards of the same color, number, or suit as the dealer’s exposed card.
The aim of Perfects Pair players is to create colored, mixed, or perfect pairs with the first two cards dealt to them; and the aim of 21+3 players is to combine the first two cards dealt to them with the dealer’s exposed card to create valuable poker hands.
Fredrik Bjurle, product director at Evolution Gaming, said that the new feature has been introduced to strengthen existing opinions of the game as “the fastest, most realistic, and most endlessly engaging live dealer blackjack game available online.”
Read a little deeper
Find what changed in the game
New blackjack products often change a particular part of the familiar game: an extra wager, a different decision, more hands or a new interface. The announcement is useful for identifying that change. It is not a substitute for a complete rules sheet, nor proof that a named product remains available.
- Main game
- Identify the basic format and who or what the player faces.
- Extra feature
- Separate optional bets and paid choices from the ordinary wager.
- Missing detail
- Do not infer an unreported payout, rule or current availability.
Does a new feature automatically make the main game better value?
No. A feature describes a change, not its mathematical value. Start with the full rules and any separate wager or fee; the linked rules and odds guides explain what to compare.
More from this era
Archive presentation refreshed 26 October 2026. The original report and publication date are retained; this is not a new offer, event listing or product review.