Visionary iGaming
Visionary iGaming (ViG) is a live dealer provider that powers US facing casinos like Bovada and BetOnline. Unlike most live dealer providers which use eight decks, ViG uses only six. ViG has two types of blackjack variations, normal blackjack and early payout.
Live Blackjack Variations
Blackjack
Early Payout Blackjack
Blackjack
Here are the rules for the regular table :
· Blackjack pays 3:2
· Dealer hits on soft seventeen
· Peek
· Late surrender
· Double any two cards
· Play of multiple hands is allowed
The house edge for this game is 0.58%. While late surrender and the ability to double after you split are nice, the dealer can choose to hit on soft seventeen which is a significant disadvantage for the player.
There is also the option to back bet behind other players, but this is generally not recommended because if they make a poor decision you are stuck with their choice.
Early Payout
The early payout game is a ‘Blackjack Unlimited‘ variant, where an unlimited number of players can bet on three hands at once. The main difference in this variation is that the process of playing the hand is semi-automated in that it follows the basic strategy for playing (although you can choose to opt against it if you like).
However, unlike most other blackjack unlimited implementations, the player’s options are slightly limited as you are unable to take more cards than basic strategy dictates. So you are allowed to stay when basic strategy urges a hit, but you are not allowed to hit when basic strategy tells you to stay.
This version is called early payout because you also have the option to exit the hand prematurely and get paid a certain amount. Presumably, the payout option is always less than the expectation of the hand and the player should refrain from taking it, although if the payout is close to expectation it is possible that some hands (stiffs for example) might eventually become worth less than the payout at higher counts.
Compared to other online live dealer games, the Early Payout game allows players to play a lot of hands per hour. You can play three hands simultaneously, and you get in significantly more rounds per hour as well.
The rules are as follows:
- Total Decks – 6
- No Peek
- Deal Hits on Soft 17
- No resplitting allowed
- Double on any 2 cards
- Insurance pays 2:1
The house edge of this blackjack variation comes to about 0.69%
Side Bets
ViG also offers two side bets, a pairs side bet that pays out 11:1 if you get a pair in your first two cards (for example Jc and Jh) and a rummy side bet that pays out 9:1 if you make three of a kind or a straight with your first two cards and the dealer’s upcard (for example you have 4s4c and the dealer has 4h or you have 4s5c and the dealer has 6h).