Ezugi is a live gaming specialist broadcasting from studios all over the world – Costa Rica, Columbia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia and Cambodia as well as the US. The company has a large portfolio with a variety of different casino games and among them several interesting Live Blackjack variants.

One can play at a standard 7-seat table, benefit from rarely featured Surrender option and enjoy the uniqueness of  Hybrid and Unlimited 21 Blackjack.

Ezugi uses a system similar to Evolution’s to group 7-seat Live Blackjack tables according to their betting limits. For example, you may find Basic tables accepting bets as low as €5 or €10, Gold and Platinum tables with €50 minimum and €5,000 maximum, and VIP Blackjack catering to high-rollers (€100-€10,000). Merengue Blackjack features Spanish speaking dealers and Turkish players are also offered an opportunity to play against ladies and gentlemen communicating in their mother tongue.

All Live Blackjack games broadcast from the developer’s studios and use the same interface with options to launch Live Chat, mute sounds, ask for support, view player’s history, read game rules, show/hide side bets and adjust volume.

Basic rules are the same as in any other standard variant. All players are dealt two cards face up and the dealer also gets two cards but the second one faces down. If your opponent reveals an Ace, they’ll offer Insurance against the potential Blackjack. You’ll have to invest 50% of your stake to get insured and will win 2:1 if the dealer’s face down card turns out to be one with a value of 10.

The game supports two optional wagers  which can be placed only in addition to the main bet and pay  independent of the outcome of the main game. Perfect Pairs wager wins if your two cards produce a pair – Mixed Pair (same rank, different suit and colour) pays 6:1, Coloured Pair (same rank, different suit) 12:1 and Perfect Pair (same rank, same suit) 25:1. You’ll win your 21+3 bet if your initial cards plus the dealer’s up card form a Flush (5:1), Straight (10:1), Three of a Kind (25:1), Straight Flush (40:1) or Suited Trips (100:1).

Among multiple 7-seat tables, one may also find one which supports Early Surrender. The option is available once all cards have been dealt and you don’t particularly like the ones you’re holding. Unlike with Later Surrender, you’ll have to decide before your opponent peeks for Blackjack. Players that surrender will receive half of their bet back.

Hybrid Blackjack is a unique add-on exclusive to Ezugi. The table also features 7 seats but allows an unlimited number of players to bet next to seated players without limitations attached to Bet Behind feature. Instead of using cards dealt by the dealer, they will be playing with those simulated by an RNG.

Unlimited Blackjack also doesn’t limit the number of players that can bet simultaneously but  there’s only one betting position so they will all play with same cards. Players make independent Stand/Hit/Split/Double decisions and the dealer will keep drawing cards until they have all played their hands.

There is an important difference to Hybrid Blackjack and standard 7-seat games: certain pairs are split automatically and everyone given an option to play one or two hands.

Same side bets are available as in the 7-seat variant. Game interface is simple enough and buttons so discreet it may take you a few extra seconds to find what’s available. You can use icon in the top left corner to ask for support and those on the right to check payouts and limits or view your last results.

Options accessible via buttons on the bottom of the screen include volume control, visibility of side bets, game rules and player’s history during different periods of time (hour, day, week or month).

Ezugi’s Live Blackjack plays with 8 decks cut in the middle. Dealers stand on soft 17. At 7-seat tables you’ll have the usual option to Split cards of the same value but only once per round.

In Unlimited Blackjack, if players get a pair of 2s, 3s, 6s, 7s, 8s or Aces, the dealer will Split them and offer everyone a choice – play one or both hands. Those that choose the latter have to invest an amount equal to their original bet. In both game variants multiple hits are still possible unless the initial hand consists of Aces. Players also have the option to Double Down if their starting hand isn’t Blackjack and can do so even after splitting.

Ezugi’s standard 7-seat Blackjack has an RTP of 99.50% and Live Unlimited Blackjack a theoretical return of 99.56%. RTP for Perfect Pairs side bet is 95.90% and for 21+3 optional wager 93.71%.

• 8 decks
• Dealer stands on 17
• Insurance offered vs dealer’s Ace
• Split once per round
• Unlimited BJ: automatic Split of 2s, 3s, 6s, 7s, 8s and Aces
• Split Aces receive one card each
• Double Down on any two cards
• Double after Split allowed
• RTP 7-seat BJ 99.50%
• RTP Unlimited BJ 99.56%

Visually, Ezugi won’t necessarily impress. We’ve seen much better studio design, and while the streaming quality isn’t bad, it’s certainly not as high Evolution’s and NetEnt’s. However, the developer has found other ways to differentiate from the competition and give you the reason to choose its Live Blackjack games over someone else’s.

To start with, not many developers incorporate Surrender option as it decreases the house edge. Automatic Split, featured in Unlimited 21, helps players make the most of the hand dealt.

Hybrid Blackjack is a one-of-kind product and an interesting alternative to Bet Behind feature. In all other areas, Ezugi performs about as well as others. Game interface is fairly easy and straightforward and the usual side bets accounted for.