Live ONE Blackjack 2 Indigo / Pragmatic Play

In an industry boasting no shortage of scandal and intrigue, it’s possible that Pragmatic Play might have the most interesting story of all.

This company was technically founded in 2015, but its origins are masked by the storm clouds of endless scandal and outright malfeasance that was TopGame. This company was known for unbelievably poor quality control (memorably, it once left jackpot icons necessary to win its bonus feature off of a major slot release’s reels) and customer service so poor it bordered on outright thievery.

Mercifully, it is now defunct. However, some or all of its assets were purchased by Pragmatic Play around the time it was founded.

At first, there was speculation that Pragmatic Play would just be the same bad industry actor as its predecessor, just under a new name. This hasn’t turned out to be the case, however…

… indeed, the company has seemed to be thoroughly above board in the intervening years. There has been no whiff of further scandal, and they received some important notices, such as a Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) Certificate of Integrity for their Random Number Generator (RNG) in 2016, and the Software Rising Star award at the 2017 EGR B2B Awards.

They’ve been making serious moves of late, continuing their expansion in international markets and generally boosting their profile in impressive fashion.

Indeed, it appears that this company’s troubled past has indeed been left in the rearview, and blue skies are ahead.

Knowing all of that, how does their design team do in this title?

Let’s start with the good stuff.

The goal of this sequel is to preserve the best of the original (the gameplay), while adding some new twists and a new coat of paint. In this, they succeed.

The visual makeover is brought to you by Chroma Studio, and they do a fine job – gone are the neon lights and sometimes tacky decor of the original, replaced with the look of a real, very fancy casino floor. Slick black and mild purple dominate the visual spectrum, and the dealer’s look and act every bit the consummate professional.

What’s disappointing about this release?

Well, even when playing a sequel to a blockbuster hit, it’s nice to see one or two new twists in the gaming substance. New side bets, new bonuses… anything, really. But alas! That’s not to be found here.

The rules are completely identical to the original ONE Blackjack game.

This is a bit boring. Would it kill the design team to offer at least one new element? Although, on the other hand…

… if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?

The original side bets – Perfect Pairs, 21+3, Bust Bonus, and Crazy 7 – are all still active, offering respective RTP values of 95.9%, 96.3%, 93.82%, and 94.26%.

The rare Six Card Charlie rule is also in place, meaning that players automatically win if they draw six cards without busting.

The overall RTP comes in at 99.28%. By online gambling standards, this is very high indeed, but by live blackjack standards, there’s room for improvement. Some blackjack titles offer RTP upwards of 99.5%!

At the end of the day, Live ONE Blackjack 2 Indigo has much to recommend it… aside from the visual elements, though, not much about it is exactly new.

With all the success Pragmatic Play’s releases have enjoyed, it shouldn’t be surprising to discover that player’s have a great many options when it comes to where to play their titles. They’re licensed in a great many locations, which means their games are available across a long and diverse list of casinos…

… a list that includes some of the industry’s top names.

Take, for example, LSBet Casino. They’ve been around since 2012, provide top-tier live dealer, traditional, and sports bet games across multiple languages, and offer competitive bonuses to new and returning players.

Casoo is another strong option for players. Their relationships with NetEnt, Play’N Go, and Pragmatic Play ensure that gamblers can enjoy some of the best titles in the industry in one convenient location. Their suite of bonuses is also enviable.

Please note that, while it is streamed from Chroma studio, this title is designed for easy integration with details and visuals belonging to other casinos. As such, you may see Blackjack ONE 2 Indigo tables at various top casinos, and they may not all look exactly the same. B

ut there’s no need to worry – this is part of the design team’s visual magic, and shouldn’t impact gameplay in any way.