Live Mega Fire Blaze Blackjack Review: Rules, RTP & Best UK Casinos

What Is Live Mega Fire Blaze Blackjack?

Similar to a traditional blackjack game, Live Mega Fire Blaze Blackjack from Playtech is closely based on the standard Vegas-style rules but includes the option of an additional bonus side bet - the Fire Blaze side bet. 

The base gameplay is identical to that of regular blackjack, with qualified hands able to take part in a high-risk bonus round to win multipliers up to 1000x.

This version plays with 8 decks of cards and pays out blackjack 3:2. The dealer stands on soft 17, and an unlimited number of players can participate at a single table. 

You can expect this game to provide a familiar blackjack strategy with the added excitement of the opportunity for bonus-driving multipliers to take place!

Rules & Core Gameplay

Essentially, Mega Fire Blaze Blackjack follows general UK blackjack game rules. The goal is to beat the dealer, without exceeding 21, and winning on a blackjack pays out at a ratio of 3:2, while insurance pays out at a ratio of 2:1. 

The dealer will always stand when they have a soft total of seventeen. Also note that there are eight decks being used by the dealer, and the player can take a hit, stand, double down, or split pairs. 
Two additional side bets for blackjack that can be made in conjunction with the main bet include: 21+3 and Perfect Pairs.

The unique feature of this game is the Fire Blaze bonus. This side bet is an optional gamble that is based on the points earned through the dealer's hand and through the two hands of the player(s). 
The Fire Blaze Bonus round is only activated once the required amount of points is achieved, and thus will occur regardless of whether you win or lose your original blackjack hand

Fire Blaze Bonus & Side Bets

The Fire Blaze is considered Mega Fire Blaze Blackjack's most important feature - you should know this before they play the game. In short, you receive card points automatically based on the numerical value (card totals), quantity (total in the dealer's hand), and their pairing with each of the player's two cards.

There are five bonus stages, Minor, Mini, Major, Grand, and Mega; to obtain these stages, you need higher and higher totals of points to achieve them. 

As you achieve the higher-level bonus stages, the number of squares in the grid you receive to play on will increase, and the possibility of earning a larger multiplier also increases.

Alongside Fire Blaze, you can place traditional blackjack side bets:

• 21+3, based on poker-style combinations using your first two cards and the dealer’s upcard
• Perfect Pairs, which pays for matching card pairs with higher payouts for suited pairs

Both side bets resolve independently of the main blackjack hand and come with higher house edges.

Mega Fire Blaze Blackjack Payouts & RTP

The RTP (Return to Player) for playing blackjack is around 99.55% if played using an optimal strategy. Winning hands will pay at 1:1, and blackjack's pay is 3:2.

Playing the Fire Blaze side bet or bonus will have much more variance than traditional blackjack games and will generally see an RTP average in the mid-high 90% range. 

The bonus side bets have maximum potential multipliers that compensate for the lower RTP.

• Minor: up to ~23×
• Mini: up to ~119×
• Major: up to ~399×
• Grand: up to ~699×
• Mega: up to ~999× the bonus bet

Your overall RTP depends heavily on how much you stake on the Fire Blaze bonus relative to the main hand.

Betting Options, Limits & Interface

While some tables have higher maximum bets of £500 or more, the minimum bet for most Mega Fire Blaze Blackjack games is £1. In addition to the main wager, Fire Blaze bonus bets and side bets must be placed prior to the dealing of cards.

Multiple players (unlimited) may join a table, all receiving the same deal, but each player has their own decision-making process. You will see on your interface Betting Chips, Side Bet Option(s), and a Fire Blaze Achievement Meter that allows you to easily keep track of your progress towards activating Bonuses.