There are not many progressive blackjack games available on the net, which makes Microgaming’s Triple Sevens online blackjack even more interesting. Particularly to those players who are secretly hoping to hit massive instant cash prizes at least once in a lifetime (aren’t we all?).
Triple Sevens Blackjack Jackpot Triple Sevens Blackjack is a progressive blackjack jackpot that may be won at online casinos that have games from Microgaming. We have been tracking this jackpot since December 2009 and on average it has paid $79,669 €79,669 £79,669 per win and is won every 1 year.
You should treat this game as a typical Microgaming blackjack with one huge exception – namely, in case your lucky star shines and bring you three diamond 7s, you may win a progressive jackpot. But even if your sevens are not of the same suit, you will still be eligible to great payouts. Even more, two 7s or even a single 7 in your hand award decently. But don’t forget, it’s not all about the 7s. The main aspect of the game is still your regular blackjack.
- Triple Sevens Blackjack is played with all of the standard Microgaming rules, splitting options, and double down scenarious. What makes Triple Sevens Blackjack unique is it’s progressive wagering, payouts, and it’s consecutive Seven sidebet feature.
- Triple Sevens Blackjack Play Progressive Betting Blackjack At Online Casinos Play progressive betting Blackjack online with Triple 7’s jackpot.
- Introduction Blazing 7's™ is a blackjack side bet that pays based on the number of sevens in the player's first three cards. Pays start with just one seven in the first two cards and go up to a progressive jackpot for three suited sevens or three sevens in diamonds, depending on the version. Note: Blazing 7's is trademarked by Bally Gaming.
Triple 7s Blackjack Rules
It is very important to note that Triple 7s is played with 5 standard decks of 52 cards. Why is it important? With games that feature such side bets, the winning odds grow with every new deck of cards in play. Logically, there is a bigger chance to win a progressive jackpot if one (or more) additional 7 of diamond lies somewhere among the other cards. You will be able to play by up to 5 hands at the same time and the general rules are applied to each hand, meaning you will need to place 1 credit side bet for each hand.
Triple 7s side bet is separate to your main bet and you can win your regular game and lose the side bet and vice versa. The Jackpot circle positioned above the main bet box is used to place the side bet. In order to make a side bet win your first card has to be a 7 and if more consecutive 7s are dealt to you, the payouts will rise substantially. The more 7s the bigger the prize and the progressive jackpot is won when three 7s of diamond end up in your hand.
One important thing to remember is that unlike other side bets, such as Perfect Pairs or Lucky Ladies Blackjack, Triple 7s side bet is mandatory and it will cost you 1 coin in each round.
Aside from the side bet, the rest of the game is more or less a standard form of the European blackjack. The dealer acts according to the strict rules including hitting on all 16s and standing on all 17s, while only one card is dealt (face up) to the dealer. The splitting is allowed, but only once, and in case you have split a pair of Aces the other 10-valued card will bring you a total of 21, but not the blackjack. You may double on any hand that has a value of 9, 10 or 11 and only one additional card will be dealt to your hand. Surrender is not permitted, but you are free to buy Insurance if the dealer’s up-card is an Ace.
Triple Sevens Blackjack Payouts
- Three 7s of diamond pay Progressive Jackpot
- Other three suited 7s pay 1000:1
- Three unsuited 7s pay 250:1
- Two suited 7s pay 50:1
- Two unsuited 7s pay 25:1
- One 7 of any suit pays 5:1
- Blackjack pays 3:2
- Insurance pays 2:1
Triple Sevens Odds and Break Even
Now to the interesting part: how much Triple Sevens progressive jackpot can be worth and what are the odds and payouts of the game. The jackpot seeds (lowest point) at $10,000 and goes up till it pays. The latest payout which occurred just a month ago, in August 2016, was worth $123,400, and below you can see a screenshot of another one, slightly smaller.
Below you can see the side bet payout odds and below the table we will explain when it reaches the point when you have an edge above the house.
| Payout | Odds | Return | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three sevens of diamonds | ? | 0.000004 | ? |
| Three suited sevens | 1000 | 0.000011 | 0.011 |
| Three sevens | 250 | 0.000301 | 0.07525 |
| Two suited sevens | 50 | 0.0013263 | 0.066315 |
| Two sevens | 25 | 0.005305 | 0.132625 |
| First card seven | 5 | 0.071 | 0.355 |
| Total | 0.64019 + ? |
Under those rules, the break even point (0 house edge) is $90,000. When the jackpot goes above that number, you have an edge above the house on the side bet. If we include the main bet, then you need the jackpot to go above $92,500.
Triple 7 Blackjack Tips and Strategies
We have already mentioned that the probability of hitting a progressive jackpot in this kind of game is directly related to the number of decks in play. The truth is that the jackpot winning odds are meagre by all standards, but that is the case with the majority of progressive games at both online and land-based casinos.
This, however, does not stop numerous players from enjoying such games, especially since they are not all about progressive jackpots. On the contrary, Triple 7s awards even if a single 7 finds its place in your hand. The biggest (and the sweetest) dilemma any player will have is when the first two cards are a pair of 7s. The bravest could opt for a split, trying to win more with additional 7s that could show up. Yet, the payout of 25 to 1 is not to be disregarded, so think twice before your risk turning your safe profit into a tricky operation.
In conclusion, Triple 7s brings joyful refreshment to blackjack, allowing the players to win larger-than-usual payouts on the one hand, but obliging them to make a side bet on each hand. However, the diehard blackjack devotees probably won’t mind an additional wager as long as they can reasonably expect larger prizes.
Layout & Graphics
The game comes in a nice outfit as usual with the Microgaming blackjacks, with green real-like felt and authentic graphics (even if cards look a little bit odd – they are bolder and brighter than the real cards, but that is done on purpose and it is quite useful in this case). The handy layout with all the main buttons grouped along the bottom, makes it easy to play and speeds up the gameplay. The Expert Mode has an inbuilt auto play feature and Strategy Card can be used as well.
Triple 7 ranks among the most popular blackjack variations out there because it combines the rules of the traditional casino-banked card game with a progressive side bet that can reward players with a massive jackpot.
Creating this blackjack variation was a smart move on behalf of software providers. Gambling operators are well familiar with the fact the vast majority of blackjack players are not concerned with advanced techniques like card counting, neither do they incorporate optimal strategy while at the tables.
In a way, the introduction of variations like Triple 7 allows casinos to increase their take from the blackjack tables they operate. This variant of the game is mostly available at online casinos although a number of landbased establishments have also made it available to their customers. Online you can typically find it at websites that use the Microgaming software.
Basic Rules and Payouts in Triple 7 Blackjack
Triple 7 Blackjack is a shoe game that normally uses five full decks of cards. When you play it online, the decks are reshuffled automatically by the software at the end of each round. The objective is again to beat the dealer with a stronger hand total without going over 21.
Once the cards have been dealt at the start of a round, the players act on their hands and can make the standard decisions in blackjack, i.e. hitting, standing, doubling, or splitting pairs. When the dealer’s exposed card is an Ace, players are offered to buy insurance by making another bet that amounts to half their initial stake. If the dealer indeed has a natural, the insurance bet pays at a ratio of 2 to 1. If not, the player automatically loses their insurance.
Dealers of Triple 7 Blackjack must stand on all totals of 17, both soft and hard. A player blackjack offers the standard payout of 3 to 2. The other winning hands pay out even money unless you hit one of the combinations of 7s listed below, in which case you earn a higher payout.
Additional Payouts in Triple 7
In order to qualify for the additional payouts awarded on hands that contain one or more 7s, the player is expected to contribute an extra side bet, typically to the amount of $1. In Microgaming’s online version of this game, these side bets are automatically subtracted from your balance each time you play a hand. This makes the game very expensive to play even with a sufficiently high bankroll.
On the positive side of things, the side bet can earn you a tasty payout. How much you get depends on the number of 7s you have in your hand. Side bets pay as follows:
- 5 to 1 for one 7 regardless of its suit
- 25 to 1 for two 7s of any suit
- 50 to 1 for two suited 7s of spades, clubs, or hearts
- 250 to 1 for three 7s of any suit
- 1,000 to 1 for three suited 7s of spaces, clubs, or hearts
- The entire progressive jackpot for three 7s of diamonds
Note that these are the payouts in Microgaming’s online variation of the game. The ratios may differ at landbased tables where players usually get 2,000 to 1 or even 5,000 to 1 for three suited 7s. Other than that, you get the extra payouts for qualifying hands even if they result in the loss of your main bet.
Triple Sevens Blackjack Game
Splitting Pairs in Triple 7 Blackjack
The splitting rules in Triple 7 are less favorable than those in standard variations of blackjack. Players can split a single time only to a maximum of two hands as resplitting is not an option here.
Also, you can split ten-value cards but only if they are identical like J-J, K-K, Q-Q, or 10-10. Aces can also be split but if you happen to catch a ten-value card, the hand is not considered a blackjack. Instead, it is treated as a regular 21 and returns even money. Drawing to split Aces is not an option, either.
Doubling Down Rules in Triple 7 Blackjack
The rigidity of the rules also affects the doubling down decisions players can make in Triple 7. You are allowed to double down but only on starting hands that consist of two cards for a total of 9, 10, and 11. Players are dealt only one extra card following a double down. Doubling after a split is not permitted here, which increases the house edge of the game even further.
House Edge and RTP
Triple Sevens Blackjack Card Game
The unfavorable rules of Triple 7 Blackjack yield a higher house edge for your main bets but this gets even higher on the side bets that qualify you for winning the progressive pot.
Each side bet contributes to the progressive pools. Once a player wins the jackpot, the pools are reset and the pot starts accumulating all over again. In the Microgaming version, the pot starts seeding at the amount of $10,000. It pays around $74,000 on average and hits roughly once per year.
We only mention these figures because most players mistakenly assume making the side bet every time is worth it because it can eventually earn them the progressive payout. Unfortunately, the odds of winning the jackpot are minuscule. What adds insult to injury is the fact the pools are reset to the above-specified minimum each time somebody does win, which gives the house a huge edge of around 38%.
The edge is reduced by 3.5% for each increment of $10,000 that is pooled. Respectively, the side bets start yielding a positive expectation once the pools reach $109,000, which rarely happens since the pot drops at $74,000 on average.
Triple 7 Strategy and Tips
The basic strategy moves for this variation are almost the same as those for traditional blackjack games but there are several exceptions. These concern primarily one’s splitting decisions for pairs of 7s.
The basic strategy normally recommends players to split paired 7s against dealer upcards deuce through 7. However, this move is no longer optimal here. You should always keep your 7s together because drawing a third 7 can earn you an extra payout of 250x your side bet if unsuited or 1,000x your side bet when suited.
Last but not least, playing the side bet becomes a smart move only once the jackpot has reached $109,000 in Microgaming’s version of the game. We suggest you wait until this happens before you take a shot at winning a massive payout.