Always 6 Blackjack Live

Evolution’s live blackjack catalog is expansive. It’s so big that a new variant needs a clear reason to exist. Apparently, Always 6 Blackjack has one: it gives players new room for devising strategies based on the fact that the dealer’s initial upcard is always a 6.

It’s a suitless 6, no less; meaning that it is fixed and always there. When you begin rounds, knowing that the dealer starts with a 6, must draw to 16 and stand on all 17s means you will undoubtedly adjust your strategy according to the changed odds.

But besides this little, but significant change, gameplay in the live dealer game remains the same. Blackjack pays 3 to 2, with 6 decks used at the table for 7 seats. If you are familiar with Always 8 Baccarat, you will notice major similarities with this game as well, considering it’s part of the same series of games in Evolution’s catalog.

Always 6 Blackjack follows standard blackjack rules. Each player is dealt two cards face up; the dealer receives one face-up card that is always a 6 with no suit assigned, and one hole card face down. The objective is to build a hand total closer to 21 than the dealer without going bust (exceeding 21).

Available actions that every player has on every hand are Hit, Stand, Double, and Split, as usual.

Bet Behind is also included. It allows players to wager on another participant’s hand when all seats are occupied. The game has 7 seats in total, and it’s not unlimited seats like most other live dealer tables, so Bet Behind made perfect sense.

Lastly, you can always take the Insurance bet, as it’s available when the dealer’s hole card could complete a blackjack. However, the Insurance bet is notoriously not recommended, so it might be better to focus on other actions and bets.

The game uses 6 decks in total. As expected, natural blackjack pays 3:2. The dealer must draw to 16 and stands on all 17s (both hard and soft, subject to the specific table rules in play). Splitting and doubling follow standard multi-deck rules. If you want to play the game, you have the standard, classic Always 6 Blackjack or the VIP Always 6 Blackjack options (both tables are released at the same time).

Theme & Design

Always 6 Blackjack does not follow a specific theme like game shows or special roulette tables do (or Lighting Blackjack, for that matter). That is why the studio where the table is set does not have a special custom-built environment, but it does follow the sleek and modern design of all live blackjack tables in Evolution’s catalog.

The fixed 6 is displayed as the dealer’s open card from the start of every round, visually reinforcing the game’s defining mechanic without requiring additional UI elements to communicate it.

Bet limits in Always 6 Blackjack vary by operator and table. Main hand pays even money on a win; a natural blackjack pays 3:2. Two optional side bets sit alongside the main wager: Perfect Pairs and Lucky Ladies. Bets in the game start at $5 and go up to $7,000 per round.

Always 6 Blackjack does not have any kind of special bonus rounds. The only things worth mentioning are the side bets, as well as the fact that the dealer upcard is fixed and always a 6.

There are no random events, triggered states, or additional game modes beyond the optional side bets covered below.

Perfect Pairs

Pays when the player’s first two cards form a pair. There are three possible options:

• Mixed pair (same rank, different color and suit) — 6:1
• Colored pair (same rank, same color, different suit) — 12:1
• Perfect pair (identical rank and suit) — 25:1

House edge on Perfect Pairs is approximately 8% in a six-deck game. The bet is settled independently of the main hand outcome.

Lucky Ladies

Pays when the player’s first two cards total 20. Payout tiers increase with the rarity of the hand:

• Any unsuited 20 — 4:1
• Suited 20 — 10:1
• Matched 20 (same rank and suit) — 25:1
• Two queens of hearts — 200:1

Lucky Ladies carries one of the highest house edges among common blackjack side bets — approximately 17% to 25% depending on the pay table variant in use. The top payout of 200:1 requires being dealt two queens of hearts, which is quite rare.

RTP & House Edge

The main bet RTP in the game is 99.39%, provided you’re using optimal basic strategy. That means that the house edge is precisely 0.61%. This figure is great, it’s one of the best within Evolution’s live blackjack range.

As with all blackjack variants, the RTP assumes the player follows basic strategy consistently, which means deviations from optimal play will increase the house edge accordingly. On the other hand, the side bets have a considerably higher edge than the main part of the game.

We are not exactly sure about the rates, but it’s approximately 8% for Perfect Pairs and up to 25% for Lucky Ladies. Both bets are independent of the main hand, so you don’t have to use them if you don’t want to.

A Strategy for Always 6  Blackjack

Always 6 Blackjack simplifies basic strategy to one dealer upcard scenario. When you know that the dealer always shows a 6, every decision in the game maps to the same column of the standard basic strategy chart.

The key principles that apply consistently throughout the session:

Standing

A dealer showing 6 has a meaningful chance of busting. Standing earlier than usual is a sound decision in this game.

Stand on any hard 12 or higher, because there is no hand between 12 and 16 where hitting is the correct play against a 6. The logic is this: taking the risk of busting a weak hand is unnecessary when the dealer is already in a position where they frequently go over 21 on their own.

Doubling Down

The dealer’s 6 is the most aggressive doubling scenario in basic strategy. Correct double-down hands in this game include:

• Hard 9, 10, and 11 – all double against a 6
• Soft 13 and 14 – double against a 6
• Soft 15 and 16 – double against a 6
• Soft 17 and 18 – double against a 6

The range for doubling is quite wider in this game than in other games where you don’t have a fixed dealer upcard.

Splitting

Here’s a strategy for splitting. Some pairs that would be played differently against stronger dealer upcards are always split against a 6:

• Aces — always split
• Eights — always split
• Twos, threes, sixes, sevens — split against a 6
• Fours — split against a 6 if doubling after splitting is permitted
• Nines — split against a 6
• Fives — never split
• Tens — never split

Fives should be treated as a hard 10, so you should double down instead.

Our Experience

The fixed dealer upcard is a major change for blackjack fans.

In standard blackjack, each new dealer card requires a moment of recalibration, making you think about the potential hand (is it going to be weak or strong?) but with Always 6, part of that tension is eliminated.

What this means is that you are going to notice a lot more standing on lower total hands, but also more doubling and splitting than you’d see in classic live blackjack sessions. From what we’ve seen, it is far more suitable for players who enjoy the straightforward, streamlined form of blackjack, and so even if gameplay becomes repetitive, it’s not going to be an issue even if the gameplay becomes repetitive. Which it will be, at one point at least. Even the strategy, which is the biggest selling point of the game, will become repetitive at one point. But if you are here for premium live blackjack, tat’s exactly what you’re signing up for.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Great for players who enjoy the strategic side of blackjack
• RTP of 99.39% is excellent
• Bet Behind and two optional side bets

Cons:

• Strategy lacks variety, after a while becomes repetitive
• Lucky Ladies side bet carries a house edge of up to 25%

Similar Games

Players interested in Evolution’s live blackjack variants should also consider:

• Infinite Blackjack
• Speed Blackjack
• Majority Rules Speed Blackjack
• Quantum Blackjack
• Lightning Blackjack