Live Blackjack is the latest addition to the roster of UK television gambling channels, launched via the Sky platform on Friday 23rd May by NetPlay TV, whose other channels include Live Roulette.

If you’ve played blackjack before, then the interactive concept is a little strange at first and the rules are slightly different, but in essence you have the choice of betting on three hands against the house and all four are dealt from a real shoe by the presenter, so apart from the virtual studio, computer-generated graphics are kept to a minimum.  The player does not get the choice of weather to ‘hit’ or ‘stand’, those decisions are made by some magical force and during the few hours I watched, how they are made was never explained.  The player does however, get the choice of whether to double-down so a certain level of skill is retained.

Live Blackjack strikes a good balance between approachability and serious play, presenters take the time to explain the rules and one even suggested changing channels if viewers needed a rest, albeit to sister channel Live Roulette.  The presenters filling shifts when I watched were the rather smarmy Derek Gibbons and the vastly superior, much more engaging Emily, whose only sin was never to give her second name.  Picture quality is OK but the audio is absolutely lousy, being only marginally better than telephone quality (which is saying something).

A little more audience interaction wouldn’t hurt, perhaps during the half-hourly presenter changeovers in order not to spoil the flow of the game, but Live Blackjack shows promise and it’s a welcome change from the deluge of roulette we’ve suffered recently.

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The lovely Emily shuffles our decks on Live Blackjack.

Live Blackjack can be found on Sky EPG channel 848 and broadcasts from 9pm to 3am every day.