What is the RTP of Premier Blackjack Hi Lo Gold?

The main game has an RTP of approximately 99.52%, giving a house edge of around 0.48% when played with basic strategy. The Hi Lo side bets carry a higher house edge of 6-10% and are not included in that figure.

How does the Hi Lo side bet work?

Before cards are dealt, you place a side bet on the combined value of your first two cards. Bet Lo if you think the total will be 12 or under (pays 1:1), Hi if the total will be 14-20 (pays 1:1), or 13 if the total will be exactly 13 (pays 10:1). The side bet resolves independently of your main hand result.

Can you double down on any two cards in Premier Blackjack Hi Lo Gold?

No. Doubling is restricted to hard 9, 10, and 11 only. You cannot double on soft hands or on any other hard total. This is an important rule difference from more liberal blackjack variants.

How many decks does Premier Blackjack Hi Lo Gold use?

The game is dealt from a two-deck shoe. Cards are reshuffled after every hand, so card counting provides no advantage.

Does the dealer stand on soft 17 in this game?

Yes - the dealer stands on all 17s, including soft 17. This is a favourable rule for the player compared to games where the dealer hits soft 17.

Are the Hi Lo side bets worth placing?

The side bets carry a much higher house edge than the main game - roughly 6-8% for Lo and Hi, and around 10% for the 13 bet. If your goal is maximising value, skip the side bets and focus on the main hand with basic strategy. They are best treated as occasional low-stakes entertainment.

Premier Blackjack Hi Lo Gold Review - Rules, Strategy & Side Bets

Provider	Microgaming

Premier Blackjack Hi Lo Gold is a two-deck blackjack variant from Microgaming that adds three optional side bets to a solid standard game. The side bets - Lo, Hi, and 13 - let you wager on the combined value of your first two cards before the main hand plays out. It is a well-built table game with favourable base rules, a tested strategy to follow, and an RTP of 99.52% on the main bet.

Game Rules

The core game follows standard blackjack rules with a few specifics worth knowing before you sit down:

Two standard 52-card decks, reshuffled after every hand
Dealer stands on all 17s, including soft 17
Blackjack pays 3:2
Insurance offered when the dealer shows an Ace, paying 2:1
Doubling down restricted to hard 9, 10, or 11 only - no doubling after splits
Splitting allowed once on matching value cards - you cannot resplit
After splitting Aces, you can receive additional cards (not limited to one)
No surrender option
Main bet range: £1 to £200 per hand

The doubling restriction is the most important rule to register. You cannot double on soft hands or on hard totals outside 9-11, which narrows your strategic options slightly compared to more liberal rulesets. The stand-on-all-17s rule compensates - it is a meaningful player advantage over games where the dealer hits soft 17. Everything else is clean and player-friendly.

The Hi Lo Side Bet Explained

The Hi Lo feature sits in three labelled sections on the table, separate from your main betting box. Before cards are dealt, you place a side bet on what your first two cards will total. Each side bet has its own £1 minimum and £25 maximum, independent of the main hand limits. There are three outcomes to bet on:

Lo - your two-card total is 12 or under. Pays 1:1. Aces count as 1 for side bet purposes, so a blackjack hand (Ace + 10-value card) totals 11 and qualifies as Lo.
Hi - your two-card total falls between 14 and 20. Pays 1:1.
13 - your two-card total is exactly 13. Pays 10:1.

The side bet resolves on the first two cards dealt to you, independently of whether you win or lose the main hand. You can place any combination of Lo, Hi, and 13 bets simultaneously.

A two-deck shoe gives a reasonably even distribution across totals, but the house edge on all three side bets is notably higher than the main game. Lo and Hi carry roughly 6-8% house edges, and the 13 bet sits around 10% despite its 10:1 payout. The side bets are optional and purely for entertainment - serious blackjack players usually skip them.

If you want a different take on the Hi Lo mechanic, Hi Lo Blackjack is a related variant worth comparing.

House Edge and RTP

Played with basic strategy on the main hand, Premier Blackjack Hi Lo Gold returns 99.52% to the player, putting the house edge at around 0.48%. That is competitive for a two-deck game. The stand-on-all-17s rule is the biggest driver of that figure - it reduces the frequency of dealer hands beating player standing totals.

The side bets significantly lower your overall return if used regularly. If maximising expected return is the goal, treat the side bets as occasional low-stakes entertainment rather than part of a core strategy.

Basic Strategy for This Variant

Because doubling is restricted to hard 9, 10, and 11, the standard blackjack strategy chart requires adjustment. Microgaming builds a reference strategy chart directly into the game interface, accessible during play. The key rules to follow:

Always stand on hard 17 and above
Always hit on hard 8 and below
Double on hard 9 against dealer 3-6; double on hard 10 and 11 against all dealer upcards below 10
On soft hands where you would normally double, hit instead (doubling is not permitted)
Stand on soft 18 against dealer 2-8; hit against 9, 10, or Ace
Split Aces and 8s always; never split 10s or 5s; split other pairs based on standard pair charts
Take insurance only if you are card counting - the house edge on insurance runs around 5.8% in standard play

The deck reshuffles after every hand, eliminating any card counting advantage. Play every hand on its merits using the chart above.

How It Plays

The game loads quickly and the interface is clean. The Hi Lo betting sections are clearly laid out to the side of the main table so the extra bets never clutter the main game area. Chip denominations are selectable, and three card design options let you customise the look of the deck.

Expert Mode adds control over sound, animation speed, and deal pacing. Turbo Mode is available if you want hands dealt faster without sitting through full card animations. A hit/stand warning system flags likely strategy mistakes before you commit - useful if you are still learning the variant's specific doubling and splitting rules.

This is a fully animated RNG title with no live dealer. The visual standard is typical of Microgaming's Gold Series: high-resolution felt, smooth card animations, and a traditional casino colour scheme.

Who Is This Game For?

Premier Blackjack Hi Lo Gold suits players who enjoy standard blackjack rules but want the option of a higher-variance side bet to break up the session. The 99.52% RTP on the base game is solid. If you want pure blackjack value with no side bet distractions, just ignore the Lo, Hi, and 13 sections - the main game holds up on its own.

If you regularly play side bets at other tables, the Hi Lo mechanic is straightforward to understand, though the house edge is higher than the 13 bet's 10:1 payout implies. A two-card total of exactly 13 occurs less often than the 10:1 return suggests when you factor in all two-card combinations from a two-deck shoe.

The £1 minimum makes it accessible for low-stakes play, and the £200 ceiling covers most recreational players. You can find this game alongside other Microgaming table games at the casinos we review. For a broader look at the provider's output, see our Microgaming page. If you prefer a multi-hand format, Multi Hand Premier Blackjack Gold runs the same rules across up to five simultaneous hands. For a single-deck option, Single Deck Blackjack Professional Series removes the deck-count variable entirely.