LIVE SIDE BET CITY REVIEW

Side Bet City is poker made easy! This ‘80s-themed Live Casino game from Evolution is a unique take on the classic game of poker, hosted in a neon-lit studio that perfectly recreates the ambience of big-city nights of the funky, new-wave decade. 

If you’re in the mood to play poker but want to try out something new, this avant-garde table game may be exactly what you’re looking for. Want to learn how to play Side Bet City? We’ve got you covered! Join us as we break down the gameplay into digestible pieces; we’ll cover rules, payouts and everything else that you can expect when playing this Live Casino sensation in our in-depth Side Bet City review.

ABOUT LIVE SIDE BET CITY — EVOLUTION

If you’re tired of the tried-and-tested, classic poker gameplay and love to play with a chance of winning fantastic bonus payouts, then Side Bet City is a great place to start. Side Bet City is an entertaining and fast-paced poker game that adds a distinct new element to an already over-saturated selection of poker tables. The game was released in 2019 by Evolution, known as Evolution Gaming at the time, and transformed poker as we know it by bringing RNG elements to a live setting.

Side Bet City isn’t played against a live dealer; instead, an unlimited number of players can grab a seat and enjoy the vibrant glow of pink and blue neon lights with nothing but probability standing in the way of winning! 

This poker variant is all about placing side bets, and the objective is to get the best possible hand. In each round, players must try to predict whether the cards on the table will form a three, five or seven-card poker hand, or if the round is a bust altogether! Let’s dig deeper and take a look at the ins and outs of Side Bet City gameplay. 

GAMEPLAY 

Even though Side Bet City isn’t played against the dealer, a live dealer is present nonetheless. They will guide you through the gameplay, answer any questions in the Live Chat and deal the cards. All gameplay decisions and payouts are calculated automatically, making Side Bet City the perfect game for new poker players who aren’t yet familiar with poker hands and their rankings. 

Stakes begin as low as €0.50, and the payouts range between 0.7:1 on an All Lose bet to the game’s highest payout of 1,000:1 on the elusive five-card royal flush. The game is played with a standard 52-card deck, which is shuffled after each game round. 

To play the game, simply place a bet on one of the following betting options: 3 Card Hand, 5 Card Hand, 7 Card Hand or All Lose. There is a time-restricted betting window, so make sure to get your bets in before the new round begins. If you miss the betting window, no worries! You can sit one out and join in on the fun during the next game. 

The dealer deals seven cards in total; the first three cards determine the outcome of the 3 Card Hand bet, and the first five cards determine the outcome of the 5 Card Hand bet. As for the 7 Card Hand wager, only the best five cards are taken into account. Since the odds of forming a strong poker hand with seven cards are greater, the payouts are marginally lower than on the 5 Card Hand bet. 

Placing a wager on All Lose is akin to taking the Insurance bet in blackjack — think of it as a safety net if the regular bets don’t pull through. The All Lose bet will pay 0.7:1. 

WINNING HANDS

The individual cards are ranked in descending order: ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2. The ace can rank low or high, depending on the hand; for example, it will rank high in a straight of A, K, Q, J, 10, but low in a straight of 5, 4, 3, 2, A. Here are all winning poker hands, ranked from the highest payout to the lowest:

WINNING HANDS FOR 3 CARD HAND

• ROYAL FLUSH — A suited ace, king and queen. Pays 100:1.
• STRAIGHT FLUSH — A suited hand that contains three cards in a sequence, such as 10,   J, Q of hearts. A straight flush will pay 40:1.
• THREE OF A KIND — A hand that contains three cards of the same rank, such as three queens. A three of a kind will pay 35:1.
• STRAIGHT — A hand that contains three cards of sequential rank and at least two different suits. A three-card straight pays 5:1. 
• FLUSH — A hand where all three cards are of the same suit but not in sequence, such as 5, 7, J of diamonds. A flush will pay 4:1.
• ANY PAIR — A hand with two cards of the same rank and one that is not, such as Q, Q, 10. Pays 1:1.

WINNING HANDS FOR 5 CARD & 7 CARD HANDS

• ROYAL FLUSH — The game’s most valuable and challenging to obtain hand. It contains an ace, king, queen, jack and 10 of the same suit. The royal flush will pay 1,000:1 in a five-card hand and 500:1 in a seven-card hand. 
• STRAIGHT FLUSH — A hand where five cards are in sequence and of the same suit, such as 9, 10, J, Q, K of hearts. A straight flush will pay 250:1 in a five-card hand and 100:1 in a seven-card hand.
• FOUR OF A KIND — A hand that contains four cards of one rank and any other card(s). The four of a kind pays 100:1 in a five-card hand and 50:1 in a seven-card hand. 
• FULL HOUSE — A hand with three cards of one rank and two cards of another, such as Q, Q, Q, 7, 7. A full house pays 50:1 in a five-card hand and 7:1 in a seven-card hand. 
• FLUSH — A hand with five cards of the same suit but not in a sequence, such as 5, 7, 9, 10, Q of spades. A flush will pay 40:1 in a five-card hand and 5:1 in a seven-card hand. 
• STRAIGHT — A hand with five cards in sequential rank and of at least two different suits. Pays 25:1 in a five-card hand and 4:1 in a seven-card hand. 
• THREE OF A KIND — A hand with three cards of the same rank. A three of a kind will pay 7:1 in a five-card hand and 3:1 in a seven-card hand. 
• TWO PAIRS (5 Card Hand only) — A hand with two cards of one rank, two cards of another and any card not of the same rank as one of the pairs, such as A, A, Q, Q, 10. Two pairs will pay 4:1.
• PAIR JJ-AA (5 Card Hand only) — A hand that contains a pair of jacks, queens, kings or aces, such as 7, 9, J, J, Q. Pair JJ-AA will pay 1:1. 

SIDE BET CITY RTP

The theoretical RTP varies depending on the wager placed. 

• 3 Card Hand — 96.69%
• 5 Card Hand — 95.21%
• 7 Card Hand — 94.34%
• All Lose — 96.29%

BONUSES AND SPECIAL FEATURES IN LIVE SIDE BET CITY 

There are no special bonus features in Side Bet City, as this table game is all about bets that are a bonus feature in classic table games. It’s in the name, after all! Players can place bets on three, five and seven-card hands for a chance to win payouts of up to 1,000:1. It is also possible to place bets on All Lose, which will pay if there are no winning hands. 

Additionally, players can claim a casino bonus to take their betting to the next level. Casino bonuses range from free spins to Live Casino cashbacks and extra bonus funds on deposits. The availability of bonuses varies by jurisdiction, but you may be able to get your hands on a Live Casino Bonus at LV BET. Visit our ‘Promotions’ page and see if you’re eligible to grab a bonus; you can use bonus funds to play your favourite online casino games. 

New players should pay special attention to the Welcome Bonus, which is a one-time offer available only to newly registered players. The Welcome Bonus can be used on a variety of casino games, including card and table games like poker, roulette, blackjack and baccarat. 

CONCLUSION 

With the release of Side Bet City, Evolution delivered an extraordinary poker game that is unlike all other table games on the market. If you’re looking for a unique gaming experience, head over to Side Bet City and explore the neon-lit studio for a chance to win! This fantastic game from Evolution has four different betting options with payouts that can reach 1,000:1. Want to play a game that’s all about side bets? Check out Side Bet City at LV BET and have fun!

GAME RULES 

Side Bet City is an online casino game released by Evolution (formerly Evolution Gaming) in 2019. This Live Casino game is unlike all other poker games and is not played against the live dealer. An unlimited number of players can join the table, and the objective is to form the strongest poker hand out of three, five or seven cards. Here’s a quick overview of the game’s rules:

• Players must place their bets within the specified time frame. Once the betting window closes, the game round will begin. 
• Players can place the following bets: 3 Card Hand, 5 Card Hand, 7 Card Hand or All Lose. 
• The dealer will first draw three cards to determine the outcome of the 3 Card Hand bets, then two more for 5 Card Hand bets and the last two for the 7 Card Hand wagers. 
• The winning hand is determined according to the paytable, which can be found in the game’s rules.
• The All Lose bet will pay 0.7:1 if there is no winning hand in all seven dealt cards. 
• Not all poker hands can be achieved in every bet; for example, a full house can only be formed in five or seven-card hands, and any pair is attainable in three-card hands. 
• The payouts will also differ; for example, a full house will pay 50:1 in a five-card hand and 7:1 in a seven-card hand. 
• The game is played against the paytable and probability rather than the house directly; thus, there is no strategy that you can use to win. Due to the game's unique nature, betting systems are also relatively ineffective and will not deliver consistent results.