Pragmatic Play has become quite a name in the iGaming industry, not just for its slots and bingo products, but also for its live casino products.
They describe their portfolio as innovative, mobile-oriented and regulated, all of which is true. The award-winning company is based in Malta and they have been operational since 2015. In 2018, Pragmatic Play acquired Extreme Live Gaming and started focusing more on live dealer games for the online gambling market. Now they also have a studio in Romania and cover various countries and languages.
Live casino baccarat from Pragmatic Play went online in 2020 and the provider made sure that there is some variety for the players. They offer 3 formats, classic Live Baccarat, Speed Baccarat and No Commission Baccarat. Speed Baccarat is particularly interesting as the gameplay is significantly accelerated. The game rules are standard, so the main thing you will need to get used to is the velocity in which the rounds are completed.
Live Speed Baccarat is played with an 8-deck shoe and allows the players to bet on the Banker or Player positions, or on the round resulting in a Tie.
The unusual part is that the betting time is cut short to just a bit over 10 seconds - 12 to be exact. The entire round does not last more than 27 seconds. As soon as the betting time expires (three blinks of an eye later), the dealer will deal the cards face-up.
The game incorporates manual zoom on the player’s cards, as well as various side bets and all 5 traditional baccarat roadmaps. If you like to use scoreboards, check out the Ask Player/Banker feature that tracks in real-time the effects of Banker/Player wins on the roadmaps.
The set of available side bets includes Banker/Player Pairs, Perfect Pair, Big/Small Hand and Either Pair. Big/Small Hand optional bets become unavailable once the dealer has 31 hands from the shoe. The bets are reactivated with a fresh shoe. The RTP is 98.85% and the studio setting is all red and vibrant. The tables are big, so the virtual layout is nicely rendered at the player’s side of the table, which makes the experience more immersive.
Live Speed Baccarat from Pragmatic Play is certainly good competition for Evolution’s fast-paced baccarat tables. The studio design is brilliant and the interface is not crowded. It is well balanced and has all the necessary features and widgets, including live chat.
The dealers are skilled and well-trained to deliver some of the speediest baccarat rounds you have ever witnessed. The company representatives have admitted that their goal was to achieve accessibility of a modern-day, mobile experience with Speed Baccarat. They’ve done a good job.