- Side Bet City is a fast-paced poker-themed game show that incorporates a live dealer
- An easy introduction to poker for new players and a fun challenge for poker aficionados
- Win a top prize of 1,000x your stake
- Find out where to play Side Bet City
Side Bet City is a refreshing release from Evolution that takes the form of a live casino game show. It focuses on poker, but that doesn’t mean you need to know the ins and outs of poker to take a shot at this game.
In fact, you don’t need to know anything about poker to have a blast on Side Bet City, as it’s as simple as online casino games get.
Even if you already consider yourself an advanced poker player, you can still enjoy the thrill of the fast-paced action in this fun and exciting environment.
Side Bet City boasts a maximum RTP of 96.69% as well as a top payout of 1,000x your bet.
In short, it’s a straightforward and entertaining live poker-themed game that’s very easy to play. If you want to know more, continue reading our detailed review below.
Where You Can Play Side Bet City
If you want to try your luck on this exciting title, you can visit several online casinos in the US. Unfortunately, there isn’t a free demo available, as the game incorporates a live dealer. You’ll need to make a real money deposit before you can check it out.
Below, we’ve rounded up the top five operators that allow you to play Side Bet City in the US:
- Hard Rock
- Golden Nugget Casino
- BetMGM
- Unibet
- PlaySugarHouse
Side Bet City Mechanics
Even if you’ve never participated in a game of poker in your life, you can still play Side Bet City with ease. The entire game is automated, and all you need to do is place a bet.
A live dealer shuffles a deck of 52 cards, with the order of value from 2 to A. Two or more cards can create a poker hand, which then forms part of either a three-card hand, a five-card hand or a seven-card hand.
The objective is to predict which of the three poker hands will win by placing bets on the specific choices. When you enter the game, you’ll be presented with a poker table facilitated by a live dealer, with various options on the screen.
At the bottom, there are four different wagers you can stake: three-card, five-card, seven-card, and All Lose. If you bet on the latter, it means you think the draw won’t result in any winning hands, and if you’re correct, you’ll receive a payout of $0.70 for every $1.00 staked.
Several card combinations form part of each hand, which you can quickly reference on the right side of the screen. This is the paytable, and it also displays the accompanying payouts.
After all, bets are placed, the dealer shuffles the deck and lays out seven cards. If there are any winning hands, the according payouts are awarded.
Side Bet City Payouts
As we learned earlier, there are four different bets you can place. Here is what each one means, in a nutshell:
- Three-Card Hand – Betting on the first three cards in the deck
- Five-Card Hand – Betting on the first five cards in the deck
- Seven-Card Hand – Betting on the best five-card hand from all seven cards
- All Lose – Betting on no winning hand
You can bet on all the possibilities, or you can only wager on one or two – it’s all up to you.
The symbols
Since this isn’t a slot game, you won’t encounter any symbols. Instead, you’ll come across a standard deck of playing cards.
There are 52 cards split into four suits of spades, diamonds, hearts, and clubs, each containing 13 cards of the same value: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace.
Two or more cards can create specific hands, as follows:
- Pairs – Two cards of the same value (2 2)
- Two Pairs – Two sets of pairs (2 2 and 4 4)
- Three of a Kind – Three cards of the same value (3 3 3)
- Full House – A combination of two sets of hands (Q Q Q K K or 6 6 6 J J)
- Four of a Kind – All four cards of one value (8 8 8 8)
- Straight – Five consecutive cards (5 6 7 8 9)
- Flush – Five cards of the same suit (clubs, hearts, spades or diamonds)
- Straight Flush – Five cards that form a straight and are also part of the same suit
- Royal Flush – Five cards from 10 to A of the same suit
Paytable
In Side Bet City, pairs pay differently in each hand. A three-card hand considers all pairs, five-card hands-only take into account JJ, QQ, KK, or AA, while seven-card hands disregard pairs entirely.
The most rewarding hand is the royal flush, which gives you 1,000x your stake. On the contrary, any pair only awards you with 1x your wager. Here’s an overview of Side Bet City’s paytable:
| Three-Card Hand | Five-Card Hand | Seven-Card Hand | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 100 | 1,000 | 500 |
| Straight Flush | 40 | 250 | 100 |
| Four of a Kind | 100 | 50 | |
| Full House | 50 | 7 | |
| Flush | 4 | 40 | 5 |
| Straight | 5 | 25 | 4 |
| Three of a Kind | 35 | 7 | 3 |
| Two Pairs | 4 | ||
| Pair JJ-AA | 1 | ||
| Any Pair | 1 |
Min/max bet, autoplay option
The stakes begin at $0.50 a bet, with the maximum wager capped at $100. There’s no autoplay option available here, as this is a live casino game.
Additionally, it’s hardly necessary, as the game is heavily automated already. In essence, all you need to do is place your desired wagers and watch the poker action unfold.
RTP, volatility, hit frequency
The volatility of a game usually only applies to slots, which means it’s not mentioned in live casino games such as this one. However, we can provide you with information on its hit frequency, which is 25.61%.
When it comes to the RTP of Side Bet City, it sits in the range of 94.34% and 96.69%. This is due to each bet incorporating a specific return to the player as follows:
- Three-Card RTP – 96.69%
- Five-Card RTP – 95.21%
- Seven-Card RTP – 94.34%
- All Lose RTP – 96.29%
What does this mean? In short, betting on three-card hands and All Lose offers you a higher possibility of winning, while five-card and seven-card hands are riskier.
Maximum win
The top payout is awarded for a royal flush, which constitutes a five-card hand.
The prize is a whopping 1,000x your stake, which equals $100,000 at the maximum bet.
On the other hand, the smallest wager of $0.50 returns $500.
Side Bet City Graphics & Sound
From a visual standpoint, this game has an almost cocktail-bar vibe, thanks to its colorful neon lights and quirky background shelves that surround the dealer. The overall theme seems to pay homage to the 80s, which will surely bring back a few memories through its retro feel that also trickles down to the live dealers, who are dressed in bright funky clothes.
The soundtrack consists of an upbeat tune that adds to the action-packed atmosphere, broken only by chatty live dealers who do a perfect job of engaging players and fueling the excitement.
Other Game Shows to Play If You Like Side Bet City Game Show
If you enjoyed the mechanics of this game, you can check out some other live game show releases from Evolution that are just as riveting:
- Live Dream Catcher
- Monopoly Live
- Lightning Roulette
- Deal or No Deal
- Live Crazy Time
Conclusion
Side Bet City is a simple, stylish, and fast-paced live casino game that will appeal to poker players of all levels. Although its payouts are somewhat low, it makes up for this with its exceptional design and friendly live dealers that provide non-stop entertainment.
Additionally, new players can increase their poker knowledge, while professionals can set themselves a fun challenge while taking a break from more advanced poker gameplay.
In the end, this game is worth a second look, so why not try your hand on Side Bet City today?