Blackjack Side Bets
Side bets provide an exciting way to make Blackjack games more interesting whilst offering you a greater number of ways to win. So what are side bets, what side bets are available and are they worth it? Read on to find out.
Side bets add a bit more thrill to blackjack, but are they worth placing? Here is a look at the most popular blackjack side bets and the house edge they offer. The most common side bets are 21 + 3 or Blackjack Perfect Pairs. Gamblers love side bets as they offer the chance of blackjack side bets payout. However, strategic blackjack players might avoid them because side bets are purely based on luck. The 21 + 3 blackjack side bet. Perfect Pairs is an optional side bet that can be played (or not) on every hand you take part in at a blackjack table that offers the wager. If you want to play this bet, just put down an appropriate amount of money before you begin the hand: often, this bet has a $1 minimum to play, which might be less than the minimum for the main game. Top recommended casinos In fact, thunderbolt casino using credit cards could be risky. This is what convinced me about trying 21.com casino, considering up to 20% of the funds deposited on these. So, are blackjack side bets worth it, or not? The most common blackjack side bet – 21+3. The ‘21+3’ side bet is offered on a small handful of blackjack variants. It has been offered in real-world casinos since the early 2000s. With this side bet, you are wagering on obtaining a poker-style hand with the three face-up cards that are dealt.
What are Blackjack side bets?
Side bets are bonus bets placed on a round of Blackjack on outcomes beyond whether the player or dealer will win. The majority are staked at the start of the round before the cards have been dealt alongside regular bets and many have fixed odds that usually offer greater payouts than the simple 2:1 rewarded for beating the dealer.
What Blackjack side bets are available?
There are dozens if not hundreds of side bets that can be applied to Blackjack, but some of the most popular include the following:
Insurance bets
A player can place an insurance bet if the dealer’s face up card is an Ace and they think they will get Blackjack. You can read more about Blackjack insurance bets here.
21+3
21+3 bets involve the player’s first two cards and the dealer’s face up card. These are on whether these three cards will make various combinations in a similar manner to poker:
- Flush: The three cards are of the same suit, for instance the four, nine and Queen of diamonds. This usually has a payout of 5:1.
- Straight: The three cards are in sequence irrespective of suit, for instance the five of spades, six of clubs and seven of hearts. This usually has a payout of 10:1.
- Three of a kind: The three cards are of the same value irrespective of suit, for instance three Kings. This usually has a payout of 30:1.
- Straight flush: The three cards are in sequence and of the same suit, for instance the six, seven and eight of spades. This usually has a payout of 40:1.
- Suited three of a kind: The three cards are of the same value and suit, for instance three nine of hearts. This usually has a payout of 100:1.
Perfect Pairs
A Perfect Pairs side bet is placed on the outcome that the first two cards in your hand are a mixed, coloured or perfect pair:
- Mixed pair: The two cards are a pair of the same rank but of two different colours (one red and one black), for instance the seven of hearts and spades. This usually has a payout of 5:1.
- Coloured pair: The two cards are a pair of the same rank and colour but different suits, for instance the Queen of clubs and spades. This usually has a payout of 10:1.
- Perfect pair: The two cards are a pair of the same rank and suit, for instance two three of diamonds. This usually has a payout of 30:1.
Easy Match
This is a side bet that the first two cards in your hand will be of the same suit. In a single deck game, an Easy Match usually has a payoff of 3:1 and in a multi-deck game, the payoff is usually 5:2.
Royal Match
This is a side bet that the first two cards in your hand will be the King and Queen of the same suit. In a single deck game, a Royal Match usually has a payoff of 10:1 and in a multi-deck game, the payoff is usually 25:1.
Over/Under 13
This is a straightforward bet on whether the first two cards in your hand will have a value of over or under 13, with Ace counting as one and a value of 13 generally resulting in a lost bet. This usually has a payout of 10:1.
Super Sevens
This is a bet on how many sevens your hand will have. If your first card is a seven, usually the payout is 3:1. If your first two cards are sevens, the payout is usually 50:1 if they are of different suits and 100:1 if they are of the same suit. If you hit and your hand gets a third seven, the payout is usually 500:1 if they are of different suits and 5000:1 if they are of the same suit.
Lucky Ladies
This is a bet on whether the first two cards of your hand will have a value of 20. If the cards have a value of 20 and they are of different suits the payout is usually 4:1, if they are of the same suit the payout is usually 10:1 and if they are of the same suit and rank the payout is usually 25:1.
If the two cards are the Queen of hearts (the ‘Lucky Ladies’) the payout is usually 200:1 and if the two cards are the Queen of hearts and the dealer gets Blackjack, the payout is usually 1000:1.
Pair Square
Blackjack With Poker Side Bet
This is a side bet on if the first two cards in your hand will be a pair. A pair of different suits, such as a seven of hearts and a seven of spades, usually has a payout of 10:1, whereas a pair of the same suit, for instance two 10 of clubs, usually has a payout of 15:1.
Lucky Lucky
This is a bet on whether the first two cards in your hand and the dealer’s face up card will achieve a certain value or combination as follows:
Lucky Lucky payouts
Match the Dealer
Can Side Bets Be Beaten? The Truth About Blackjack Side Bets
This is a bet on whether the rank of at least one of the first two cards in your hand will match the dealer’s face up card. If there is a match of different suits, the payout is usually 4:1 and if there is a match of the same suit, the payout is usually 11:1.
Are Blackjack side bets worth it?
The majority of side bets feature only a small chance of winning (as their large payouts suggest) and cannot be applied with conventional Blackjack strategy, meaning they offer the dealer and house a far greater edge than in the standard game.
As a result, they should predominantly be viewed as a bit of fun, capable of enhancing your enjoyment but ultimately not a viable method of boosting your winnings over a long period of time. Any side bets you do want to place should be carefully considered and you must assess your chances of winning as best you can.
Despite this, side bets can provide a more exciting and faster-paced Blackjack experience for those who do not like being limited to one bet at a time and having to wait until the end of the round to see if they have won. When successful, side bets are also still capable of supplying substantially greater payouts from than you would otherwise receive in the standard game.
Enhance your Blackjack strategy
If you’re looking for general advice on how to play Blackjack, read our guide to Blackjack. If you want to learn more on how to inform your Blackjack strategy, remember to read our articles on how to double down, split and surrender, alongside how to place an insurance bet.
We also have an article outlining an advanced Blackjack strategy. If you want to learn more about Blackjack beyond how to play the game, you can read about the history of Blackjack.
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