Best Side Bets In Blackjack
The Four Most Common Blackjack Side Bets Perfect Pairs, Insurance, Bet Behind, and 21+3 Blackjack Side Bets are the most common and are generally the same at all live casinos. Be careful though, not all casinos use the same payout structure, and some are better than others. Side bets come in different forms with different odds and varying payouts - but you may have found yourself wondering: are blackjack side bets worth it? It’s no secret that these casino games don’t often produce substantial payouts, with most players making even money at best.
- Blackjack side bets In an effort to encourage more players to play blackjack, and also to improve their margins, many land-based and online casinos have added side bets on their blackjack tables. The innocent-looking side bets usually require a rather small wager (typically only a dollar), and they generally have payoffs that are greater than.
- The 7 card is a big player in blackjack side bets. Sometimes called Super Sevens bets, this side bet is a proposition wager on whether or not the first card you are dealt is a 7. This bet traditionally pays off at 3-to-1. Another Super Sevens side bet is whether the first two cards you receive are 7s.
- W hat is 21+3 blackjack? This popular side bet can be placed alongside your initial bet in the casino classic. It mixes blackjack and three-card poker to offer some attractive odds.
In Between Side Bet Blackjack
Overview of 21+3 Blackjack
The 21+3 side bet is optional, and its size does not need to be the same as the main bet. In order to play the side-bet, you need to participate in the main hand.
Placing a bet in the 21+3 square is all you need to do to participate. As soon as the deal is made, and before any player takes any actions the 2 player cards and the dealer’s up-card (or only card in European Blackjack) are compared to the pay table.
There are several variations of 21+3 payouts, the most simple pays from a ‘flush +pair’ and up, with 9-to-1 payouts in each case. When pairs are also included, this is hit more often, so the prizes are lowered to reflect this. There are 3-to-1 for all hands (pair, flush, straight, trips and straight flush) or there are staggered pay tables.
When the prizes are staggered, a straight flush or better can win significant money. Here is an example:
- Flush – Pays 5:1
- Straight – Pays 10:1
- Straight Flush – Pays 35:1
- Three of a Kind – Pays 33:1
- Suited 3 of a Kind – 100:1
Keep in mind that depending on the pay table, the house edge can get as high as 13% for this side bet. You can find examples of games (depending on the number of decks in use) where this is around 2.78% instead.
Strategy for 21+3 Blackjack
It goes without saying that knowing the correct basic strategy of the base game is a prerequisite here. Without this you are just handing money to the house.
Your main ‘strategy’ decision over the long run with the 21+3 side-bet is whether to play or not. The house edge is bigger than in most base games. If you know this, then you get to decide whether the added interest and entertainment (and chance of a windfall win) are worth it to you. If the extra engagement from the 21+3 bet works for you – then you can simply add a little to your bankroll to cover this.
Card counters can beat this game by memorizing the suits as they are dealt. It is possible on some deals to find one suit over-represented as the shoe gets smaller – turning the edge positive for players. The expected hourly rate for this is very low compared to other forms of counting. Online the deck is shuffled after each hand, making card counting impossible.
Pros and Cons of 21+3 Blackjack
Adding a poker style hand to blackjack makes for an interesting variation – though I do wonder whether ‘purists’ in either discipline would approve! Depending on which of the pay tables you use there is the chance of a 9-to-1 or even bigger windfall. That elusive suited 3-of-a-kind (paying 100-to-1) would certainly be memorable.
Whether you participate depends on your attitude towards side-bets in general. Some players like these bets, and are happy to pay the extra house-edge for the chance of the occasional big win. Others scorn these bets as long-term losers.
Rules of Perfect Pair Blackjack
The perfect pair rules and statistics are simple but vary according to the changing pairs. Also, the payouts and thereby, the house edge varies depending on the online/brick and mortar casino you are playing blackjack in.
How to Do a Perfect Pair Side Bet
To play a Perfect Pair wager, players must bet in the designated side bet area on the blackjack table, before they are dealt the initial two cards. Normally, there are two separate betting areas for normal wagers and side wagers and the Perfect Pair side bet has to be placed in the side bet zone.
As for the Perfect Pairs bet amount, it should at least be the minimum wager of the table but does not need to match the amount of the regular bet. Some casinos can have specific rules regarding the bet amount such as the wager can be half of the table minimum but such instances are rare.
How to win a Perfect Pair Side Bet
To win a Perfect Pair side bet or increase the odds, players must follow the Perfect Pair strategy. First, it is crucial to understand how many cards are available in the deck after the initial two cards have been dealt to the players. Many online blackjack variations are played with just two decks of cards. In such games, the odds of the player hitting a Perfect Pair are typically better, promising a 30:1 payout too. The more decks, the lesser will be the probability.
Blackjack Side Bets Worth It
If the player wants to risk a small stake, it is better to stick to the Mixed Pair bet. Also, when playing Perfect Pairs, knowing when to ‘hit’ and when to ‘stand’ by following the optimal blackjack strategy is crucial. For instance, it is ideal to split high pairs in online blackjack but not always feasible when the player is expecting an outcome of the side bet.
Are Side Bets In Blackjack Worth It
Qualified Hands, Payout Rate, Probability
There can be three variations of the Perfect Pair side bet and the odds vary depending on the pair. Typically, in an 8-deck game, the best odds are available on the Perfect Pair (two cards of the same value and same suit), and that is a 1.7% chance of being paid out 25:1. The same for a colored pair and mixed pair would be 1.9% and 3.9% respectively.
Blackjack Side Bets In Vegas
The following table gives a clear idea of the hands and their respective payouts, combinations, probabilities, and returns with the Perfect pair side bet in a blackjack game with 8 decks of cards.