Blog Posted on 05/01/2021 | Author: Karen Macarthur

Learn everything about Blackjack side bets here!

Blackjack is one of the most popular top table casino games because it provides great odds for the players. In the last 50 years, both offline and online casinos have added a host of side bets to their Blackjack tables in order to attract more players. These Blackjack side bets help in improving the profits for the casino. Although these bets can be risky, they can also be potentially rewarding. If you wish to know more about the Blackjack side bets, read on further.

Blackjack side bets explained: What are they? 

Side bets in Blackjack are additional wagers, which can be during a standard game of Blackjack. These bets involve guessing which cards the player, or sometimes the dealer, will receive. The Blackjack side bets are placed before any cards are dealt, and these wagers are purely based on luck instead of skill. The side bets are settled right after the initial deal before players have made any playing decisions. However, the better can count cards to help them in choosing the most likely combinations for your most advantageous side bets.

These side wagers are entirely separate bets from the ongoing Blackjack game, and they are settled separately from your original stake. They neither have any effect nor can they affect your chances of winning your main bet at the main Blackjack game.

The benefit of Blackjack side bets is that they can result in much higher returns than the winning bets in the main game, and they require a very small amount at stake, usually just a dollar. Most other successful wagers in Blackjack pay you even money, but the side bets can earn you many times your stake. Players have even garnered pocket payouts of about 2,000 to 1. Sounds too good to be true? But it is true, and you can also be one of them.

The trick is to place your side bets in moderation after you have counted the cards. If you are mindful and careful, you will not end up draining your bankroll and also increase your chances of winning. If you know card counting, that will help you a lot in placing successful side bets in Blackjack. 

How are the side bets different from the main bet in Blackjack?

The reason why Blackjack is so popular among gamblers is because of the low house edge compared to other casino games. In Blackjack, good players face a house edge of 0.5% only, and even for bad players, the edge climbs to just around 2%.

This means that the chances of losing big in Blackjack are low, but it also means that the odds of winning big are also not great at all. This is so because Blackjack is mostly an even money game; the best payout a player can expect is 2:1 if you are dealt a Blackjack. On the other hand, Blackjack side wagers offer a much larger payout, rising up to 5,000:1 in one case.

It should also be noted, however, that the house edge, too, increases significantly in the case of side bets, and most of them carry a house edge of 10% and even more. In short, it is easier to win big and lose big on Blackjack side bets.

Most common side bets in Blackjack

You can find various side bets in Blackjack, but some of them are most common and can be found at any casino – online or offline. They are specified with the odds found either on the Blackjack tables or on a handout or a side menu in the online version. Before placing your bets, make sure you check the odds as they vary from casino to casino. 

Following are the three main Blackjack side bets:

• Perfect Pairs
• 21+3
• Insurance

These are the most widespread options for Blackjack players who are seeking to earn a little extra on the side. 

Perfect Pairs –

This side bet involves the player’s cards, and it pays out if you are dealt with the following pair of cards:

• Mixed pair which involves having the same value but different suit and colour and pays 5:1 usually
• Coloured pair which involves having the same value and the same colour and pays 12:1 usually
• Perfect pair which involves having the same cards and pays 25:1 usually

21+3 –

This side bet uses the player’s two cards and the upturned card of the dealer. It pays out for the below mentioned different combinations:

• Flush – all cards are suited; pays 5:1
• Straight – all cards are consecutive; pays 10:1
• Three of a kind – cards are not the same suit; pays 30:1
• Straight flush – cards are consecutive and of the same suit; pays 40:1
• Suited triple – three same cards; pays 100:1

The payouts can vary in different casinos and also depending on the number of decks used.

Insurance –

This Blackjack side bet enables the gamblers to cover themselves against Blackjack if the card dealt is an ace face up. The wager uses half of your original stake at the original game and pays out at 2:1 if the dealer has a Blackjack. 

Are there other Blackjack side bets?

Insurance, Perfect Pair, and 21+3 are the most common Blackjack side bets found in casinos, but they are not the only ones. There are numerous other side bets too. 

The casino industry is always inventing new Blackjack side bets in order to attract new Blackjack players. Some of these newly invented side bets can be found in casinos worldwide, while some of them are niche and can only be found in selected casinos. Let’s have a look at them:

• Royal Match – For any suited player’s cards, it pays 5:2 and 25:1 for a suited king and queen.
• Over/under 13 – For accurately predicting the sum of the player’s cards as either less than or greater than 13. 
• Super Sevens – For one or more sevens dealt in the player’s cards. It pays out 3:1 for one seven, 50:1 for two unsuited sevens, and 100:1 for two suited sevens. The bet will pay 500:1 unsuited and 5000:1 suited if the third card dealt is also a seven. 
• Lucky Ladies – If the player’s cards add up to 20, it pays out 4:1 for an unsuited 20, 10:1 for a suited 20, 25:1 for a matched 20 with the same rank and suit, 200:1 for two queens of hearts, and 1000:1 for two queens of hearts and the dealer having a Blackjack.