What Are Side Bets In Blackjack?
Blackjack is one of the popular games at casinos. There are many variants of this card game and adding value to Blackjack are the side bets. Side bets in Blackjack add value to the game as well as the winnings. With side bets, the game of Blackjack is more interesting and entertaining. At casinos, whether online or land there are many types of side bets to play. They act as side games on the table of Blackjack and are quite adventurous. Let’s find out in detail about this exciting feature in the game of Blackjack
What are side bets in Blackjack?
Side bets in Blackjack is an optional and additional bet that players can wager on. Generally, this bet is used during the start of the game of Blackjack. Players can place this bet on the area next to the box of the main bet on a Blackjack table.
The fun part is that this side bet works as a game of luck or chance and no skill or strategy is required to place this wager. All you need to do is guess one or multiple cards that you or the dealer will receive in this round.
As in most of the Microgaming slot machines, side bets offer you an optional chance to gamble along with your regular play.
What are the types of side bets in Blackjack?
There are various types of side bets in the game of Blackjack. Note that at online casinos in a live dealer Blackjack game it depends on the casino as to which side bet they are offering. You can play one of a kind or choose to try a few of these side bets that are your choice. The popular ones found at casinos are Insurance side bets, Perfect pairs, and 21 plus 3 side bets.
1. Insurance
In Insurance, side bet when the two cards are dealt, and the dealer’s face-up card is an ace, the player has a choice to make this wager. This is a bet on the possibility that the dealer’s hand is a blackjack (1-to-3 odds). If the dealer’s hole card has a value of 10, the player receives a payout of 2:1. In other words, the player breaks even on the hand.
The maximum bet allowed is half of the player’s main bet. An insurance bet has to be made before the dealer checks the hole card.
Advice: Always play Insurance if you are pro in the game because this is a risky bet and you can lose while playing as the chance that the hole card is of value 10 (card 10 or face cards) is only 1 out of 3.
2. Perfect Pairs
Perfect Pairs is another popular one at the Blackjack table. This bet involves players’ cards only. This side bet is won when the player’s first two dealt cards are a pair. Two cards are considered to be a pair when they both hold the same numerical value or the same face value for face cards
There are three different kinds of perfect pairs in Blackjack:
- Mixed Pair: The wager is placed on the possibility of the player having both the cards of the same value, but different suit and color.
- Coloured Pair: The wager is placed on the possibility of the player having both cards of the same value and the same color, but a different suit
- Perfect Pair: Wager is placed upon the possibility of the player having the perfect pair of cards in a multi-deck blackjack game. A perfect pair, in Blackjack, is both cards have the same value and same suit
True perfect pairs can only be found in games of blackjack using multiple decks of cards. Otherwise, it would be impossible to have two cards of the same rank and the same suit.
Advice: If your main goal is to get the best odds possible on every hand, then avoid this bet. Depending on the paytable being used, the house edge on this bet tends to be somewhere between 2% and 8%, which is much higher than in blackjack itself.
3. 21+3
The 21+3 side bet is the most common side bet in blackjack. It is offered in casinos This feature is adapted from poker and involves both the player’s and the dealer’s cards.
There are four major types of 21+3 side bets in Blackjack. The payout for each winning hand was 9:1, resulting in a house edge of 3.24%.
Advice: The wager results in a win if the player’s two cards and the dealers’ face-up cards make any of these combinations.
Other side bets in Blackjack
Flush: Flush bet is placed on the possibility of all the three cards being of the same suit. The odds of winning this bet are 5:1.
Straight: In this bet, the player wins if the three cards are of consecutive ranks. The odds of winning this bet are 10:1.
Straight Flush: This wager is placed on the possibility that all three cards are of the same suit and have consecutive values. The odds of winning this bet are 40:1.
Three of a Kind: In this wager, the player wins if the three cards are of the same numerical value (meaning tens and figures are considered the same). The odds of winning this bet are 30:1. A suited three-of-a-kind is a side bet in which the cards are of the same numerical denomination and are of the same suit. The payout for this bet is 100:1.
Over/Under 13: Here you can bet that the sum of their initial two cards would be either over 13 or under 13. If the sum of the cards is exactly 13, the player loses. In this bet, the value of the ace is counted as 1. The house edge for over 13 is 6.5%, and the house edge for under 13 is 10%.
Super Sevens: In Super Sevens side bet count the number of “Seven” cards a player hits. This bet is placed based on the player’s first three cards. If the first card is seven, the player wins. The player is given a payout at 3:1. If the second card is also seven, the winning increases.
Lucky Ladies: The Lucky Ladies’ side bet is made on the possibility that the player’s initial hand totals 20. The house edge is 17%. There are five possible winning outcomes for a Lucky Ladies side bet in Blackjack:
- Lucky Ladies – A pair of Queen of hearts totaling 20 and the payout is 200:1. There is a bonus payout of 1000:1 if the dealer has a blackjack. This side bet is used only in multi-deck games.
- Matching 20 – This wager is placed on the possibility that the player’s initial cards are of the same rank and suit, totaling 20 and has a payout of 25:1. This side bet is used in multi-deck blackjack games and is not possible in single-deck games.
- Paired 20 – The two initial cards are of the same rank and total 20. This side bet is mostly used only in single-deck games.
- Suited 20 – The player’s initial card can be of any value of the same suit, totaling 20. This side bet is used both in single deck and multi deck blackjack games. The side bet has a payout of 10:1.
- Any 20 or Unsuited 20 – The two cards can be of any combination of numbers from any suit, totaling 20. This side bet is used both in single-deck and multi-deck games. This side bet pays 4:1.
Double down: In this bet you double your bet in exchange for an extra card. Note that this bet is a risky thing as one cannot hit again if the person receives a low-value card. In Blackjack, doubling down is generally considered an expert move so you should probably give it a pass until you are consistently winning at the standard game.
- Royal Match: The Royal Match side bet is offered in both single-deck and multi-deck blackjack games. There are two options to win this bet:
- Easy Match: This is when your initial hand is suited, and you get a payout of 5:2. Moreover, for a suited blackjack, the payout is 5:1. In the single-deck version, the payout is 3:1.
- Royal Match: Here if your initial hand is King and Queen of the same suit you get a payout of 25:1. In the single-deck version, the payout is 10:1.
What are Blackjack side bet payouts?
The following table shows the Blackjack side bet payouts at online or land casinos
| Side Bet | Typical Payout |
| Insurance | 2:1 |
| Perfect Pair (Mixed) | 5:1 |
| Perfect Pair (Coloured) | 10:1 |
| Perfect Pair (Perfect) | 30:1 |
| 21+3 (Flush) | 5:1 |
| 21+3 (Straight) | 10:1 |
| 21+3 (Three of a Kind) | 30:1 |
| 21+3 (Straight Flush) | 40:1 |
| 21+3 (Suited Trips) | 100:1 |
| Royal Match (Easy) | 5:2 to 5:1 |
| Royal Match (Royal) | 10-to-25:1 |
| Over/Under 13 | 1:1 |
| Super Sevens (Single) | 3:1 |
| Super Sevens (Pair) | 50:1 |
| Super Sevens (Set) | 500:1 |
| Super Sevens (Suited Set) | 5000:1 |
| Lucky Ladies (Q♥‘s w/ Dealer BJ) | 1000:1 |
| Lucky Ladies (Q♥‘s) | 200:1 |
| Lucky Ladies (Matching) | 25:1 |
| Lucky Ladies (Suited) | 20:1 |
| Lucky Ladies (Any) | 4:1 |
FAQs
Q1. Will I win playing side bets in Blackjack?
Not necessary as in side bets the house edge is much higher than that of the regular game itself. If you win you are rewarded big but otherwise it’s high risk too.
Q2. Are Side bets worth?
In blackjack, side bets require smaller wagers than the standard bets, but the reward is better than that of the standard ones. Because with relatively large payouts you can win for a smaller bet. Note though that the odds of winning these side bets are quite low.
Q3. Can I play side bets in online blackjack?
Yes, you can as most of the online casinos are offering side bets in Blackjack. Remember to know the rules before you play.
Q4. What are the best side bets?
The best side bets are super sevens, perfect pairs and 21 plus 3. Different side bets have different payouts. Out of all the side bets, 21+3 and perfect pairs are the most popular and offer the highest payouts. Both 21+3 and perfect pairs have different combinations of cards among themselves. The Perfect Pairs side bet offers a payout of 30:1 while the Three of a Kind pays out as high as 40:1.