With simple and straightforward rules and strategies not too strenuous to master, there is no wonder why blackjack ranks among the most popular table games at both land-based and online casinos around the globe.
And to add some more thrill and spice up a standard blackjack game, brick-and-mortar and digital gambling venues often offer players the chance to place side bets. These really make the game more exciting, and with a little bit of luck – more rewarding.
However, while they may pay out several times a player’s original stake, they carry much greater risk.
In our latest article dedicated on the game of blackjack, we are going to dwell more on what exactly side bets are and what are the more common types offered by casinos.
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What Are Side Bets in Blackjack?
Blackjack side bets are additional bets that players can choose to place during their game. There are many different types of side bets, but they all generally involve what cards the player or in some cases the dealer will be dealt.
If a player chooses to make a side bet, they place it before any card is dealt on the blackjack table, at the same time as they place their main bet. It should be noted that side bets are purely based on chance rather than a player’s blackjack skills.
However, experts note that those who are familiar with card counting, comfortable enough with the different card counting systems, and know how to keep a true count could probably be able to choose likely combinations to place the best possible side bets.
Blackjack is a game with a low house edge – a really good player can lower it to around 0.5%. And while the odds for even a less experienced player to lose big are relatively low, the odds of winning big in blackjack are also relatively poor.
Side bets provide players with the chance to play longer odds for more attractive payouts, but they are riskier to make as these come with a significantly higher house edge that can exceed 10% for some side bets.
What Are the Most Popular Blackjack Side Bets?
As mentioned earlier, there are many side bets that blackjack players can stumble upon at different land-based and online casinos. And as the industry is extremely competitive and gambling venues are constantly looking for ways to entertain players and keep them coming back, new side bets are being invented all the time.
Many of the blackjack side bets have failed to stand the test of time and have died quickly due to lack of interest from players, but others have become a permanent fixture on almost every blackjack table.
The three most common blackjack optional bets are 21+3, Perfect Pairs, and Insurance. Here is a little bit more about each of these.
21+3
The 21+3 side bet involves the player’s two cards and the dealer’s upturned card. This optional bet is based on the outcome that these three cards will make when dealt. The possible outcomes are a flush, straight, three of a kind, or a straight flush. The player wins when the outcome formed by their two cards and the dealer’s up-card is the one they have bet on.
In the original version of this side bet, the payout for a winning hand is 9 to 1. This results in a house edge of 4.24% in a four-deck game, of 3.24% in a six-deck game, and of 2.74% in an eight-deck game.
However, it should be noted that different versions of 21+3 can be found in different casinos. And these offer different, often higher, house edges. In one version of this side bet, the house edge stands at a whopping 13.39%.
Wizard of Odds’ Michael Shackleford offers a pretty comprehensive list of the different 21+3 versions he has come across that you can read here.
Advantage play expert Eliot Jacobson has developed a pretty neat but rather complex card counting system for beating 21+3 that we will dwell more on in a separate article.
Blackjack Rules
Additional Blackjack Rules and Variations
Blackjack Basic Strategy
Universal Strategy for Blackjack
Splitting Pairs
Perfect Pairs
As its name suggests, Perfect Pairs is an optional bet that players place on the outcome of the first two cards they are dealt. It pays out if a player receives two of a kind, with the three possible outcomes being a mixed pair, a colored pair, and a perfect pair.
A pair of numbers or of matching colors will pay out, but a pair that involves the same suit and number will award the highest payout.
The payouts for the different outcomes are as follows:
- Mixed pair – a pair that involves one black and one red card that share the same value and pays out 5 to 1;
- Colored pair – an outcome that involves a pair of the same color but of different suits (for example 9 of hearts and 9 of diamonds) and pays out 10 to 1;
- Perfect pair – an outcome that involves two cards of the same suite and value that pays out 30 to 1.
Insurance
Insurance is a side bet that provides players with the opportunity to cover themselves against blackjack if a dealer’s up-card is an ace.
This additional bet was designed to give players a somewhat better chance of getting a payout, even though they might be holding a losing hand. Insurance reduces the house edge. In most cases, this side bet pays out 2 to 1.
However, it should be noted that players are never guaranteed a payout from this side bet as they cannot see the dealer’s second card.
The above-discussed blackjack side bets are the most popular ones that are more likely to be present at a blackjack table no matter where players play the game. There are a number of other optional bets and you can read more about them here.
Are Blackjack Side Bets Even Worth It?
Blackjack players often complain that they would not leave the table with more than even-money in most cases. Side bets can help with that. They usually require a small wager, but can award bigger payouts than those standard blackjack bets offer.
And we must admit, they add extra thrill and excitement to the game and make it more engaging.
However, most side bets give the house a higher edge than the main blackjack game. In addition, many of them are placed before any cards are dealt, which means that they are generally based on chance and not so much on skill. And those of the blackjack players who really enjoy the strategic element of this popular card game may be put off by the optional bets available due to their nature of a pure gamble.
