Blackjack Side Bets: Complete Guide

For the most part, on blackjack tables worth taking a virtual seat at, your winning payouts are either 1:1 for a win or 3:2 for blackjack. Side bets, including the commonplace Insurance side bet, often come with far bigger payouts. Some even climb to pays of 100:1. So, it’s easy to see the appeal.

Before you decide to put your chips down on a blackjack side bet, it’s good to know exactly what you’re betting on and how the side bets impact the house edge.

Introduction to Blackjack Side Bets

The ever-popular table game blackjack comes in many shapes and sizes. Still, whether you’re playing a live blackjack variant or a classic RNG game like Blackjack Touch, the rules, payouts, and betting options remain mostly the same.

Understanding the Basics of Blackjack

In terms of the basics of blackjack, you’ll almost always be able to see the dealer’s up card, they’ll need to stand or hit on 17, and you’ll get two cards in your hand. From there, you’ll decide if you want to hit, stand, double down, split the hand, or even take out insurance – which is a kind of side bet in itself.

Through your choices, you’ll aim to get a better hand than the dealer. Coming closer to 21 without going bust is the aim of the game, and because you can apply the laws of probability to your play through basic strategy, the house edge is very low. However, payouts are quite short in odds, usually only being 1:1 for a win or 3:2 for blackjack.

Introducing Side Bets in Blackjack

To spice things up a bit for the players, many land-based casinos and, subsequently, online casino game developers, decided to add more betting options. Now, a side bet blackjack game like Blackjack+ offers six other outcomes to bet on with much bigger payouts. Often decided before you make a call on your hand, side bets offer more potential ways to win.

How to Place Blackjack Side Bets

To place a blackjack side bet, you’ll first need to find a table that takes side bets. Usually, they’re quite specialised. Suit’em Up Blackjack for example, offers the Suit’em Up side bet. Once at the table, you’ll see the side bet option next to your standard betting circle. From there, here’s how it works.

Betting Mechanics

In blackjack, to play a hand, you must place a bet in the circle of your player position before the cards are dealt. For the majority of blackjack side bets, you’ll also need to place your side bet before the cards are dealt. You can’t play a side bet if you’re not playing the regular round of blackjack as well. This is easy enough in RNG blackjack, but in live or in-person blackjack, you’ll need to make your decision a bit more quickly.

Payouts and Odds

The greatest allure of blackjack side bets is the enhanced payouts. The side bet that most players know is the 2:1 for Insurance. While it’s universally advised that you skip on this side bet because of the probabilities compared to the payouts, even the increased house edge or odds of other side bets coming in doesn’t dissuade many players.

The odds of each side bet coming in don’t tend to align with the payouts in the same way that a regular win or blackjack win does at the table. This means that the house edge for side bets is much greater, especially as you can’t make an action that will enhance your chance of winning the side bet.

At most blackjack tables, you’re looking at a house edge of 1.5% maximum if you play basic strategy and the blackjack payout is 3:2. For the lowest house edge side bets, like Perfect Pairs or 21+3, you’re looking at a house edge of around 4.1%. Still, this house edge remains smaller than some other casino games.

Popular Side Bets in Blackjack

Blackjack side bets have gone wild over the last couple of decades. From a few niche offerings, there’s now a vast collection you can find. Even a game like 6 in 1 Blackjack with six different side bet options doesn’t quite scratch the surface of the range. These, however, are the most popular ones online.

Perfect Pairs

The Perfect Pairs side bet is one of the most common. The idea is to get a pair with your first two cards, with there being three tiers of returns. For a red-and-black pair, you’ll get 5:1. Coloured pairs double the pay to 10:1. At the top of the bill if you get a Perfect Pair, you’ll net a payout of between 25:1 and 30:1. In an eight-deck game, which is common, you’ll be looking at odds of around 1 in 59 for a Perfect Pair. In terms of house edge, Perfect Pairs can be as low as 4.1%.

21+3

When you place a blackjack side bet in the 21+3 zone, you’ll partially be playing some poker. The aim of the side bet is to get a winning three-card poker hand from your two dealt cards and the dealer’s card. At most tables of 21+3 Blackjack, you get different payouts for getting a Flush (5:1), Straight (10:1), Three-of-a-Kind (25:1), Straight Flush (40:1), and Suited Triple (100:1). The odds of hitting a winning hand decrease with fewer decks, but with eight decks in play, you could get a house edge as low as 3.2%.

Lucky Ladies

Based on your first two cards in Lucky Ladies Blackjack, you’re aiming to get at least one queen or a value of 20. One queen pays 1:1, and from there, you’ll need two Ten cards. Any Twenty pays 3:1, followed by a Suited Twenty (10:1), a Matched Twenty (30:1), and then a Queen of Hearts Pair (100:1). The odds of this side bet coming in are low, even when compared to the other side bets. Roughly, the house edge on each Lucky Ladies side bet is 25%.

Super Sevens

Sometimes called ‘Lucky Sevens’, the Super Sevens blackjack side bet is based on your first card, second card, and potentially your third card. Just like in a bunch of classic slots like 777 Strike, 7s on Fire, and 7s Deluxe Jackpot King, the aim is to collect sevens. If your first card is a seven, you’ll get a 3:1 payout. Another seven bumps that to 25:1.

If those sevens are of the same suit, you’ll be paid at odds of 50:1. Ask for a third card, and another seven will make the side bet pay 100:1, and if it’s the same suit as the others, it’s a bump to at least 500:1. They’re long odds for a reason. More decks mean a lower house edge here, which can be down to 9% or as high as nearly 17%.

Buster Blackjack

In Buster Blackjack, you’re waiting for the dealer to go bust. The more cards it takes for the dealer to go bust, the greater the payout is. Most tables offering the side bet have the dealer stand on soft 17, which plays into the likelihood of them going bust. Usually, a three or four-card bust will pay 2:1, five cards to a bust offers 4:1, six pays 18:1, seven pays 50:1, and eight or more for a bust will return 250:1.

At some tables, you can increase the payouts by getting blackjack and seeing the dealer bust with a seven or eight-card hand, which can pay up to 2000:1. If the dealer stands on soft 17, the house edge ranges from 8.2% to 8.8%, with fewer decks meaning a greater house edge. That shortens to under 6.9% at the most if the dealer has to hit on soft 17.

Pair Square

Pair Square is one of the most straightforward blackjack side bets going. If you get a Non-Suited Pair with your first two cards, you’ll get a 10:1 payout. If it’s a Suited Pair, you can usually get a 12:1 payout. Again, more decks mean a lesser house edge. If you can find an eight-deck Pair Square table, you’ll get a house edge of around 14.5%.

Bonus Blackjack

This blackjack side bet can vary in how it’s deployed. Generally, you can place a side bet on Player Blackjack, Dealer Blackjack, or Both Blackjack. Bonus Blackjack is one of the few side bets where a smaller deck shoe is better for the house edge. A win, regardless of which outcome you back, often pays 15:1, giving a house edge of around 22.8% for one deck or 24.1% for eight decks.

Royal 20s

A more open version of Lucky Ladies, the Royal 20s blackjack side bet pays for getting 20 from your first two cards. An Unsuited 20-value hand will pay 5:1, a Same-Suit 20 offers a 10:1 payout, and a Same-Suit Face Cards hand pays 25:1. The house edge for this side bet can be as low as 17.6%, with more decks being better for the player.

Honey Bonus

Similarly to 21+3, the Honey Bonus looks to your first two cards and the dealer’s up card to make winning poker hands. Importantly, you also get a 3:1 payout for getting a Suited Blackjack in your hand. From there, you can win via Flush (5:1), Straight (10:1), or Three-of-a-Kind (20:1). With a 13.5% house edge, the Honey Bonus is fairly middling if not good for players when it comes to side bets.

Royal Match

Get yourself a suited duo with your first two cards and you’ll win a payout of around 5:2 for an Easy Match with the Royal Match side bet. This could be a queen of hearts and a four of hearts, or a seven of spades and an eight of spades. Hit a Royal Match of two face cards in the same suit, you’ll get a payout of 10:1 to 25:1. If you get the higher returns, in an eight-deck game, the house edge falls to 3.6%, but can be as high as 7.8% for single-deck games.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Blackjack Side Bets

With big payouts and more betting options than a classic game of blackjack, many enjoy a dabble in the side bets. Others see them as more of a distraction from the core game with a very low house edge. To help you weigh up your options, here are some pros and cons of blackjack side bets.

Pros of Side Bets

At most blackjack tables, the highest payout is 3:2. Having more betting options and ones at long odds can offer greater entertainment value. Say you place a side bet every now and then and one hits, it could pay the same as hitting blackjack several times over.

Cons of Side Bets

The clear downside of blackjack side bets is the house edge. None have a house edge as low as the core game and few offer small house edge percentages. Perfect Pairs, 21+3, and Royal Match have fairly low house edges, but you need ideal tables for those, and even then, it’s at least double that of regular blackjack play.

FAQ

What is a Lucky Side Bet in Blackjack?

The Lucky side bet or Lucky Lucky side bet is based on your first two cards and the dealer’s up card. Hitting a total of 19, 20, or 21 pays with this side bet, as do combinations of sixes, sevens, and eights.

What is the 21+3 Side Bet in Blackjack?

The 21+3 side bet in blackjack is a bet that your first two cards and the dealer’s up card will make a winning three-card poker hand. The hand would either be a Flush, Straight, Three-of-a-Kind, Straight Flush, or Suited Triple.

Are Side Bets Worth it in Blackjack?

A big part of blackjack’s appeal is the very low house edge that can be lowered further with optimal play. Side bets, however, have comparatively high house edges due to the returns against the likelihood of each one paying out. In this sense, blackjack side bets aren’t really worth it. However, with such long odds and a mix-up of the rules, side bets in blackjack can add to the entertainment value, which does make them worth it for some players.

What is the Best Side Bet in Blackjack?

In terms of house edge percentages, the best blackjack side bets tend to be 21+3 with its roughly 3.2% house edge, or an eight-deck game of Perfect Pairs, which can have a house edge of as low as 4.1%.