Blackjack Side Bets

A natural impulse of gamblers is to risk a little to win a lot. It doesn’t make financial sense to back long-shots every time, but for most it’s boring to always root for the favourite. That is the logic behind blackjack side bets and why many people instinctively gravitate towards them.

Make no mistake, odds always favour the House, however, they’re usually cheap to make, commonly just one dollar, providing a little flash of delight during sessions. Of course, amount of entertainment provided depends on individual tastes and potential returns of what’s being staked.

Experts claim side bets should be avoided because they’re nothing more than a waste of valuable bankroll. This is somewhat true, although a few select ones are better than others, so when craving a change, here’s what to focus on.

Popular Blackjack Side Bets at Casinos

Countless blackjack side bets are available around the world and below lists most popular. As accepted standards exist for each, ensure to check specifics before risking chips.

21+3: Merges the player’s two cards and dealer’s Up-card. If creating a flush, straight, straight flush, or three of a kind, 9:1 is awarded, regardless of hand rank.

Royal Match: When first two cards are suited, an additional bonus is issued if holding King or Queen.

Perfect Pairs: When two cards form an unsuited pair of different colors, 5:1 is returned, unsuited and same colour pockets 10:1, and if identical, it’s a Perfect Pair, cashing in at 30:1.

Dare Any Pair / Any Pairs: Rewards any pair at 11:1, but doesn’t materialize often. When using a single deck, House edge is a whopping 29.41%.

Lucky Ladies: This one is in high demand and remunerates two-card hands totalling 20. As the name implies, a pair of Queens is best, and if those “lucky ladies” arrive together with a dealer blackjack, customary payout is 1000:1.

Hi / Low: This pits the player’s first card against the dealer’s Up-card. High card reigns supreme although dealers win all pushes except for Aces.

Bonus Blackjack: It doesn’t get any simpler than this, action on whether a blackjack appears. It gives 15:1 and House edge on single deck versions is 22.78% and grows from there. Occasionally, bonuses may be linked to progressive jackpots awarding extra for results incorporating the Ace of spades.

These are merely a sampling of sought-after side bets, but remember when seeking out supplemental entertainment that the House is not a charity. Only partake expecting fun, never profits.

Why Blackjack Side Bets Exist

Operators obviously know House edge in standard blackjack is less than 1%, so side bets are a straightforward yet effective way of increasing revenues under the guise of “excitement”. For example, consider Super Sevens, a sought-after attraction in Las Vegas and beyond.

Payouts on cards received are as follows:

• First = 7                                    3:1
• First two = unsuited 7s            50:1
• First two = suited 7s               100:1
• First three = unsuited 7s       500:1
• First three = suited 7s          5000:1

A chance to snag $5,000 on a single dollar is certainly attractive, plus it would have a good chance of beating the dealer. However, when examining true odds of various outcomes, the probability of drawing an opening 7 is roughly 7%, yet it yields a miserly 3:1, making it a terrible decision.

As for the trio of suited 7s to trigger the jackpot, that combination occurs approximately 15 times every 1,000,000 hands, so House edge is at least 11.4% depending on specific rules utilized. Therefore, Super Sevens is a classic example of, all that glitters, is not gold.