Most blackjack games in casinos today offer optional bonuses or side bets. Once rare at a basic blackjack table, they are becoming more and more common. The rational is simple because they carry a huge house edge. Anywhere from 3% to 20% or more compared to the 0.5% edge when playing straight blackjack with the correct basic strategy. The higher the edge, the more money the house makes.
Side bets have an advantage for the player in that all winning bonus bets will be paid out even if the player loses the original hand, and the big payouts are tempting. If you want to venture out, here are some of the most popular:
twenty one + 3
This side bet brings a bit of 3-card poker excitement into the mix, as your first two cards and the dealer’s up card are the determining factors. After you have made your BJ and your optional Twenty One + 3 bets, the combination of all three cards must equal a flush, a straight flush, any straight, or three of a kind. The bet wins 9 to 1 in a six or eight deck game. The house edge is around 3%.
royal match 21
This is based on your first two cards dealt:
Any two cards of the same suit pay 2.5 to 1
A King and a Queen of the same suit (Royal Match) pays 25 to 1
A Royal Match player and Royal Match dealer in any suit pays 1000 to 1
The maximum bet allowed will vary between casinos. With the outcome based on your first two cards, the house edge is around 6%.
Bet on September 21
This side bet focuses on your first two cards after you have placed your blackjack bet and a Bet the Set bet. In some jurisdictions, this bet is also known as Pair Square. If you receive a pair, you are paid according to a predetermined paytable based on the number of decks in play:
Single deck – country pair 15 to 1
Double Deck: Even Country 10 to 1, Even Country Suited 25 to 1
Four, six or eight decks: pair pays 10 to 1, suited pair pays 15 to 1
Depending on the number of decks in play and the pay table which varies between jurisdictions, the house edge varies between 5 and 6%.
dealer bust 21
The player wins if the dealer busts showing multiple cards face up. Winning payouts are paid according to the following table:
Bust with Ace up – Pays 10 to 1
Bust with 10 to K – Pays 4 to 1
Bust with 7 to 9 – Country 2 to 1
Bust with 2 to 6 – Country 1 to 1
The house edge is around 10% if the dealer stands on soft seventeen, around 8% if the dealer hits soft seventeen.
Over/Under 13
A player can bet if the total of their first two cards will be over or under 13. An exact total of 13 always loses and the Ace always counts as 1. The house edge for the Over 13 bet is 6.5 %, and for children under 13, it is 10%. The side bet is usually offered on six and eight deck games.
square pair
A player wins if their first two cards have the same value (such as a pair of 8s). An unmatched pair (such as an 8 of clubs and an 8 of hearts) pays 10 to 1. A matched pair (such as a pair of 8 of clubs) pays 15 to 1. The house edge is 10.6%.
super seven
In addition to your bet on the blackjack game, bet $1 that you will be dealt one to three sevens, resulting in the following payouts:
One seven countries 3 to 1
Two unsuited sevens pay 50 to 1
Two suited sevens pay 100 to 1
Three unsuited sevens pay 500 to 1
Three suited sevens pay 5,000 to 1
The house edge is around 12% without a third card being dealt and around 11% when a third card is dealt.
lucky ladies
Here is a bet where any hand that adds up to 20 wins something. If you are lucky enough to have a pair of queens, you will win more, as the following paytable shows:
Pair of queens with a Blackjack dealer – pays 250 to 1
Pair of Queens – Pays 25 to 1
Any 20 of the same suit – country 9 to 1
Any 20 inadequate – country 4 to 1
The house edge is between 17 and 20% depending on the jurisdictions pay table.
Always keep in mind that your funds are at a higher risk of running out faster while playing blackjack games and making these tempting side bets.
Good luck!
