Learn About Side Bets in Blackjack
Blackjack is a classic card-comparing game where it’s you against the dealer. Whoever gets the closest to 21 without going over 21 wins, though ties are possible. To play, you have to place a main bet though in many games, optional side bets are available.
An Overview of Blackjack
Blackjack is a widely played card-comparing game where you try to beat the dealer to 21. Whoever has the hand closest to 21 – without going above this number – wins the game. To play, you have to place a main bet.
So, what are blackjack side bets? These are completely optional and they’re available in most blackjack games (real-life and online), though some of them are offered in more games than others.
Unlike the main bet, side bets don’t depend on the game’s outcome. In other words, you can win a side bet even if you lose the main game (i.e. the dealer beats you to 21).
There are several side bets in blackjack, and these are explained below. When you’ve finished reading about them, consider placing some the next time you play blackjack online.
If you’re keen to play the card-comparing game, you should join one of the best online casinos for blackjack. These sites have a lot to offer, tick all the right boxes and have a great reputation.
Insurance
Before explaining the side bets, we’ll look at the insurance bet, which works differently from others. This is because you can only place it if the dealer’s face-up card is an ace.
Insurance costs half your initial wager. If you place the bet, it pays 2:1 if the dealer’s face-down card is worth 10, which would result in the dealer getting 21.
However, if the dealer’s face-down card isn’t worth 10, you lose the bet. The insurance bet is usually considered not worth placing because of its rather low chance of winning. Still, it can be rewarding if you’re lucky.
Insurance is available in most blackjack games. There are some that don’t offer it, but the majority of them do. You should consider placing the bet if your starting hand is worth 16 or less.
Blackjack’s Other Side Bets Explained
The other side bets in blackjack can be placed before the game starts; they don’t become available if the dealer has a certain face-up card like the insurance bet.
First, we’ll look at side bets that are concerned with your starting hand.
- Perfect Pair: This bet pays 25:1 if your two starting cards are of the same rank and suit, e.g. two 5 of Hearts.
- Coloured Pair: Similar to Perfect Pairs, Coloured Pair pays if your first two cards are of the same rank and colour, e.g. 10 of Spades and 10 of Clubs. Its payout is 12:1.
- Mixed Pair: For this bet to win, your first two cards need to be of the same rank but different colours e.g. 4 of Hearts and Clubs. The bet’s payout is 5:1.
- Easy Match: You win this bet if your first two cards are of the same suit e.g. 2 of Diamonds and 4 of Diamonds. The payout for winning the Easy Match bet is 5:2.
- Royal Match: To win the Royal Match side bet, your first two cards have to be a Queen and King of the same suit e.g. Queen of Spades and King of Spades. The bet’s payout is 25:1.
- Over/Under 13: This is a bet that pays out if the value of your starting hand is less or greater than 13 respectively. It pays 10:1, though if your hand adds up to 13, the bet loses. If your hand includes an Ace, it’s counted as 1 for this bet.
- Super Sevens: For this bet, it’s all about how many 7s there are in your starting hand. It pays 3:1 if there’s one 7, 50:1 if there are two of different suits and 100:1 if there are two of the same suit. If you hit and get a third seven, the payout is 500:1 for three 7s of different suits or 1000:1 for three sevens of the same suit.
- Lucky Ladies: This bet pays if your first two cards have a value of 20. The payout is 4:1 if the cards are of different suits or 10:1 if they’re of the same suit. It increases to 25:1 if they’re of the same suit and rank.
Here are some side bets for blackjack games that involve both your starting cards and the dealer’s face-up card.
- 21+3: This bet pays if your two cards and the dealer’s face-up card form a three-card poker hand. There are various payouts depending on what the three cards are. These range from a flush (three cards of the same suit) whose payout is 5:1, to a suited three of a kind (three cards of the same rank and suit) which pays 100:1.
- Lucky Lucky: The Lucky Lucky bet pays if your two cards and the dealer’s face-up card form a certain combination or achieve a certain value. There are various payouts for this bet, including 2:1 for a total value of 19 or 20, 3:1 for a total value of 21 and 100:1 for a 6, 7 and 8 of the same suit.
- Match the Dealer: This blackjack side bet pays if one of your starting cards is of the same rank as the dealer’s face-up card. It pays 4:1 if the two cards are of different suits and 11:1 if they’re of the same suit.
The payouts listed for the blackjack side bets above are the standard ones. In some games, there are different payout rates. To find out how much you can win from a bit, check the paytable.
This explains the game’s full rules and lists all the available side bets. It lets you know what has to happen for a side bet to win and what its payout is.
It’s a good idea to check the paytable before playing online blackjack. This is because payouts as well as rules and features can vary from one game to the next.
How to Place Blackjack Side Bets
The way you place blackjack side bets when playing online is straightforward. First of all, you’ll have to place the main bet in order to qualify; without this, you can’t play.
Somewhere on the screen, usually near the bottom, you’ll see the different bets that are available. These should be clearly displayed so you can see all the options you can choose from.
To place a side bet, simply select one or more chips and drag them onto the side bet you wish to place. When you’re done, click the button to confirm your bets and the game will then start.
Are Blackjack Side Bets Worth Placing?
Now we’ve got blackjack side bets explained, we’ll look at whether these bets are worth placing. Even though their payouts can be quite high, side bets are usually not worth placing.
The chances of winning a side bet are generally low. The greater the payout, the less likely you are to win. If you compare the main blackjack bet with side bets, the main bet has a better long-term payout rate.
In other words, the main bet should pay you more money on average than any of the side bets, including insurance. Having said that, you can still place a side bet, win it and make a decent profit.
Just bear in mind that any wins will be countered by a much greater number of losses. In the end, you shouldn’t make as much money from side bets as you would from the game’s main bet.
By all means, place some blackjack side bets and see how they work for you. It’s a good idea to play free online blackjack so you can test the different side bets without having to risk any actual money.
Most online casinos have blackjack and let you play free demo versions once you sign up. Take advantage of this to develop your blackjack gameplay and see which, if any, of the side bets you find suitable.
