Game developers are constantly looking for new ways to attract and hold the attention of gamblers. This ceaseless striving for originality has led to the reinvention of many classic casino-banked games, including the ever-popular 21. Ante Up 21 is easily one of the most original variants of this classic game to be launched in recent years.
Patented by the LA-based manufacturer FYI Gaming, the game was originally invented by Michael Forster, who is also the president of the company. Ante Up 21 Poker Bonus Edition received the seal of approval from the Nevada Gaming Commission in 2008. The game is available at several gaming venues in the Silver State, including the Fremont Hotel and Casino in Sin City.
Ante Up 21 combines elements of conventional blackjack and poker. It offers multiple betting options and extra payouts, allowing for a highly stimulating, dynamic, and challenging gaming experience. If you are interested in giving this exciting blackjack variant a try, continue reading for an in-depth explanation of Ante Up 21’s rules and its house edge.
Breakdown of the Rules in Ante Up Blackjack
Players who are new to this variation should not feel intimidated, as it follows a relatively simple set of rules. When you approach the table, you will notice that there are three betting boxes in front of each seat. One box is for the standard blackjack hand, and the other is for the poker ante bet.
The third box is where players place chips for the optional Poker Bonus side bets. The ante bet must be at least the table minimum and may not exceed the blackjack bet. Once all seated players have posted their bets, each of them receives two cards face down, while the dealer receives one upcard and one hole card. The round begins with the poker portion of Ante Up 21, during which each participant checks their hole cards and evaluates the strength of their poker hand against the dealer’s face-up card.
Players place an extra side wager equal to their ante if they believe their poker hand is strong enough. Otherwise, they may pass without placing the extra bet but will lose their ante. The blackjack portion of the round begins once everyone has either passed or posted the additional poker bet.
Blackjack Rule Set
Poker Rule Set
Blackjack Rule Set
The blackjack portion of Ante Up 21 is played according to conventional blackjack rules, though these may vary from one casino to the next. After everyone decides how to play their poker hand, the dealer peeks at their hole card to check for a blackjack.
The game employs standard US rules with six full decks in play. The dealer is required to draw to soft totals of 17 and peeks for naturals when the upcard is a 10 or an Ace. This peek occurs before players act on their hands. Insurance is available, but only against dealer blackjacks. Surrender is not offered. Doubling down is allowed on any two-card total, including after a split.
Players may split pairs, but only once. Natural hands, that is, an Ace paired with any ten-value card (King, Queen, Jack, or 10), pay the standard 3 to 2, so a $10 blackjack returns $15 for a total of $25. When both the dealer and the player have blackjacks, the result is a push, meaning the player neither wins nor loses.
Your cards remain on the felt if you bust, provided you still have a live poker hand in play; only the chips for your losing blackjack wager are removed. If every participant goes over 21 yet at least one player has a live poker hand, the dealer reveals the hole card to complete the blackjack hand.
Poker Rule Set
After the dealer finishes playing the blackjack hand, they compare it, together with their best two-card poker hand, to the players’ hands. For the poker portion of the round, the dealer qualifies with a hand of Queen High or better.
Players receive even-money payouts on their ante bets and push their poker bets if the dealer fails to qualify. If the dealer has a natural blackjack, the player pushes the additional poker bet and may win, lose, or push on the ante bet.
There is no poker round if no one at the table has placed a poker bet. One noteworthy rule is that flushes and straights do not count as qualifying hands in this hybrid of poker and blackjack.
Because only the first two cards dealt face down count toward the poker hand, players qualify with pairs and high cards only. Extra cards drawn from splits or double downs do not affect the player’s poker hand.
During the showdown, the dealer compares the hand to each player’s starting poker hand. The dealer then selects the two cards that give them the highest-ranking poker hand, even if the blackjack hand has already busted.
If the player wins, they collect even-money payouts from both the ante and the additional poker bet. If the dealer holds the stronger poker hand, the player loses both wagers. Poker hands of equal rank push, and the player receives the ante and bet back.
The Bonus Side Bet in Ante Up 21
FYI Gaming has decided to add yet another twist to the game. It comes in the form of several optional poker side bets that enable players to earn extra-large payouts. As we said earlier, the chips for these side bets are placed in the designated Poker Bonus betting box on the layout.
FYI Gaming states on its official website that side bets in Ante Up 21 will cost players the nominal amount of $1. Only the first two cards players receive count toward the Poker Bonus hand, although you can also use the dealer’s upcard to form a set, i.e., three of a kind. Forming a pair with the dealer’s upcard and one of your initial two cards is impossible under the game’s rules.
It is also important to point out that you are eligible to place the Poker Bonus side bet only if you play the poker hand in Ante Up 21. The exact payouts for winning side bets vary from one land-based casino to the next. FYI Gaming shows four different payout structures on its website. Check them out in the table below. These payouts are based on winning $1 side bets.
Ante Up 21 Side Bet Payouts
| Winning Hand |
Paytable 1 |
Paytable 2 |
Paytable 3 |
Paytable 4 |
| Offsuit Pairs |
$5 |
$3 |
$3 |
$3 |
| Suited Pairs |
$15 |
$10 |
$5 |
$5 |
| Pairs of Offsuit Aces |
$10 |
$15 |
$10 |
$10 |
| Pairs of Suited Aces |
$30 |
$30 |
$25 |
$25 |
| Offsuit Sets |
$40 |
$50 |
$50 |
$50 |
| Offsuit Sets with Aces |
$100 |
$150 |
$150 |
$200 |
| Suited Sets |
$250 |
$500 |
$500 |
$750 |
| Sets of 3 Suited Aces (Diamonds, Hearts, and Clubs) |
$1,000 |
$2,500 |
$5,000 |
$2,500 |
| Sets of 3 Aces of Spades |
$5,000 |
$5,000 |
$10,000 |
$5,000 |
Online Blackjack Variations with Poker Elements
As previously mentioned, Ante Up 21 Blackjack is available only in a few land-based casinos in Nevada. If you still want to explore blackjack variations that blend 21 and poker, you can do so online from the comfort of your home. Below, we discuss four noteworthy online blackjack games that incorporate poker elements.
21+3 Blackjack by Felt Gaming
Perfect Pairs/21+3 Blackjack by Realistic Games
Caribbean Blackjack by Felt Gaming
Evolution Gaming Live Blackjack with 21+3 Side Bets
21+3 Blackjack by Felt Gaming
Software developer Felt Gaming is well regarded for producing fresh, unique takes on traditional casino table games, blackjack included. That creativity shines in 21+3 Blackjack, a graphically sophisticated title that merges two of the world’s most popular casino staples into one. You can play it on desktop and mobile devices alike, with the option to bet on up to three spots per round.
The game is dealt from a virtual shoe holding six decks, and the dealer stands on soft 17. Doubling is allowed only on two-card totals of 9 through 11. You may double after splitting pairs and split only once to create two hands. Surrender is not available. Blackjacks pay the standard 3 to 2. The main game carries a house edge of 0.37%.
In 21+3 Blackjack, players can chase extra payouts by placing various poker-related optional side bets. These wagers come with a considerably higher house edge of 7.14%. The following payouts apply when your first two cards and the dealer’s upcard form a qualifying poker hand:
- Suited trips pay 100 to 1
- Straight flushes pay 40 to 1
- Any other three of a kind pays 25 to 1
- Straights pay 10 to 1
- Flushes pay 5 to 1
Perfect Pairs/21+3 Blackjack by Realistic Games
Software developer Realistic Games offers an enhanced blackjack experience for all fans of 21 with its online variant of Perfect Pairs/21+3 Blackjack. The game supports two sets of side bets, Perfect Pairs and the 21+3 wagers discussed earlier. The desktop version lets you play up to five betting spots per round, compared with three spots in the mobile edition.
Perfect Pairs/21+3 Blackjack uses six full decks that are reshuffled before each round. Payouts for the Perfect Pairs and 21+3 side bets are configurable, so they can vary from one online casino to the next. The house edge ranges from 5.79% to 0.41%, depending on whether you place the side bets.
Caribbean Blackjack by Felt Gaming
Felt Gaming delivers another inventive twist on 21 with Caribbean Blackjack. As the name suggests, this variant is a cross between traditional blackjack and Caribbean Stud Poker, and it features a progressive jackpot.
In this game, you must play two blackjack hands instead of one each round. If the first card in each hand, together with the dealer’s upcard, forms a qualifying five-card Caribbean Stud hand, you win a portion of the progressive jackpot.
The entire pot is paid out for royal flushes. Remember, you must play both blackjack hands to be eligible for the progressive pot or any extra payout. The Five Card Bonus side bets pay as follows:
- 250 to 1 for royal flushes
- 150 to 1 for straight flushes
- 25 to 1 for four of a kind
- 50 to 1 for a full house
- 7 to 1 for flushes
- 4 to 1 for straights
- 3 to 1 for trips
- 2 to 1 for two pairs
- Even money for pairs of 10s through Aces
- Pairs of deuces through 9s push
Evolution Gaming Live Blackjack with 21+3 Side Bets
Tired of playing blackjack against RNG software? If so, head to an Evolution Gaming-powered casino where you can join skilled dealers for live blackjack with the 21+3 suite of side bets.
For a nominal side wager, you can collect additional payouts if your first two cards form mixed pairs (e.g., [As][Ah] pays 6 to 1), colored pairs (e.g., [As][Ac] pays 12 to 1), or suited (perfect) pairs (e.g., [As][As] pays 25 to 1). Otherwise, you immediately lose the side bet and continue playing your blackjack hand as usual.
The table layout includes a dedicated betting box for the 21+3 wagers. As with the Felt Gaming version, these side bets win when your first two cards and the dealer’s upcard create one of the qualifying three-card poker hands. Payouts vary according to the probability and strength of the hand as follows:
- Suited trips (e.g., [As][As][As]) offer the highest payout of 100 to 1
- A straight flush (e.g., [As][Ks][Qs]) pays 40 to 1
- Three of a kind (e.g., [As][Ah][Ac]) pays 30 to 1
- A straight (e.g., [As][Kc][Qd]) pays 10 to 1
- A flush (e.g., [As][9s][5s]) pays 5 to 1
All of these payouts are clearly posted on the table, along with the corresponding minimum and maximum bet limits. The Evolution Gaming software is compatible with desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones, giving you round-the-clock access to live-dealer action.
