Over the last half century or so, both brick-and-mortar and online casinos have introduced a host of side bets to their blackjack tables in an effort to attract more players and their betting action. What many unsuspecting patrons don’t know is that these side wagers are also designed to improve the casinos’ margins, generating more long-term profits for the house.
Nevertheless, side bets are a good way to make blackjack more engaging when placed occasionally. While these wagers carry significant risk, they also have the potential to be quite rewarding, often returning many times your initial stake.
In the following article, SuperCasinoSites explores the different side-bet options in blackjack, explaining their structure and payouts. We also examine these wagers’ theoretical return percentages and how they measure up against bets made in the base game.
Side bets in blackjack are additional wagers players can make during the base game. They usually involve guessing what cards the dealer or the player will receive. In some instances, payouts are also awarded when the first two cards of the player and the dealer’s upcard form specific three-card poker hands.
It is important to understand that these are entirely separate wagers and, as such, they are settled independently of your original stake. They bear no relation to your odds of winning your main wager. Side bets must be placed at the start of a round, before any cards have been dealt. They are settled immediately after the initial deal, before players make any playing decisions.
Another distinctive trait of side bets is that they offer significantly higher returns than the winning wagers in the main game. They require you to put a very small amount at stake, typically no more than a dollar.
Rather than paying even money like most other successful bets in blackjack, side bets can potentially earn you many times your stake, depending on their probability of winning. In some cases, players can pocket payouts of up to 2,000 to 1. Not a bad return for a $1 wager, right?
With that in mind, we recommend that players experiment with these exciting wagers only occasionally and in moderation. Side bets carry considerably higher house edges and can quickly drain your bankroll if you are not careful.
These bets come with extremely long odds and are based entirely on chance, although it is possible to exploit them to your advantage if you count cards. Card counting enables you to identify situations when certain side bets have better chances of winning because of the shoe’s changed composition.
Blackjack Rules and Moves Explained
Most Common Side Bets in Blackjack
There are many side bets in blackjack, but some are more widely available than others. Perfect Pairs and the 21+3 wagers are the most common choices for players looking to earn a little extra.
Online players can find these bets in RNG-based variations of the game such as those developed by Realistic Games, Playtech, NetEnt, RealTime Gaming, Microgaming, and Felt. The bets are placed in separate boxes, and the payouts appear on the table layout, although in some online versions you might see them in the game menu.
Perfect Pairs and 21+3 are also offered at live-dealer casinos powered by Evolution Gaming. They are available in live variants like Blackjack Party, Free Bet Blackjack, and Infinite Blackjack, among others.
The Insurance Bet
The Perfect Pairs Set of Side Bets
The 21+3 Set of Side Bets
The Insurance Bet
Insurance is not a typical side wager in blackjack, yet it is considered one because it is placed independently of your original stake and does not influence your odds of winning the main game. Insurance is offered at the start of a round, but only when the dealer shows an ace.
Players who accept this optional bet must place an amount equal to half of their original stake. The dealer then peeks under the ace and, if the hole card is a ten, pays the player at odds of 2 to 1. The player loses the main bet in this scenario but still breaks even for the round.
If the dealer does not have a ten in the hole, the player loses the insurance wager and the round continues, with everyone at the table making their splitting, doubling, hitting, or standing decisions. At first glance, taking insurance looks sensible because it supposedly protects your hand against a dealer blackjack.
In reality, it does nothing of the sort. Basic-strategy players should avoid this optional wager, no matter what hands they hold. The insurance bet never improves your chances of winning; instead, it creates a hefty house edge that far exceeds the one in the base game.
The casino advantage on insurance bets ranges from 5.8% to 7.5% depending on the number of decks in play. Only skilled card counters can exploit this side bet. By tracking the cards that leave the shoe, they can spot situations where the dealer is more likely to have a blackjack.
Insurance is never profitable for basic-strategy players because their decisions, as mathematically sound as they are, are based on a neutral shoe, that is, they know only their two cards and the dealer’s upcard.
The Perfect Pairs Set of Side Bets
Perfect Pairs is arguably the most popular and widely available side wager in blackjack. It pays when the player’s first two cards are of the same rank, such as a pair of queens or a pair of eights.
The dealer’s upcard is irrelevant here. Also, remember that this wager settles independently of the player’s main bet. The bet wins as long as you receive any pair. If not, the dealer collects your chips immediately after the initial deal, before you make any playing decisions.
Payouts range from 30 to 1 down to 5 to 1, depending on the likelihood of forming specific pairs. The lower the probability, the higher the payout, as shown below. There are three types of winning pairs in blackjack.
- Suited pairs consist of cards of the same suit and rank, such as [10s][10s]. These “perfect” pairs award the top payout of 30 to 1 (25 to 1 in Playtech’s version).
- Colored pairs are two offsuit cards of the same rank and color, like [Qs][Qc]. They pay 10 to 1 or 12 to 1, depending on the online variant.
- Mixed pairs are two cards of the same rank but of different suits and colors, like [6s][6h]. Because they are easier to form, they return less, usually 6 to 1 or 5 to 1.
The 21+3 Set of Side Bets
The second widely available group of blackjack side wagers is the 21+3 bet. You can find it in several online variations developed by suppliers such as Realistic Games and Felt Gaming, and at many Evolution Gaming live-dealer tables.
To win a 21+3 bet, you must form a qualifying three-card poker hand using your first two cards and the dealer’s upcard. Payouts vary by game but generally range from 100 to 1 down to 5 to 1.
The value of the payout depends on the strength of the poker hand, and the house edge likewise varies with the paytable and the number of decks in use. The qualifying hands and typical returns are listed below:
- Flush pays 5 to 1 for three cards of the same suit, such as [6s][9s][Qs].
- Straight returns 10 to 1 for three cards of consecutive rank in mixed suits, for example, [5s][6h][7c].
- Trips (three of a kind) pay 30 to 1 for three cards of the same rank, like [Qs][Qd][Qh].
- Straight flush pays 40 to 1 for three consecutive cards of the same suit, such as [10s][Js][Qs].
- Suited trips offer the top payout of 100 to 1 for three cards of the same rank and suit, for example, [Ks][Ks][Ks] or [7d][7d][7d].
Other Supported Side Bets in Blackjack
Perfect Pairs and 21+3 are just two of the many side bets available in online blackjack. Casinos are remarkably inventive when it comes to increasing their margin and drawing new players to their tables. Most of the following wagers are niche options unique to specific blackjack variants created by particular suppliers. We outline several of the more exotic side bets below.
The Lucky Ladies Bet
Suit ‘Em Up Bets
The Lucky Lucky Bet
Dealer Bust Side Bets
Under/Over 13
The Royal Match Side Bet
The Lucky Ladies Bet
Lucky Ladies is one of the best-known side wagers in land-based casinos across North America and has recently made its online debut thanks to software developer Felt Gaming. The bet wins when the player’s first two cards total 20 or the starting hand contains a queen of any suit.
The top payout is reserved for a pair of queens of hearts, commonly called the “lucky ladies”. Some versions award a staggering 1,000 to 1 if you have lucky ladies and the dealer shows a blackjack at the same time, but this prize is not available in Felt Gaming’s online variant. The exact payout depends on the value of the player’s first two cards, as detailed in Felt’s paytable below.
- A pair of queens of hearts offers the highest payout of 100 to 1 and wins whenever both of the player’s first two cards are the queen of hearts.
- Matched Twenty hands pay 30 to 1. You win when your first two cards are suited, share the same face value, and total 20, for example, two kings of spades.
- Suited Twenty pays 10 to 1 for any two suited cards that combine to 20, such as a jack of spades and a ten of spades.
- Any Twenty returns 3 to 1 when your opening two cards total 20 but are of different suits, as with a queen of spades and a jack of diamonds.
- Any Queen is the lowest-paying result because it is the easiest to achieve, especially with multiple decks in play. The only requirement is that your starting hand contains a queen, for instance, [Qd][6s]. Suit does not matter. Any Queen pays even money, or 1 to 1.
Suit ‘Em Up Bets
The Suit ‘Em Up side bet is offered at select land-based casinos in Las Vegas, such as Red Rock Casino, and has recently been brought online by software supplier Felt Gaming, introducing a range of new wagers to internet players.
The house edge for Suit ‘Em Up varies with the paytable and the number of decks. Felt Gaming’s version pays as follows for special suited hands:
- A pair of suited aces awards 50 to 1 (some casinos offer 60 to 1).
- A suited blackjack pays 10 to 1 when the player’s first two cards form a natural blackjack of the same suit, such as [Qs][As].
- Suited pairs pay 5 to 1 when the player has two cards of the same rank and suit, like [10s][10s].
- Suited eleven returns 3 to 1 when your first two cards total 11 and share the same suit, for example, [6s][5s] or [8d][3d].
- Any two suited cards pay 2 to 1 as long as the first two cards are of the same suit but different ranks, such as [6h][7h].
The Lucky Lucky Bet
Similar to the 21+3 wager, the Lucky Lucky side bet is determined by the player’s first two cards and the dealer’s upcard. According to American gaming expert and mathematician Michael Shackleford, it was the first blackjack side bet to be settled on this basis.
Lucky Lucky is offered at numerous land-based casinos across Canada and the United States, and it is now available online through Felt Gaming, which adapted the bet for digital play. Playtech has also released an online version.
Paytables vary among casinos, as does the number of decks in use. Some venues run the game with one deck, while others employ up to six. Felt Gaming’s six-deck version pays out for the following three-card hands:
- 7/7/7 suited pays 200 to 1.
- 6/7/8 suited pays 100 to 1.
- 7/7/7 offsuit pays 50 to 1.
- 6/7/8 offsuit pays 25 to 1.
- Suited 21 pays 15 to 1 when the player’s first two cards and the dealer’s upcard total 21 and all share the same suit.
- Offsuit 21 pays 3 to 1 when the three cards total 21 but are not suited.
- Total of 20 pays 2 to 1 when the three cards equal 20, regardless of suit.
- Total of 19 also pays 2 to 1 when the three cards equal 19.
Dealer Bust Side Bets
This group of side bets gives blackjack players another reason to cheer when the dealer busts by exceeding 21. With the dealer-bust wager, you can collect extra-large payouts, which depend on how many cards it takes for the dealer to go over 21.
In Felt Gaming’s Buster Blackjack, the payouts rise with each additional card involved in the bust. The more cards the dealer uses before breaking, the larger the return.
The wager loses whenever the dealer does not bust. Unlike most side bets, the Buster wager is not resolved at the start of the round; the player must first act on their hand and wait for the dealer to finish.
Felt’s version offers its biggest prizes when the dealer busts with at least seven or eight cards while the player holds a blackjack. The full paytable is outlined below:
- Dealer busts with 8+ cards and the player has blackjack: 2,000 to 1. If the dealer busts with eight cards and the player lacks blackjack, the payout drops to 250 to 1.
- Dealer busts with 7+ cards and the player has blackjack: 800 to 1. Without player blackjack, a seven-card bust pays 50 to 1.
- Dealer busts with 6 cards: 18 to 1.
- Dealer busts with 5 cards: 4 to 1. This outcome occurs roughly 1.9% of the time in a six-deck game where the dealer stands on soft 17 (S17).
- Dealer busts with 4 or 3 cards: 2 to 1. The probability is about 26.6%. Because the dealer fails to bust in a little over 71% of rounds, it is wise to tread carefully with Buster wagers.
Under/Over 13
The Over/Under 13 is arguably the simplest blackjack side bet. It consists of two propositions that win when the player’s first two cards total either below 13 or above 13. The wager loses if the total is exactly 13.
Note that aces lose their usual flexibility; they always count as 1 for this bet, never 11.
The bet is available at select land-based tables that use six or eight decks. Unfortunately, it carries a steep house edge: roughly 6.5% on the Over 13 option and 10% on the Under 13 option.
The Royal Match Side Bet
The Royal Match side bet is somewhat similar to Perfect Pairs because it pays when the player’s first two cards form certain suited combinations. The payout depends on how difficult the match is to achieve.
There are two possible matches: an easy match and a royal match. An easy match occurs when your first two cards are suited, which pays 5 to 2, or 2.5 times your stake.
A royal match requires a King and a Queen of the same suit, such as [Ks][Qs] or [Kh][Qh], and pays 25 to 1. Some tables also award 5 to 1 when the player makes a blackjack consisting of suited ten-value cards and an ace. Because Royal Match appears in both pitch and multi-deck games, its house edge varies with the number of decks.
Playing for the Progressive Jackpot with Side Bets
Progressive blackjack games are rare, but they are worth seeking out online because they can award life-changing prizes. To qualify for the jackpot, players generally place a small side bet, usually no more than one dollar.
Two progressive blackjack titles are widely available for real-money play: one from Playtech and an earlier release from Microgaming. We will examine the Microgaming version first.
Triple Sevens Blackjack by Microgaming
Progressive Blackjack with Side Bets by Playtech
Triple Sevens Blackjack by Microgaming
Triple Sevens is available at select Microgaming-powered casinos and features a progressive jackpot that averages around $80,000, typically hitting once a year. To play for a share of the pot, you must place an optional $1 side bet.
The entire jackpot is awarded to the player who receives three sevens of diamonds. Consequently, you should adjust your strategy: splitting paired sevens would eliminate your chance of landing the top prize.
Instead, hit paired sevens regardless of the dealer’s upcard in hopes of drawing a third seven and claiming at least part of the jackpot. Smaller payouts from the progressive pool are offered for the following hands:
- One seven of any suit pays 5 to 1.
- Paired sevens of any suit pay 25 to 1.
- Paired sevens of the same suit pay 50 to 1.
- Trips with sevens of any suit pay 250 to 1.
- Trips with suited sevens (other than diamonds) pay 1,000 to 1.
- Triple sevens of diamonds award the entire progressive jackpot.
Progressive Blackjack with Side Bets by Playtech
Playtech’s version of progressive blackjack lets you play between one and five hands per round, and a single-hand variant is also available at some Playtech casinos. As with Microgaming’s game, you must place the $1 jackpot side bet for a chance to win the progressive prize.
Although the side bet is modest, playing it every round can drain your bankroll quickly, so exercise caution. To claim part or all of the jackpot, you need to draw one or more aces.
The aces must appear consecutively, meaning that split hands such as [As][7h][As] do not qualify for the larger payouts. Many advantage players wait until the jackpot exceeds $581,000; below that threshold, the game offers negative expectation. The side-bet payouts are:
- One ace pays 5 to 1.
- A pair of aces pays 50 to 1.
- Two aces of the same suit pay 100 to 1.
- Three offsuit aces pay 250 to 1.
- Four offsuit aces pay 2,500 to 1.
- Three suited aces pay 5,000 to 1, the largest fixed portion of the pool.
- Four suited aces award the entire progressive jackpot.
Side Bets and Theoretical Player Return Percentages
The massive payouts are easily one of the most enticing aspects of blackjack side bets, along with the added excitement they bring to the game. With that said, casinos do not offer side bets just to spice things up for their patrons.
The main goal here is to attract more customers to the blackjack table and lull them into playing bets with a huge negative expected value. Or no value at all, depending on how you look at things.
As much as we hate to say it, side bets offer a significantly lower Return to Player (RTP) than the main blackjack game does. We advise you to look up the table below to see exactly what you are up against in terms of house edges and player return percentages with the most common side bets. By way of comparison, the base game has a house edge of roughly 0.50% with perfect basic strategy and an RTP of 99.50%.
RTP, House Edges, and Probabilities of the Most Common Side Bets in Blackjack
| Side Bet Type |
Return to Player For 6 Decks |
House Edge for 6 Decks |
Probability of Obtaining Any Qualifying Hand |
| Perfect Pairs |
93.89% |
6.11% |
7.47% (in eight-deck games) |
| 21+3 |
92.86% |
7.14% |
29.17% (in six-deck games) |
| Lucky Ladies |
93.78% |
6.22% |
21.27% |
| Suit ‘Em Up |
95.35% |
4.65% |
24.76% |
| Lucky Lucky |
96.10% |
3.90% |
23.75% |
| Buster Bet |
93.80% |
6.20% |
28.19% |
| Royal Match |
93.34% |
6.66% |
24.76% |
| Super Sevens |
88.6% |
11.4% |
7.69% |
| Over/Under 13 |
93.44% for Over; 89.93% for Under |
6.56% for Over; 10.07% for Under |
46.73% for Over;44.97% for Under |
| Hi-Lo |
97.92% |
2.08% |
2.08% |
| Match the Dealer |
95.94% |
4.06% |
14.27% |
| Pair Square/Any Pair |
95.90% for 8 decks |
4.096% for 8 decks |
7.47% for 8 decks |
| Progressive Blackjack |
40.31% + for 8 decks |
59.69% – for 8 decks |
0.57% for 8 decks |
