Understanding Blackjack Payouts and Side Bets

(Sponsored) One of the best things about blackjack is that it’s the same game whether you’re playing it online or in a traditional brick-and-mortar casino. The rules remain the same, and to be honest they haven’t changed a lot throughout the history of gambling. So, a blackjack payout was the same back in the day as it is now.

By now, you must be wondering why we are even writing this article. Well, not everyone is introduced to this beautiful card game. There are plenty of rookies out there who need to understand blackjack basics such as a blackjack payout, blackjack odds, blackjack insurance, or blackjack side bets.

Side bets in blackjack are a great addition to an already interesting game. For all players with enough experience, it is an amazing way to elevate the excitement of playing BJ to a new level.

For rookies, it can be a whole new experience playing this card game. Because of that, in this piece, we’re going to talk about the intricacies of this game such as blackjack side bets, blackjack insurance, and blackjack odds.

The Essence of Blackjack Side Bets

As we said, side bets are a simple addition to the beautiful game of blackjack devised to make the game more interesting and bring bigger blackjack payouts. In essence, side bets are additional best added to your original bets.

They play out to themselves regardless of your original hand. A side bet is made together with your original wager before the cards are dealt. The primary goal of any side bet is to increase the amount of money you’re going to get.

Also, they can be a great way to cover your loss during a hand, or as we already mentioned to simply make the game more interesting and diverse. As you see, it is nothing too complex, but let us get into more detail.

Making a Side Bet

Blackjack side bets are made simply. To ensure that your blackjack payout is even bigger than 2:1 you make a side bet for that extra layer of excitement and aim for a bigger reward. When you play blackjack you start with one hand that is your main bet.

The side bet wager is an additional investment to the table on one hand. Depending on the table you’re playing at, you can make one, two, or even more side bets. Most tables allow two side bets at the same time.

When you play BJ for a while you will learn the limitations certain tables have. On the sides of your main wager, you will find spots to make your side bet. At most casinos, the amount you wager on the side bet can be significantly smaller than the lower limit of the table itself.

Once you place the chips on the main hand and the side bets, the round begins. depending on the side bet and your wager, the payout can be significantly bigger than your original bet. To know how things will play out one needs to learn about available side bets and how they function in both the terms of gameplay and payouts.

What Are Blackjack Side Bets?

As we said, if the simple hand of blackjack is not enough for you, the time has come to try out the blackjack side bets. These days, the majority of reputable online casinos such as Stake.com have plenty to offer in the variety of blackjack versions available, so you will have no issues in quickly incorporating side bets into your blackjack routine.

Before you do that, you need to know that side bets are not safe bets; they do not guarantee a win; but yet they’re an amazing way to increase your blackjack payout with an additional bet on the side of your main wager.

So, you make a side bet at the start of the round and collect a payout at the end if you hit. Before you know whether you’ve hit or not, you need to know what side bets are available. We’re going to talk about the most common side bets you can find at any casino when you play blackjack online.

21 + 3

Let’s start with the most popular blackjack side bet. This one is pure fun. With 21+3 you bet on your two cards that are dealt as a part of your initial hand and on the dealer’s upcard. With 21+3 you make two bets with one hand before the game even starts.

21+3 makes blackjack similar to Texas Hold’em live poker when you combine your cards with those on the table. The goal is similar to the one you have in poker. With your cards and the dealer’s upcard, your goal is to create a three-of-a-kind or straight flush.

If you get the desired combination the payout for this side bet is an amazing 9:1 ratio or even higher depending on what you’ve hit. As it’s the case with all blackjack side bets you need to place this one before any cards are dealt.

While we’re going to talk about the basics of side bets, if you want to delve deeper you can find a guide on the rules and payouts at every modern online casino where blackjack online is played.

Suited Three of a Kind

With suited of a kind the game of blackjack is elevated to a higher level and blackjack odds start to fluctuate. For this side bet to hit you need to get three cards of the same suit and the same rank.

So, with three Hearts of any number you win this side bet. If you hit, the payout is 10:1. Beware of not over-exerting this side bet as it has a high house edge and it doesn’t favor the player too often.

Perfect Pairs

Another side bet that experienced blackjack players simply adore. The win with this side bet comes when you have two cards of the same suit and the same rank in your original hand. Two Aces of Spades or Kings of Diamonds will do. When you get matching cards the payout is filthy 25:1.

While the payout is amazing and rather attractive, you need to know that the blackjack odds of hitting perfect pairs is quite lower compared to any other side bet. What makes the player keep on playing it, is the fact that the payout is so good that it’s worth the risk.

Mixed Pair

For all of you who love to mix it up when playing BJ, here’s an interesting side bet. There’s an option of mixed pairs side bet and yes it is as simple as it sounds on the first hearing. A mixed pair is when you receive cards of the same color and suit, but they don’t have to be of the same rank.

As you can guess, due to the easy gameplay tied to this side bet, and the high proximity of receiving a mixed pair. The payout for this one is not too great. It’s 5:1.

Colored

A colored side bet is where blackjack meets roulette. To hit this side bet one needs to guess the color of the first two cards. The same way as in roulette you can bet on it being either black or red.

So, when you get the matching colors to your bet, you win. While a simple addition, it is a great way for rookies to diversify their blackjack portfolio a bit. One could argue that this is the simplest side bet in blackjack. You don’t need any more reasons to try it.

Beat The Bust

As you can see, with all of these side bets, blackjack gets progressively more interesting. One of the more interesting additions to the original hand of blackjack is the side bet of Beat The Bust.

It is a simple wager. You bet on whether the dealer will go bust or not. But, this one comes with a safety switch for the house. If the dealer doesn’t bust you lose both your original and the side bet. In a game where it’s you vs. the dealer adding this type of side bet is like a small psychological warfare.

You win every hand where the dealer busts, so having this side bet often on the table actually makes pretty much sense. Whether you like it or not, this side bet needs to be tried out at least a few times. Maybe you get lucky; maybe you like it.

Blackjack Insurance

Blackjack is a simple card game that has quite a depth to it. Yes, this doesn’t make too much sense, but that’s how it is. Once you learn the basics, and they’re simple, you notice how the game has width.

Yet, it remains straightforward on all levels. This is where blackjack insurance comes into play as a side bet. If you’re a blackjack rookie you need to know that this is not a side bet you can invoke before the round starts.

Blackjack insurance is a side bet that protects you from the dealer’s blackjack. If the dealer draws a BJ you will get a payout in a 2:1 ratio. The interesting part is that an insurance bet can be hit with only 50% of your original wager.

Also, you can only play insurance when the first card drawn by the dealer is an Ace. If the dealer doesn’t hit blackjack the game continues and you’re back at the start.

While insurance offers a pretty safe net when playing it is not advised that you pay this bet too often. At the end of the day when the dealer gets BJ, the house wins, and in the long run, you will be betting against yourself if you pay the blackjack insurance too often.

777 Side Bet

Let’s elevate the stakes a little bit. This side bet is often called Super Sevens or at some casinos the Blazing 7s. it pays out if the player is dealt a 7 or more of them. In essence, you’re playing a game of lucky 7s.

if you get only one of them the payout is set at 3:1. While this is nice it gets even better. With two unsuited 7s you get a staggering payout of 50:1. Moving on, if you have two 7s of the same suit payout is 100:1.

If the Gods of gambling grace you and you hit on three 7s the payout is 500:1. For all of you lucky enough to hit on three 7s of the same suit the payout is 5000:1. What you need to remember when you’re chasing the big prize, some casinos will draw a third cared when the dealer has a BJ while others will not do this.

Lucky Ladies Side Bet

Let’s wrap it up with the best part – the ladies. If your side bet equals to 20 after the first two cards are drawn you win. For an unsuited combo, you gate a 4:1 payout. The suited combo will give you an attractive 10:1 payout, while a matched rank will bless players with 25:1.

The biggest prize when you play lucky ladies is of course receiving Queens of Hearts with a 200:1 payout. If you hit this combo and the dealer has a blackjack the payout goes up to 1000:1.

Summary

As you can see, blackjack is a simple game. Yes, it comes with plenty of options for side bets, but as it is evident from this article all of them are straightforward too. You can find plenty of ways to spice up the game of blackjack.

Being an interesting game in its simplest version, any side bet can elevate the pleasure of playing BJ to another level. The next time you play blackjack, put a few coins on the side bets, and tell us which one you prefer the most. 21+3 sounds like the most interesting one, or is it the Lucky Ladies? You tell us!

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