Ready to get more bang for your buck on every hand dealt?
Blackjack is already fantastic. Hands move quickly. Players get to flex their strategic muscles. Plus the house edge is low.
Throwing a few side bets into the mix ups that excitement factor several notches.
Done properly, side bets offer players chances at massive payouts on every hand. Done incorrectly, they can bleed bankrolls dry.
That’s why knowing which bets are worth your cash — and which ones aren’t — is so important.
Most blackjack players jump into side bets blindly. They slot extra chips down without knowing the rules, payouts, or odds.
Before risking more money on the table, take a minute to learn about each side bet offering. Here’s what pays, what doesn’t – and how much you can expect to lose.
Let’s dive into the most popular side bets blackjack tables offer and break them down…
What’s In This Guide
- What Are Blackjack Side Bets?
- Why Players Love Side Bets
- The Most Popular Blackjack Side Bets Explained
- Are Side Bets Worth It?
What Are Blackjack Side Bets?
As the name implies, blackjack side bets are wagers placed alongside (or near) the main hand you’re playing.
Optional is key. Side bets are just that – bets outside of the core blackjack game. They pay out on specific card combinations – regardless of whether you win or lose the hand.
Rules / payouts / odds vary by side bet.
Each one lives in its own little area on the table, clearly marked and standing apart from the main game. Players can choose to participate or not at any time.
Got it?
Why Players Love Side Bets
We’ll say it again: blackjack offers excellent bankroll management.
Hands play quickly, prizes pay 1:1 (outside of blackjack), and odds never dip below an even-money game.
For players looking for more excitement and bigger swings, that’s like watching paint dry.
Side bets change all of that.
Bankrolls can still be managed when wagering on side bets – if players remember these two truths:
- They offer huge payouts for tiny bets
- Tournaments offer better odds
Massive prizes for small stakes? Who doesn’t love that?
Here’s our full list of why players love side bets:
- Huge payouts for small stakes
- Create even more tension on every hand
- All pay MUCH better odds than the main game
- Some pay as high as 5,000:1 on rare hands
- Simple concept that’s easy to understand
- They’re quick to place, keeping the game fast
That thrill of anticipation is exactly why so many players have gravitated to blackjack side bets in recent years. They’re popping up in land-based casinos and online rooms everywhere.
The Most Popular Blackjack Side Bets Explained
Insurance
Players encounter Insurance bets at just about every blackjack table in the world.
Here’s how it works: when dealt a face-up Ace, players can wager up to half their original bet as Insurance. If the dealer flips over a ten-value card, player collects 2:1 on the Insurance bet.
If that sounds like a logical safety net — it’s not.
Insurance carries a house edge of around 7% — nearly doubling the house edge on the main game. The dealer hits blackjack much LESS often than once every three hands, making Insurance nothing more than a long-term loser.
Many strategy guides advise against it entirely.
Perfect Pairs
Perfect Pairs rewards players when the first two cards dealt form any sort of pair.
Matches can be split into three categories:
- Mixed pair (different suits, opposite colours): 5:1 payout
- Coloured pair (different suits, same colour): 10:1 to 12:1 payout
- Perfect pair (identical cards, same suit): 25:1 to 30:1 payout
The higher up the ladder players climb, the less likely that specific pair becomes – but ALSO the bigger payout.
Perfect Pairs carries a house edge of around 3.4% to 7.9% depending on paytable. This is one of the more “player friendly” options on our list.
21+3
21+3 side bets take their cues from three-card poker. Player’s first two cards combine with dealer’s face-up card to create a unique three-card hand.
Hands that payout include:
- Flush: all three cards are the same suit
- Straight: three cards in consecutive order
- Three of a Kind: three cards with the same value
- Straight Flush: three consecutive cards of the same suit
- Suited Trips: three identical cards, same suit (often pays 100:1)
House edge here depends on how many decks are in play – sitting at 8.78% with four decks but falling to 6.29% with six decks. Special payout for suited trips makes this a player favourite.
Lucky Ladies
Good luck is on the line with Lucky Ladies side bets. When dealt two cards that total 20, players win payouts based on the specific combination.
Bets typically include:
- Any 20 = 4:1 payout
- Matched 20 (same suit) = 9:1 payout
- Two queens of hearts = 125:1 payout
- Two queens of hearts with dealer blackjack = up to 1,000:1
Hands like the last example are why players find Lucky Ladies so exciting. Risking small bets to win thousands on a single hand is EVERYONE’s dream.
Expect house edge on Lucky Ladies to fall between 17% and 25% depending on the table’s paytable.
Sky high variance. Sure. But big risks equal big rewards.
Bust It
Side bets don’t always have to focus on the player’s cards. Bust It instead places emphasis on the dealer busting – and how many cards it takes for that to happen.
Dealer busting with eight cards pays more than busting with three. It flips typical blackjack suspense on its head, creating tension afresh on every dealer hand.
Players can expect house edge around 5.88% when playing Bust It bets.
Are Side Bets Worth It?
Well…
No. Not when compared to basic strategy blackjack. Players can see house edges dip below 0.5% when playing premium hands. Side bets hover around 6% – some even topping 10%.
That difference might not sound like much. Over dozens or hundreds of hands, however? It WILL kill bankrolls.
Just remember this — aside from thrill factor, there’s zero rational reason to partake in side bets.
Players still slap them down willy-nilly at online and brick & mortar casinos across the globe.
Ready for a recap?
Right, Let’s Recap That
Side bets offer players the chance to win HUGE payouts from small wagers. They’re simple to place, fun to watch, and require absolutely ZERO strategy to play.
Our biggest side bets: Insurance, Perfect Pairs, 21+3, Lucky Ladies and Bust It each come with their own flavour of fun.
Here’s the breakdown…
- Insurance is available at nearly every table but holds an incredibly high house edge (around 7%)
- Perfect Pairs rewards matching card combinations, paying up to 30:1 for identical pairs
- 21+3 creates poker-style hands using player’s first two cards, paying up to 100:1 for Suited Trips
- Lucky Ladies targets hands totaling 20 with payouts reaching into the thousands
- Bust It bets on dealer busting, rewarding players more for higher card totals
Study the house edge on each bet. Choose wagers that suit your style — and your bankroll. Then get out there and enjoy blackjack more than ever before.
