Jul 20, 2019 Blackjack side bets explained, rules, strategy guides, hints and tips for novice and experienced players. Click and get yourself the best advice on the net! Try your hand at Blackjack (single-deck, double-deck and 6-deck shoe – with Royal Match, King’s Bounty and Bonus Spin), $5 Craps, Pai Gow Progressive, Ultimate Texas Hold’em Progressive, 3-Card Poker featuring 6 Card Bonus side bet as well as Progressive, and Roulette.
Blackjack side bets come in many shapes and sizes. Many traditional and online blackjack games have their own lineup of side bets. It would be impossible to come up with a complete list of side bets, though all blackjack side bet options generally fall under a few different categories. Here’s a breakdown of both common and obscure blackjack side bets.
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Super Sevens Side Bet
The 7 card is a big player in blackjack side bets. Sometimes called Super Sevens bets, this side bet is a proposition wager on whether or not the first card you are dealt is a 7. This bet traditionally pays off at 3-to-1.
Another Super Sevens side bet is whether the first two cards you receive are 7s. Because this is a far less likely event, a winning Double Sevens bet pays off at 50-to-1 or more. Taking it a step further, some casinos that use multi-deck blackjack shoes offer Suited Sevens bets, which state that if you are dealt two suited sevens, you win a payoff as high as 100-to-1.
There’s one more Super Sevens bet that is one of the least likely occurrences in the casino. If the first 3 cards you are dealt are 7s, regardless of suit, you can earn between 500-to-1 (for unsuited triple 7s) or as much as 5,000 to 1 (for suited triple 7s).
Royal Match Side Bet
The Royal Match bet pays a small bonus if the first two cards you receive are suited, called an “easy match”, and a much larger bonus if the first two cards you receive are a suited king and queen, which is called the Royal Match. You’ll find several versions of this side bet, with the payouts expected just under 97% to 93%.
Streak Blackjack Side Bet
One blackjack side bet you might not see as often in the streak bet. In this proposition, you win the bonus if you have a certain number of winning hands in a row. When you have split pairs, you’ll need to determine a net win for the total hand. For instance, if you split 7s and win on one hand while pushing on the other, that’s considered a net win. Take note that most streak bets don’t allow you the surrender option.
Over/Under 13 Side Bet
This proposition calls for you to bet on whether your hand will be over 13, under 13, or exactly 13 after you’re dealt two cards. For the purpose of this bet, aces count as 1. If you make this wager and all things are even (when card counting), the better proposition is to be Under 13, which has a house edge of over 6% instead of over 10%. The exactly 13 bet, which pays at 10 to 1 odds, is over 7% house edge.
Pair Square Side Bet
In this bet, you win money if your first two cards are a pair. If the first two cards are a suited pair, you’re paid even more. This blackjack side bet, which has been spotted in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and Tunica, is one of the better side bets in blackjack from the player’s perspective. The expected return ranges from 99.41% for a popular one-deck variation to a 96.15% for one of the six-deck variations.
21 + 3 Side Bet
The 21+3 side bet in blackjack is based on the first two cards you’re showing and the dealer’s face card. If the combination of these cards are a straight, a flush, a straight flush, or a three of a kind, you win your side bet. The house edge on these games ranges from over 2% to somewhat over 3%.
Sweet Sixteen Side Bet
The Sweet 16 side bet in blackjack pays if you get a 16 or more on your first two cards. This bet pays at 1 to 1. Also, one ace pays at 1 to 1, while two aces pay at 2 to 1. If you get a pair of 2s through 7s, you get a push. This combines for a 97.42% house edge.
Lucky Ladies Side Bet
The Lucky Ladies bet involves making a 20-hand, while the best payoff is for a pair with the Queen of Hearts. If you receive a Queen of Hearts pair making 20, you’re paid at 125 to 1. If you receive a Queen of Hearts pair while the dealer makes a blackjack, you win 1000 to 1 in payoff money. A matched 20 (matched rank and suit) gives you 19 to 1 odds, while a suited 20 pays off at 9 to 1. If you build a hand with an unsuited 20, you’re paid at 4 to 1.
Bonus Blackjack Side Bet
This is a series of side bets in which either you or the dealer, or both, get a blackjack. You can bet on the player getting the blackjack, the dealer getting the blackjack, or both of your hitting on it. If both you and the dealer get blackjacks with an ace and jack of spades, you win a progressive bonus payoff.
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More Blackjack Side Bets
Below are some other blackjack side bets you’ll find in casinos. Each blackjack floor is going to offer its own list of side bets, so learn what the side bets are in the local card rooms where you live. Online casinos also sometimes offer their own selection of blackjack side bets.
Bonanza Blackjack – Player has a hard or soft 20 and the dealer has a 10-point card of any type.
Hi/Low Side Bet – You can bet on whether your first card is going to be higher or lower than the dealer’s card.
2 through 6 Side Bet – If the dealer is dealt a 2 through 6 card, you win a side bet.
Jack Magic Side Bet – This involves getting jacks in your hand and the dealer’s face-up card. You’re paid more for one-eyed jacks.
Match the Dealer Side Bet – For each of your first 2 cards which matched the dealer’s up card, you win a side bet.
Lucky Lucky Side Bet – This involves getting certain combinations in your first 2 cards and the dealer’s up card: 777, 678, and other combinations that add up to 21.
Bonus Spin Side Bet – In this game, you’ll receive a spin at a wheel if you win the bonus spin side bet. The prize wheel range from 5x to 100x.
Dare Any Pairs Side Bet – This bet pays at 11 to 1 and is simple as can be. If your first two cards are a pair, you win the 11 to 1 bet.
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Introduction
The royal match is a simple bet that pays a bonus if the first two cards are suited (an easy match) and a top bonus for a suited king and queen (a royal match). Below are probability tables for various versions I have seen through the years.
Royal Match — Version 1 — Six Decks
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal match | 25 | 144 | 0.002968 | 0.074202 |
| Easy match | 2.5 | 11,868 | 0.244620 | 0.611551 |
| No match | -1 | 36,504 | 0.752412 | -0.752412 |
| Total | 48,516 | 1.000000 | -0.066658 |
Royal Match — Version 2 — One Deck
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal match | 10 | 4 | 0.003017 | 0.030166 |
| Easy match | 3 | 308 | 0.232278 | 0.696833 |
| No match | -1 | 1,014 | 0.764706 | -0.764706 |
| Total | 1,326 | 1.000000 | -0.037707 |
The following table displays the house edge for each version given the number of decks used.
Royal Match House Edge
| Number of Decks | Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.108597 | 0.037707 |
| 2 | 0.083271 | 0.008215 |
| 4 | 0.070792 | -0.006317 |
| 6 | 0.066658 | -0.011130 |
| 8 | 0.064597 | -0.013531 |
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The probabilities for the royal match are easy to derive.Lets use n for the number of decks of cards. The number of two card combinations is combin(52×n,2). The number of ways to make a royal match is 4*n2. This is because there are 4 suits and n ways to choose the queen and n ways to choose the king. The number of ways to make an easy match is 4×(combin(13×n,2)-n2). The 4 is the number of suits and combin(13×n,2) is the number of ways to arrange 2cards from a given suit. You must also subtract the number of ways to make a royal match.
The probability of an easy match is 4×(combin(13×n,2)-n2)/combin(52×n,2).
The probability of a royal match is 4×n2/combin(52×n,2).
Royal Match - Version 3
In a third version there is a separate pay for a suited blackjack as follows.
- Royal Match pays 25 to 1
- Suited Blackjack pays 5 to 1
- Easy Match pays 5 to 2
The following table shows the expected value for a 6-deck game is -3.70%.
Royal Match Version 3- Six Decks
| Hand | Combinations | Probability | Pays | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal match | 144 | 0.002968 | 25 | 0.074202 |
| Suited blackjack | 576 | 0.011872 | 5 | 0.059362 |
| All other matches | 11292 | 0.232748 | 2.5 | 0.58187 |
| Loss | 36504 | 0.752412 | -1 | -0.752412 |
| Total | 48516 | 1 | -0.036977 |
The next table shows the house edge for various number of decks for version 3.
Royal Match Version 3- 1 to 8 Decks
| Decks | House Edge |
|---|---|
| 1 | 7.84% |
| 2 | 5.34% |
| 3 | 4.52% |
| 4 | 4.11% |
| 5 | 3.86% |
| 6 | 3.70% |
| 7 | 3.58% |
| 8 | 3.49% |
Royal Match - Version 4
The Shufflemaster TMS 300 is an electronic blackjack game, played facing a giant video screen of a dealer. It features a Royal Match side bet, adding a pay for the player and dealer both having a royal match. Following is the return table for six decks.
Royal Match — Version 4 — Six Decks
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player and Dealer Royal Match | 1000 | 19152 | 0.000008 | 0.008242 |
| Player royal match | 25 | 6877728 | 0.00296 | 0.073996 |
| Suited | 2.5 | 568417860 | 0.24462 | 0.611551 |
| Loser | -1 | 1748359080 | 0.752412 | -0.752412 |
| Total | 2323673820 | 1 | -0.058622 |
The next table shows the house edge by number of decks.
Royal Match — Version 4 — 1-8 Decks
| Number of Decks | House Edge |
|---|---|
| 1 | 10.14% |
| 2 | 7.59% |
| 3 | 6.73% |
| 4 | 6.3% |
| 5 | 6.04% |
| 6 | 5.86% |
| 7 | 5.74% |
| 8 | 5.64% |
Royal Match — Version 5
Version 5 of the Royal Match is a progressive jackpot on ShuffleMaster TableMax units. These are the electronic blackjack games with a big screen, usually showing a pretty and very buxom dealer.
In this version, the side bet is always $1. It pays a progressive jackpot for a 'Crown Treasure,' which is both the dealer and player having a Royal Match. Smaller pays are $60 for a player only royal match, and $10 for a player straight flush, which I assume means the player's first two cards are suited and consecutive, including A-2.
Bonus Match Md
There is also a $500 envy bonus, which pays if you make the side bet, and another player gets a Crown Treasure. The other player does not have to make the side bet for other players to qualify for the Envy Bonus.
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The following table shows a hypothetical return table, for six decks, a $10,000 jackpot, and no other players.
Six-Deck Progressive Royal Match — $10,000 Jackpot and No Other Players
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crown Treasure | $10,000 | 19,152.00 | 0.000008 | 0.082421 |
| Royal Match | $60 | 6,877,728.00 | 0.002960 | 0.177591 |
| Straight Flush | $10 | 82,762,560.00 | 0.035617 | 0.356171 |
| Loser | $0 | 2,234,014,380.00 | 0.961415 | 0.000000 |
| Total | 2,323,673,820.00 | 1.000000 | 0.616183 |
The general formula for the return in a six-deck game is 0.533762 + 0.082421×j + 0.004121× p, where j is the jackpot divided by $10,000, and p is the number of other players (not counting yourself).
The next table shows the breakeven points, in which the expected return is exactly 100%, given the number of other players, in a six-deck game.
Progressive Royal Match Breakeven Points
| Other Players | Breakeven Point |
|---|---|
| 6 | $53,567.70 |
| 5 | $54,067.70 |
| 4 | $54,567.70 |
| 3 | $55,067.70 |
| 2 | $55,567.70 |
| 1 | $56,067.70 |
| 0 | $56,567.70 |