Blackjack is known for having one of the lowest house edges in the casino, especially when players use optimal basic strategy. But walk into any casino, and you’ll see players placing small wagers on other areas of the table, often with the promise of a huge payout. These are blackjack side bets—optional wagers that add a layer of excitement and a chance at a big win. But are they a smart move, or are they simply “sucker bets” designed to increase the house’s advantage? The answer lies in understanding the odds and payouts of each.
Side bets are enticing because they offer payouts far greater than the standard 1:1 on a winning blackjack hand. However, these high payouts come at a cost: a significantly higher house edge. While a player using basic strategy can face an edge of 0.5% or less on the main game, the house edge on side bets can range from 2% to over 10%. This means that, over the long run, you can expect to lose a larger percentage of your money on these supplemental wagers.
Common Online Blackjack Side Bets
Online casinos have embraced the popularity of side bets, often offering a wider variety than their land-based counterparts. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most common options you’ll encounter:
21+3
This is one of the most popular side bets, combining blackjack with the elements of Three-Card Poker. You win if your first two cards and the dealer’s face-up card form a three-card poker hand.
The payouts for this bet typically look like this:
- Flush (all three cards of the same suit): 5:1
- Straight (all three cards in a sequence, e.g., 5-6-7): 10:1
- Three of a Kind (all three cards of the same rank): 30:1
- Straight Flush (all three cards in a sequence and same suit): 40:1
- Suited Three of a Kind (e.g., three 7s of spades): 100:1
The house edge on the 21+3 bet varies depending on the number of decks used. In a six-deck game, it’s around 7.14%, but it can climb as high as 13.39% in a single-deck game, making it a challenging bet to win in the long run. The probability of hitting a flush is roughly 1 in 17, while a suited three of a kind is an extremely rare 1 in 5,000.
Perfect Pairs
The Perfect Pairs side bet is a straightforward wager on whether your first two cards will be a pair. The payout depends on the type of pair you receive:
- Mixed Pair (e.g., a 5 of hearts and a 5 of clubs): 5:1
- Colored Pair (e.g., a 5 of hearts and a 5 of diamonds): 12:1
- Perfect Pair (e.g., two 5s of hearts): 25:1
The house edge for Perfect Pairs is generally around 4% for a six-deck game. While this is better than some other side bets, it’s still significantly higher than the main blackjack game. The odds of a perfect pair are roughly 1 in 59.
Insurance
Insurance is the most well-known side bet and one that many players, particularly new ones, misunderstand. It is only offered when the dealer’s face-up card is an Ace, and you can bet up to half of your original wager that the dealer has a blackjack (a 10-value card as their hole card). If they do, your insurance bet pays 2:1.
While it seems like a smart way to “insure” your hand against a dealer blackjack, mathematically, it’s a poor bet. The probability of the dealer having a blackjack when an Ace is showing is only about 31.5% in a single-deck game. The bet pays 2:1, meaning you would need the dealer to have a blackjack 33.3% of the time just to break even. This gap gives the house a significant advantage of around 5.8%. The only time the insurance bet is a positive expected value wager is if you are a card counter and the deck is rich in 10-value cards.
Blazing 7s
Blazing 7s is a progressive jackpot side bet that can be found in many online and land-based casinos. The payout depends on how many 7s appear in your hand and the dealer’s hand.
A common payout structure might be:
- First card is a 7: 3:1
- First two cards are 7s: 50:1 (unsuited) or 100:1 (suited)
- First two cards are 7s, and the dealer’s face-up card is a 7: 500:1 (unsuited) or 5000:1 (suited)
The house edge for this bet is often in the double digits, and the probability of hitting the top payout is minuscule. The appeal of winning a progressive jackpot is what drives play on these bets, but the odds are heavily stacked against you.
Are They Worth It?
From a purely mathematical perspective, blackjack side bets are not worth it. They take a game with a very low house edge and add a high-edge gamble on top of it. For players who are serious about minimizing losses and maximizing their chances of winning, avoiding side bets is a key part of smart strategy.
However, for many players, gambling is as much about entertainment as it is about winning. The thrill of a potential big payout on a side bet can add excitement to an otherwise standard game. The occasional win can be a nice bonus, and if you have a set budget and are playing for fun, these bets can be a fun distraction.
The Best Value Side Bet
When evaluating the “best value” side bet, we’re not looking for a bet with a player advantage—they don’t exist in a traditional casino setting without card counting. Instead, we’re looking for the one with the lowest house edge. Among the most popular options, Perfect Pairs often has the lowest house edge, typically in the 4% range for multi-deck games. While this is still a high number compared to the main blackjack game, it is significantly better than the house edge on Insurance or many of the poker-based bets like 21+3.
If you must play a side bet, Perfect Pairs offers the best mathematical value, balancing the excitement of a high payout with a house edge that is less punishing than other alternatives.
