Most Popular Online Blackjack Side Bets

The beauty of online gambling is in all the options you have at your disposal. While land-based casinos offer many popular games, at online casinos you can choose from their multiple variants. One of the games you can enjoy in multiple variations is Blackjack. It is a popular card game gamblers love to play as it provides them with an opportunity to use their skills and apply proper strategies to lower the house edge.

When it comes to online Blackjack, players can choose to play it at virtual and live dealer tables. Besides the main bet awarding a 3:2 payout on a Blackjack hand, there are different side bets you can play for a chance to win larger prizes. Stay with us to learn more about the most popular online Blackjack side bets.

What Is a Side Bet and How to Play It?

Just like their name suggests, side bets are bets you place beside the main bet. While you have to place a main or Ante bet to play the game, side bets are optional. You can play them if you want to. There is nothing that obliges to go for a side bet. However, players love them as they provide them with an opportunity to win a prize that is bigger that the regular 3:2 payout.

Perfect Pair

This is one of the most common side bets in Blackjack. Even some Live Blackjack tables offer it. When you place it, you predict that your first two cards will make a pair. You can win 6:1 when you have a colored pair. A so-called perfect pair like two Queens of Diamonds, for instance, pays 25:1.

21+3

Another popular bet widely used in online Blackjack. It pays based on the player’s first two cards and the dealer’s face-up card. It pays depending on the ranking of the hand, which may remind you of Poker. If you create a Flush with suited J, K and A, for example, you will win 5:1. A Straight pays 10:1, a Three of a Kind pays 30:1 while a Straight Flush earns you 40:1. The top prize is awarded by a Suited Trips like three Kings of Hearts and it stands at 100:1.

Royal Match

Royal Match is also based on the player’s first two cards without the dealer’s face-up card. It wins when you get two cards of same suit or a suited K and Q. The former is called an easy match while the latter is called a royal match. An easy match earns you a 5:2 payout while a royal match pays 25:1. This Blackjack side bet can come in different forms and have different paytables. With one of its variations, you can win 1,000:1 when both the player and dealer have a royal match.

Super Sevens

Also known as Triple 7s, this side bet is based on 7s you receive. The first 7 card earns you 3:1, two of mixed suits award 50:1 while two suited 7s pay 100:1. With three mixed 7s you can win 500:1, while three 7s of the same suit pay staggering 5,000:1.

Are Blackjack Side Bets Worth It?

It is undeniable that side bets can add more excitement to the gameplay. With payouts gong up to 5,000:1, they seem as an attractive opportunity to win big. Yet, there are pros and cons when it comes to playing Blackjack optional bets. As for pros, they include added excitement due to massive wins.

On the other hand, the fact that they do not involve skills and that you cannot do anything to win on them makes them less attractive. Also, they come with a high house edge that in some cases can be over 10%.