This, along with the RNG (Random Number Generator) blackjack, has created the need for alternative solutions, and a number of players resorted to blackjack betting strategies that exploit the winning and losing streaks, focusing on money management rather than trying to predict the next card. At the same time, these are much easier to master than some of the advanced blackjack techniques, such as. ALWAYS DOUBLE DOWN ON A HARD 11. You’ll always win more money if you double down on hard.

Colin and Ben discuss blackjack side-bets and how some of them can be beaten with conventional card counting.https://www.blackjackapprenticeship.com/https://. Blackjack side bets In an effort to encourage more players to play blackjack, and also to improve their margins, many land-based and online casinos have added side bets on their blackjack tables. The innocent-looking side bets usually require a rather small wager.

Rules of Perfect Pair Blackjack

The perfect pair rules and statistics are simple but vary according to the changing pairs. Also, the payouts and thereby, the house edge varies depending on the online/brick and mortar casino you are playing blackjack in.

How to Do a Perfect Pair Side Bet

To play a Perfect Pair wager, players must bet in the designated side bet area on the blackjack table, before they are dealt the initial two cards. Normally, there are two separate betting areas for normal wagers and side wagers and the Perfect Pair side bet has to be placed in the side bet zone.

As for the Perfect Pairs bet amount, it should at least be the minimum wager of the table but does not need to match the amount of the regular bet. Some casinos can have specific rules regarding the bet amount such as the wager can be half of the table minimum but such instances are rare.

How to win a Perfect Pair Side Bet

To win a Perfect Pair side bet or increase the odds, players must follow the Perfect Pair strategy. First, it is crucial to understand how many cards are available in the deck after the initial two cards have been dealt to the players. Many online blackjack variations are played with just two decks of cards. In such games, the odds of the player hitting a Perfect Pair are typically better, promising a 30:1 payout too. The more decks, the lesser will be the probability.

If the player wants to risk a small stake, it is better to stick to the Mixed Pair bet. Also, when playing Perfect Pairs, knowing when to ‘hit’ and when to ‘stand’ by following the optimal blackjack strategy is crucial. For instance, it is ideal to split high pairs in online blackjack but not always feasible when the player is expecting an outcome of the side bet.

Qualified Hands, Payout Rate, Probability

What Are The Side Bets In Blackjack

There can be three variations of the Perfect Pair side bet and the odds vary depending on the pair. Typically, in an 8-deck game, the best odds are available on the Perfect Pair (two cards of the same value and same suit), and that is a 1.7% chance of being paid out 25:1. The same for a colored pair and mixed pair would be 1.9% and 3.9% respectively.

The following table gives a clear idea of the hands and their respective payouts, combinations, probabilities, and returns with the Perfect pair side bet in a blackjack game with 8 decks of cards.

Push Your Luck Blackjack Side Bet

I came across the Push Your Luck (PYL) blackjack sidebet yesterday (while browsing, not IRL), and I wondered if it was exploitable in any way. PYL is a simple side bet. You make the bet before you start your blackjack hand, and if you end up pushing your main bet, you win 10:1 on the side bet. The max bet is 1/2 your main bet, and its usually limited to $25.

PYL has been out there for a while, but it’s new to me. It’s pretty simple to code up in my analyzer, which finds the optimal play for the combined (main + side) bet. I don’t know why, but I always expect these bets to be +EV, or somehow exploitable. I’m kind of optimistic that way.

Well, I was very surprised to find the house edge of the side bet is very low. Even when you max the side bet (@ 1/2 your main bet), the house edge of the combined (main + side) bet is only 0.76% for a 6 deck game with good rules (DAS, SP4, SPA4, H17). That’s like a cost of 0.25%, and you’re getting 10:1 odds! Here’s the auto-generated strategy table:

Blackjack Side Bet Strategy

With a max PYL bet, the game gets a little wild where you’re hitting the majority of your under-17 hands, even against low dealer upcards. People must have a fit at this game. But it looks kind of fun, because you’re trying to get a nice 10:1 payout. It’s a good reason to play crazy.

I thought with such a low house edge, and with a 10-to-1 multiplier, the game would be easily countable. However, the EORs are pretty tame, and are very similar to standard blackjack:

Blackjack With Poker Side Bet

You’ll probably need the proper index plays for (not) hitting your under-17 hands on +EV counts. I looked at the strategy for a small +EV count, and the borderline decisions shift towards standard plays. If I get around to learning the lingo for index plays, I’ll post them here for PYL.