The Top Poker Sites for Online Poker in 2025 
Best Online Sports Betting Sites 
Claim the Best Online Gambling Bonuses 
The Best Slots Games to Play Online 
Reviews of Online Gambling Sites 
Affiliate Disclosure: Some links on Gambling Nerd are affiliate links. If you use them to sign up or deposit, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. These rewards help fund new guides, but they never influence our verdicts. Our recommendations are based on independent research and our own ranking system.
We blackjack players know the game as simple, comfortable, and strategic. Blackjack side bets offer options that take you a bit out of that comfort zone and ease you to the edge of your seat with alluring bonuses.
But should you take these options? This article will help you decide. I'll guide you through various blackjack side bets, how they work, the odds and chances of winning, and whether these optional bets really pay off.
Nerd Picks of the Month
-
-
-
-
+5 more
-
-
-
-
+8 more
-
-
-
-
+6 more
-
-
-
-
+7 more
-
-
-
-
+7 more
What Do Side Bets Do in Blackjack?
Side bets in blackjack are optional wagers a player may place in addition to the normal ante wager. Winning a side bet brings a bonus at odds according to the type of bet.
Side bets are typically found at online blackjack games or on RNG variants at land-based casinos.
Most Common Types of Blackjack Side BetsMost Common Types of Blackjack Side Bets
Now, let’s look at some of the most frequent blackjack side bets. The rules for these bets shift from site to site, so it’s important to understand each type and its impact on your chances of profit.
Consistently playing side bets typically reduces your overall blackjack return to player (RTP) percentage.
Insurance
The most common side bet, insurance, allows you to place half of your original wager as insurance after the initial deal if the dealer has an ace showing, and collect at 2:1 if the dealer ends up with a blackjack.
Perfect Pairs
Perfect Pairs is the second-most common blackjack side bet, found equally in online and physical casinos. The Perfect Pairs wager requires that your first two cards will match in rank, color, or suit, with the payout according to the type of match (from 5x to 30x).
21 + 3
This bet, offered at most casinos, allows you to form a three-card poker hand with your two cards and the dealer’s up card; three of a kind, flush, straight, or straight flush wins the various bonuses.
Lucky Ladies
A popular blackjack side bet at many walk-in casinos, Lucky Ladies wins a variety of bonuses if the player has a 20, with a pair of queens paying the most.
Royal Match
Found mostly in brick-and-mortar casinos, this blackjack side bet pays a bonus if the player has two suited cards in the initial deal, with a suited king and queen paying the most.
Match the Dealer
At some walk-in casinos, this game offers a bonus if either of a player’s first two cards matches the dealer’s up card in rank.
Blackjack Match
If the player and/or the dealer has blackjack at some casinos, the player wins a side bet and gets extra for matching suits.
Lucky Lucky
Another three-card side bet at some live casinos, this wins if your first two cards and the dealer’s up card add up to 21, make a 6-7-8 straight, or hit three 7s.
Super Sevens (Super 7s)
If a player’s first card is 7, they win a bonus, and the bonus is bigger with two or three 7s in the first three player cards in this option, found at many ground-based casinos.
Buster Blackjack (Bust It)
If the dealer busts, you win the side bet at these rare tables, and you get a larger bonus the more cards it takes for the dealer to bust.
Hot 3
You can find this blackjack side bet at many online casinos, with the bonus win coming from the player’s two cards and the dealer’s up card adding up to 19, 20, or 21.
Over/Under 13
If you can find this unusual game, you can place your side bet on your first two cards being over or under 13.
Pair Square / Any Pair
One of the top blackjack side bets available, this game offers a bonus if the player’s first two cards form a pair in rank, with a suited pair offering more.
Blackjack Side Bets Payout Chart
Here’s a chart that covers the blackjack side bets you are most likely to find at online and land-based casinos. The probability and payout ranges reflect the differences in winning hand types, rules, and the number of decks a dealer uses.
| Blackjack Side Bet | How it Wins | Probability | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insurance | Dealer gets blackjack | 31.5% | 2:1 |
| Perfect Pairs | Player gets pair | 1.6% to 3.8% | 5:1 to 30:1 |
| 21+3 | Player’s first two cards and dealer up card form poker hand | 0.2% to 4.7% | 9:1 |
| Lucky Ladies | Player’s first two cards total 20 | .001% to 8% | 4:1 to 1,000:1 |
| Royal Match | Player’s first two cards suited | .02% to 2.4% | 2.5:1 to 25:1 |
| Match the Dealer | Either of player’s first two cards match dealer’s up card | .02% to 10% | 4:1 to 22:1 |
| Blackjack Match | Player and/or dealer get blackjack | .002% to 3% | 5:1 to jackpot |
| Lucky Lucky | Player’s first two cards and dealer’s up card form 7-7-7 or 6-7-8 | .001% to .2% | 30:1 to 200:1 |
| Super Sevens | Player’s first three cards have a 7 | .001% to 7% | 3:1 to 5,000:1 |
| Buster Blackjack (Bust It) | Dealer busts | .001% to 17% | 2:1 to 250:1 |
| Hot 3 | Player’s first two cards and dealer’s up card total 19 to 21 | .04% to 7% | 1:1 to 100:1 |
| Over/Under 13 | Choice of over/under 13 or exact 13 on player’s first two cards | 8.3% to 46% | 1:1 to 10:1 |
| Pair Square / Any Pair | Player’s first two cards form pair | 0.1% to 5% | 10:1 to 20:1 |
Are Blackjack Side Bets Worth It?
While blackjack side bets certainly spice up the game, they’re not too thrifty in the long run. Side bets in blackjack increase the house edge to about 3% to 10%, depending on what you are playing.
Considering that you can play the base game and lower the house edge to 0.5% using strategy, you can see that your profits dwindle with the side bet option.
Of the common side bets, Perfect Pairs (2%-4% house edge), 21+3 (3.2%), and Royal Match (3.7%) appear to be most favorable to your bankroll. But you should check the rules of the specific game.
FAQsFAQs
Insurance, Over/Under 13, 21+3, and some of the pairs games are the best side bets in blackjack because of their comparatively lower house edges. The top pairs games are Perfect Pairs and Pair Square.
Blackjack side bets are available at online casinos. Live tables at online casinos carry games more like those at walk-in casinos, and there are digital side bet games that usually shuffle after each hand.
Insurance is discouraged because it increases the house edge over the long haul. But blackjack insurance may be worth it if you are dealt bad cards like a 16.
Summary
With blackjack’s simplicity and ease of play, blackjack side bets are tempting options for excitement. Some side bets have decent returns, but gamblers who seek long-term success don’t bite.
Using a basic strategy chart and grinding out value over long play sessions is how smart gamblers leverage blackjack to make money. The Insurance bet might feel tempting after watching a dealer hit 21, but in the long run, it’s not worth it.
Contact Taylor
