17 October 2022
< 1 minute to read
The truth about Blackjack side bets. Come to think of it any player knows that side bets in blackjack are important, or is it?
Aside from roulette, blackjack is the best casino game to play online to win money. Our blackjack players asked us to write another informative blackjack article.
Well, here it is, we take a closer look at the “Truth about side bets in blackjack” in this guide.
BlackJack Side BetsWhen blackjack noobs like us sit down at the table, the house edge of 0.7% is against us.
It doesn’t sound like much but since it’s blackjack it can be huge. With a blackjack strategy, you can reduce the house edge to -0.54%.
That depends on the number of decks and the rules of the game. Blackjack casinos now add side bets which increases their profit margin.
When the dealer has an Ace as an upcard the casino offers you an insurance bet.
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Players can place up to 1/2 of their bets on the insurance line. You might be thinking what’s the big deal about insurance?
If the dealer hits a blackjack you’ll lose your bets, right? The insurance will cover the bet you lost against the dealer.
How does insurance work? If your bet is $5 and the dealer’s card is an ace, you can place $2.50 on insurance.
When will the dealer offer blackjack insurance? When the dealer’s up card is an Ace.
If the dealer gets a blackjack, he’ll take $5 and pay 2 to 1 on the insurance bet. He’ll return your insurance bet of $2.50 and $5.
Therefore, you lost nothing. In the event, the dealer did not have blackjack. You’ll forfeit the $2.50 wager on the insurance and play out the hand.
Is the insurance bet any good? If we look at the stats of Insurance it doesn’t favor the player. If the dealer’s card is an Ace he’ll win the hand 3 out of the 10 times.
If your average bet per hand is $5, you’ll lose every 3 hands out of 10. Your loss will be $15 if you don’t take insurance. An insurance bet of $2.50 will cost you $17.50 after 3 hands.
Blackjack experts don’t like insurance bets because they can be expensive. The bottom line is never to take insurance.
Are side bets in blackjack good? There are blackjack players who swear by it.
Especially, if the dealer’s up card is an Ace. Once again let’s crunch the numbers.
Remember, the dealer will have a 10 when he has an Ace 3 times out of the 10 times.
Blackjack pays 1 1/2 to 1, your aim should be to win the bet 7 out of 10 times.
Assuming your average bet per hand in blackjack is $5 you’ll win $52.50.
It’s better to win your hand this way. Besides, winning your hand 10 times translates into a win of $50.
To best illustrate our point. Let’s say that they offer a side bet of 20. Your first two cards total 20 for an additional side wager.
The casino will pay you on that wager, regardless of the outcome.
Most online casinos pay 3 to 1; your odds are 9 to 1 of getting 20 on your first two cards.
A side bet on each hand will result in a loss. The house edge goes from -0.54% to 24.71% on a 6-deck blackjack game.
Buster Blackjack is another side wager casinos offer.
The player will win some money if the dealer goes bust. There is a small catch though.
The payout depends on how many cards it takes the dealer to bust. The more cards it takes the dealer to bust the more money the player wins.
What happens if the dealer stands on a soft 17? He will bust 29.1% of the time. Moreover, if the dealer hits on a soft 17, he’ll bust 29.6%.
The odds against the player losing the hand are 2 or 3 times, higher.
Push your luck is a side when the player’s hand ties in with the dealer. This bet pays 10 to 1 if the player pushes the dealer.
The max bet of 1/2 increased from 0.51% to 0.76%.
Assuming of course you play with a deck of 6 cards.
The cost is 0.25% which translates into a win of 1 out of 10 times – not good.
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If you use a perfect blackjack strategy against the house, the edge is 0.54%. However, that depends on the rules of the casino and if it’s with a 6-deck game.
The moment a blackjack player uses side bets the house edge goes South. Don’t use side bets in blackjack, never! Like any casino game, blackjack has a negative expectation for the player.
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