Big Bet Blackjack
One of the most often asked questions from players about blackjack strategy, is 'how should I bet?' You've got severaloptions and I'll discuss them in this article and offer my recommendation.
When the shoe is hot. It's time to bet big. 0:25 Gameplay 1:07 Tips and Strategy 6:50 Blackjack strategy when to hit on a 2 10:20 Split 9's yes or no?
Flat Bet Blackjack Strategy
- Blackjack Betting Systems. This strategy can get you back on even ground, wiping out your losses with one big winning bet. But it is risky! 2 d'Alembert When using d'Alembert, players raise.
- ALWAYS DOUBLE DOWN ON A HARD 11. You’ll always win more money if you double down on hard.
This means betting the same amount all the time. Most players don't like to bet this way because they figure if the dealer wins more hands then them they'll never win any money. Also, playersfeel it's boring betting this way. They prefer the thrill of sometimes betting more in the hopes that when they do so, they will win the hand and make a nice profit.
Here are the facts on the flat betting blackjack strategy. If you bet say $5 on every hand in a standard multiple deck game the house will have an edge of 0.5% against theskilled basic strategy player. That means you will lose on average 0.5% of every wager you make. So if you bet $10 on every hand and average 80 hands per hour you will have made a total of $800worth of bets. The casino expects to earn 0.5% of the $800 or $4.00. Of course, the more likely result is that you'll win or lose much more than $4 after an hour of play. But on average you canexpect over time to lose at the rate of $4 per hour.
Let's take an example of a player flat betting $10 on every hand. It's is a conservative betting strategy that leads to a relatively low theoretical loss rate. The fluctuation in this player'sbankroll will also be low which means the likelihood he'll have a big winning or losing session is not great.
Watch 'Why You Should Never Make the Blackjack Insurance Bet with Blackjack Expert Henry Tamburin' (March 2016)
In this video blackjack expert Henry Tamburin explains why a basic strategy player should never make an insurance bet. He gives details on three different situations that a player may encounterand why he considers blackjack insurance to always be a sucker bet.
Progressive Betting Blackjack Strategy
This is where things get interesting. The Progressive betting blackjack strategy is when players vary their bets in some way from one hand to the next rather than alwaysbetting the same amount on every hand. There are all different types of betting progressions but they all have one common denominator. You either decrease or increase your next bet dependingupon whether the hand you just played won or lose.
Win progressions encourage you to increase your bet size after a winning hand. For example, you make a minimum bet of $10 and if you win, you raise your next stakes on the hand to $20.
There are all different kinds of win progressions. The most common is a 1-2-3-5 progression. This means you increase your bet by the above multiples after each winning hand butas soon as you experience a loss, you start the progression over with a 1 unit bet.
Proponents of win progressions will tell you that you'll win more money if you win 5 consecutive hands compared to the amount you lose if you lose 5 consecutive hands. Of course, what theydon't tell you is that you never know when that 5 consecutive winning hand streak will occur.
There are also betting progressions in which you increase your bet following a loss. These Martingale type betting progressions are dangerous and you should never consider using them.
There are also hybrid betting progressions, which have you increase your bets following a win, but after two or three success wins you lock up some profit and gradually regress your bets. Thecreativity of progressive bettors is never-ending.
First of all, the blackjack strategy for betting progressions does not change the 0.5% house edge one iota. There has never been a correlation between the hand just won (orlost) and your chance of winning the next hand. In other words, using the criteria of the result of one hand (W/L) to base how you bet on the next hand has no scientific validity. So bettingprogressions, in the long run, don't work in the sense that they won't improve your long-term chances of winning.
But here's what betting progressions will do. First off they increase the fluctuation in your session bankroll compared to flat betting. This means you can win more using abetting progression compared to flat betting but you can also lose more. Secondly, betting progressions will increase the amount of money you wager per hour compared to flat betting. If a $10bettor uses a 1-2-3-5 betting progression, his average bet will $20. Over an hour he will average $20 times 80 hands or $1600 worth of bets. The casino's expected win is 0.5% of $1600 or $8. Inother words, a $10 progressive bettor stands to lose twice as much per hour as a $10 flat bettor.
Here's a tip to save you some money in the long run if you insist on using a betting progression. Instead of starting your progression at $10, start at a lower amount (ie. $5). This will reduceyour average bet to $10 per hour and cut your hourly theoretical loss rate in half.
But in the long run flat betting and betting progressions don't work in the sense they won't change the house edge against you and you will lose in the long run. So what betting system works?That, my friends, is card counting.
Betting When You Have The Edge (Card Counting)
With card counting, you know when you have the edge based on the change in the composition of the decks and therefore you'll know when it's the right time to bet more. Sounlike betting progressions that are based on whether you win or lose the previous hands, card counting is based on the mix of cards that were played on previous hands. If more small valuecards were played in previous rounds, there are more big value cards left in the unplayed cards, and the edge shifts from dealer to the player. This would be the best time to bet more.
But I'm a realist. Not a whole lot of average blackjack players have the time or mental concentration during play that is required to master one of the popular point count cardcounting systems. These are readily available in blackjack books. But even though millions of blackjack books have been sold since Ed Thorp's classic book, Beat The Dealer (circa 1962) firstrevealed card counting to the masses, the number of players who can successfully win money in the long run at blackjack number in the hundreds and thousands.
So what's the answer to betting at blackjack for the average player? I asked Don Pronovost that same question about four years ago. Don is a software developer that markets blackjack trainingsoftware. He spent the better part of two years and a trillion computer simulated hands looking for the solution to this dilemma. What he developed is Speed Count.
Speed Count is unlike any conventional card counting system. It's much simpler to master and requires much less concentration when you play. And unlike progressive betting systems, Speed Countwill give you a verifiable advantage over the casino You can read about Speed Count in Frank Scoblete’s book, Golden Touch Blackjack Revolution.
Now that you know the scoop on betting at blackjack, I wish you many aces and faces the next time you play.
Henry Tamburin has been a respected casino gambling writer for the past 50 years. He is the author of theUltimate Blackjack Strategy Guide and was editor of theBlackjack Insider newsletter. You can read his latest articles on blackjack, video poker, and his personal playing experiences at https://www.888casino.com/blog/writers/henry-tamburin
Try an online casino for FREE. We have over 15 No Deposit Bonus Codes. No credit card needed, just sign up andstart playing!
Table Of Contents
With simple rules and easy to learn strategies, the game of blackjack is one of the most popular card games in both Las Vegas Casinos and online around the world.
Blackjack side bets add a layer of complexity to the game, though at much greater risk.
In this article we’ll take a look at the different side bet options, how they are structured and what side bets pay.
- What are Blackjack side bets?
- Why play Blackjack side bets?
- Common side bets at most Casinos
- Other side bets to look out for
- Are Blackjack side bets worth playing?
What are Blackjack side bets?
Blackjack side bets are additional bets placed during a standard game of Blackjack. They involve predicting which cards the player, and sometimes the dealer, will receive.
Wagers are made before any cards are dealt and each side bet is based on chance rather than skill, although you can count cards to help you choose the most likely combinations for your best side bets.
BEST Blackjack Games OnlinePlay nothing but the best games, with the best odds...and the best bonuses! 18+. T&Cs apply. Gamble responsibly.
Check out the one site where all side bets give you the best payouts in 2019.
Play NowWhy play side bets?
One of the most attractive features of the game of Blackjack is the low house edge compared to other games on the casino floor.
Good players will face a house edge of around 0.5%, and even if you play quite badly, that edge only rises to around 2%.
However, while the odds of losing big are low, the odds of winning are also poor.
Blackjack is mostly an even money game, rising to 2:1 at best if you are dealt a Blackjack.
Side bets offer you the chance to play much longer odds for higher player wins – as much as 5,000:1 in one case.
However, it must be noted that the house edge rises significantly for Blackjack side bets, with most bets carrying a house edge of 10% or more.
In other words, side bets make it a lot easier to lose money on blackjack.
Common side bets at most Casinos
There are a number of common side bets that you will find at most Blackjack tables.
Big Bet Blackjack Poker
These are clearly marked with the odds either printed on the Blackjack tables or available as a hand out or a side menu in the online version.
You should check the pay outs carefully before placing your bets as they can vary considerably between different Casinos or online sites.
The three main Blackjack side bets are:
- Insurance
- Perfect Pairs
- 21+3
Insurance – this is the most common Blackjack side bet and allows you to cover yourself against Blackjack if the dealer has an ace face up.
This bet involves half of your original stake and pays out at 2:1 if the dealer has Blackjack. The insurance bet reduces the overall house edge.
Perfect Pairs – this side bet uses the player’s cards only, and pays out if you are dealt two of a kind as follows:
- Mixed pair (two of the same value but different suit and colour) – pays 5:1
- Coloured pair (two of the same value and the same colour) – pays 12:1
- Perfect pair (two of the same card) – pays 25:1
The returns can vary between different Casinos and different pay tables and the house edge will depend on both the pay out and the number of decks used and can range from just 2 or 3% up to 11% or more.
21+3 – this side bet involves the player’s two cards and the upturned card of the dealer. It will pay out for a number of different combinations:
- Flush – (all cards are suited) – pays 5:1
- Straight – (all cards consecutive) – pays 10:1
- Three of a kind – (not the same suit) – pays 30:1
- Straight flush – (consecutive cards same suit) – pays 40:1
- Suited triple – (three of the same card) – pays 100:1
The house edge for the 21+3 side bet will vary depending on the number of decks used, standing at 8.78% for four decks, 7.81% for five decks, 7.14% for six decks and 6.29% for seven decks.
Other side bets to look out for
The Casino industry is highly competitive, and so new side bets are being invented all the time to try and attract new Blackjack players.
Some of these will flourish and become widely available, while others remain niche and can only be found in selected Casinos. Here are a few examples:
- Royal match – pays 5:2 for any suited player’s cards and 25:1 for suited king and queen
- Over/under 13 – pays even money for correctly predicting the sum of the player’s cards as less than or greater than 13. In most cases, exactly 13 will lose, but some Casinos will allow bets on exactly 13.
- Super sevens – this bet pays out if one or more sevens are dealt in the player’s cards. One seven pays 3:1, two unsuited sevens pays 50:1, two suited sevens pays 100:1. If the third card dealt is also a seven, then the bet will pay 500:1 unsuited and 5000:1 suited. However it is important to make sure that the Casino will still deal a third card if the dealer has a Blackjack, as some Casinos will not do this.
- Lucky ladies – this bet pays out if the player’s cards add up to 20, with an unsuited 20 paying 4:1, a suited 20 paying 10:1, a matched 20, same rank and suit pays 25:1, two queens of hearts 200:1 and two queens of hearts when dealer has Blackjack 1000:1.
Play online hands of Blackjack with real dealers.
Choose your variant, pick your dealer, and use the bonus to play!18+. T&Cs apply. Gamble responsibly.
Play NowAre Blackjack side bets worth playing?
Blackjack side bets do not involve any skill and you are simply betting on the luck of the draw.
What’s more, the returns do not reflect the odds of each bet coming in, which gives the house a significantly larger edge.
Conclusion
Blackjack side bets are best viewed as a bit of extra complexity that adds up to a session at the Blackjack table.
However, you should not make them the main focus of your gameplay or your wagering, and you should be aware of the significantly increased house edge.
Get a Bonus and PlayNow that you know all about Blackjack side bets, how about a game?
Darpa’s Big Bet On Blackjack
Activate the bonus on registration and play!18+. T&Cs apply. Gamble responsibly.