Wagering with BTC Blackjack Side-Bets at Crypto Casinos

25/10/2021 | Categories: Gambling Guides | Published by: Joe | Last updated: 05/01/2024

What Do You Know of BTC Blackjack Side Bets?

While many bitcoin bettors love to play table games, some only have a basic understanding of how these games work. Bitcoin blackjack is a firm favorite amongst gamblers, as most of us learn the rules to “twenty-one” as children. However, did you know that there are a wealth of side bets you can place in blackjack?

You may have come across these plastered across the RNG (random number generator) and live dealer bitcoin blackjack games you’ve played before but never given them a second thought. If you’ve avoided them because you don’t know how they work, we’re here to help with this handy guide to wagering with BTC blackjack side-bets at crypto casinos.

Do All Bitcoin Blackjack Games Offer Side Bets?

No, but most of them do. In bitcoin blackjack games where side bets have been included, you can often see hints of them on the screen. There may be an added paytable detailing the prizes you might win if you’re successful with them. Another great way to check to see if your BTC blackjack game has side-bets is to look for the buttons facilitating them or to check the game’s paytable or instructions menus.

With that said, let us begin by looking at some of the most common bitcoin blackjack side bets out there.

Perfect Pairs

Perfect Pairs is arguably the simplest of the bitcoin blackjack side bets on the market. You’re only using your two cards here. You can opt to bet that you’ll have a Mixed Pair (blackjack cards of the same value, but a different suit), a Coloured Pair (blackjack cards of the same value and color), or a Perfect Pair (two identical cards) to win prizes of 5:1, 12:1 and 25:1, respectively.

21+3 BTC Blackjack

For blackjack players who know a bit about poker, the 21+3 side bet option is appealing. This bet features your two cards and the dealer’s face-up card. Here, you’re looking to land a Flush, Straight, Three-of-a-Kind, Straight Flush, or Suited Triple amongst those three cards. For those not in the know, a Suited Triple is a set of three identical blackjack cards, all in the same suit. Because a Suited Triple requires all three cards to be of the same value and suit, it can only appear in blackjack games where multiple decks are used.

Other Notable Side Bets

You may also stumble across other side bets when betting with bitcoins on blackjack games. These can include:

Royal Match: A bet on landing suited cards (5:2) and suited Kings and Queens (25:1).
Over/Under13: Even money winnings are yours if you can predict whether your two-card hand will be greater or less than thirteen. Each game has its own rules (win or lose) for a total of thirteen.
Super Sevens: This features various side bets on sevens. You can win 3:1 or 50:1 for one or two unsuited sevens and 100:1 for two suited sevens. Prizes rise to 500:1 for three unsuited sevens and an epic 5,000:1 for three suited sevens.
Lucky Ladies: Pocket wins of 4:1 for an unsuited total of 20, 10:1 for a suited total of 20, and 25:1 for a pair of Queen of Hearts cards. If you have pair of Queen of Hearts and the dealer has blackjack, you can win 1,000:1.
Progressive Bets: Some (and these are rare) blackjack games boast progressive jackpots. They pay out if you hit a specific hand, such as a Six-Card Charlie. You’ll need to bet extra to be in with a shout here, but the prize is uncapped and could be worth anything, really.

Does Insurance Count as a Side Bet?

Oddly enough, yes, it does. As an insurance bet costs you extra to wager, it is technically a side bet. However, it is not one that we advocate taking very often. This is a wager that you make when you believe the dealer has blackjack in their first two cards. You’re going to want to see an ace or ten as the dealer’s upturned card, and it is usually offered automatically in RNG bitcoin blackjack games. If your dealer has blackjack, you’ll win 2:1, even if you lose the main game. Get it wrong, and you’ll lose your side bet even if you beat the dealer. Insurance bets typically cost one unit (such as $1), but prices can vary.

How to Place Side Bets Online

Now that you know a bit about how BTC blackjack side bets work, it is time for us to explain how you wager with them. Side bets must often be placed before the hand is dealt. The exception to this rule is the insurance bet, which can be placed after the initial deal, but before any additional cards are taken.

There will be side bet buttons on the screen. Most cost either $1 or the same as your ante bet. However, some have their own values, and you can read about these on the game’s paytable or instructions menu. You’ll often find a paytable displayed on the game detailing what you can win with successful side bets in BTC blackjack.

Your Odds of Success

There’s no point in us lying here – you’re odds of success with bitcoin blackjack side bets aren’t great. There’s a reason few of us are prepared to use them. However, on the odd occasion (such as when there is a progressive jackpot up for grabs) or you’re sure the dealer has blackjack, they could merit a closer look.

Just be warned that the odds of success aren’t great. In Perfect Pairs, the side bet will have a house edge of 3% to 11%. With 21+3 side bets, the house edge ranges from 6.29% with seven decks to 8.78% with four decks. Even insurance bets aren’t great for business, with a single deck game having a house edge of 5.8%, rising to 7.5% when six to eight decks are used.

A Word of Warning Regarding Strategies

If you are the type of bitcoin blackjack player that likes to bet with betting strategies, such as the Martingale, Reverse Martingale, D’Alembert, and so on, we strongly urge you to avoid placing side bets in blackjack. There is no blackjack strategy that properly incorporates side bets. Side bets are, in essence, highly volatile, random events. Furthermore, as betting systems actively involve you adjust your stakes (raising or lowering them) based on the action as it unfolds, you will screw up your run or count with side bets.