Of all the table games on offer in Las Vegas casinos, blackjack is by far the most popular among both recreational gamblers and seasoned strategists alike.
The 21+3 side bet is optional, and its size does not need to be the same as the main bet. In order to play the side-bet, you need to participate in the main hand. Placing a bet in the 21+3 square is all you need to do to participate. The 21+3 side bet is based around the outcome of the player's two cards and the dealer's upturned card. The possible outcomes are a flush, straight, three of a kind, or straight flush.
For one thing, blackjack's status as a skill-based game allows players with knowledge of basic strategy to play every hand perfectly. Sure, you'll still win some and lose some even with basic strategy on your side, but playing an optimal game shaves the house edge on blackjack down under 0.50 percent using standard Sin City rules.
Even better, blackjack is relatively easy to learn for beginners, allowing anybody with a few bucks and a basic knowledge of the 52-card deck to take a shot. You don't need to know byzantine rules and exotic bets a la craps, making blackjack the perfect entry point for rookie gamblers just trying to have a good time.
But when you sit down to play this classic card game in most Las Vegas casino resorts nowadays, you'll have much more than standard 21 to choose from.
Thanks to the addition of various side bets – or optional wagers that are played alongside your standard hand – modern blackjack manages to spice things up in more ways than one. Along with the usual even money payouts for beating the dealer, and those sweet 3 to 2 bonuses – or 6 to 5 in most venues on The Strip – for landing a natural blackjack, side bets offer an opportunity to reap massive returns on minimal wagers.
I'm talking about 'jackpot' payouts that can reach 1,000 to 1 on your money, making blackjack side betting a potentially lucrative gamble for players who don't mind backing the occasional longshot.
And to be fair, blackjack side bets aren't always extravagant longshots that only hit once in a blue moon. Depending on the side bet you prefer, adding an extra chip on top of your base bet can easily produce a winner or two during every shoe dealt.
Many self-styled blackjack experts scoff at the folks who enjoy side bets, labeling them as 'suckers' who don't know what they're getting into. True enough, if gambling like a robot programmed to play optimal strategy at all times is your bag, I can definitely understand that perspective.
With that said, I gamble to have fun and enjoy myself at the table, with entertainment and camaraderie the priority more so than purely perfect play. Don't get me wrong, I still employ basic strategy guidelines when playing my base hand, but I have no hesitation whatsoever when it comes to splashing around on a side bet when the mood strikes.
If you're like me, side betting when you're wagering on blackjack is something you enjoy, this page is for you. Below you'll find detailed guides on the rules, payouts, odds, and probabilities associated with several of the most commonly spread blackjack side bets found in Las Vegas.
Introduction to the 21 + 3 Side Bet
The granddaddy of all blackjack side bets, 21 + 3 was rolled out at the Las Vegas Hilton (now known as the Westgate) way back in 2001.
As the '+3' portion of the title suggests, 21 + 3 is a side bet based solely on combining your two-card starting hand with the dealer's lone up card. When those three cards come together to create qualifying three-card poker hands, you'll earn a juicy payout of 9 to 1 on your money.
Here's how it works…
After putting up your ante bet for the base game, you can also add a second bet on the special 21 + 3 logo emblazoned on the felt. From there, the base game plays out identically to normal blackjack, so you don't have to worry about any deviations from the standard rules and gameplay.
After the dealer doles out your two cards to start the hand, along with their own two cards – one face down and the other face up – you'll immediately know whether or not your 21 + 3 side bet has scored a winner.
How to Land a Winner On the 21 + 3 Side Bet
Here are the five qualifying three-card poker hands that trigger a 9 to 1 payout on this fun side bet:
21 + 3 Side Bet Qualifying Hands
HAND | DESCRIPTION |
---|---|
Straight Flush | Three consecutive cards of the same suit (6-7-8 of hearts; etc.) |
Three of a Kind | Three cards of same rank (6-6-6; Q-Q-Q; etc.) |
Straight | Three consecutively ranked cards (6-7-9 of different suits; etc.) |
Flush | Any three cards of the same suit (2-7-Q of hearts; etc.) |
Pair + Flush | Any two cards of same rank + all three cards suited (6-6-Q suited, etc.) |
Whenever you match up your two-card starting hand with the dealer's up card to create one of the combinations shown above, you'll be rewarded with a 9 to 1 payout.
And the best part is, the outcome of your base blackjack bet has no bearing on the 21 + 3 side bet. That is to say, you could land a lowly 14 and proceed to go bust, or watch the dealer flip up a natural 21, and those losing situations won't affect your 21 + 3 winner.
Probabilities and House Edge Rates for the 21 + 3 Side Bet
At this point you're probably wondering just how likely – or unlikely if you're a pessimist by nature – landing one of those qualifying three-card poker hands happens to be. That's a great question, so check out the table below to find the answers:
21 + 3 Side Bet Combos, Probabilities, and Expected Return Rates
HAND | COMBOS | PROBABILITY | EXPECTED RETURN |
---|---|---|---|
Straight Flush | 10,368 | 0.20 percent | 0.018613 |
Three of a Kind | 26,312 | 0.52 percent | 0.047236 |
Straight | 155,520 | 3.10 percent | 0.279192 |
Flush | 236,736 | 4.72 percent | 0.424993 |
Pair + Flush | 54,160 | 1.12 percent | 0.100819 |
Pair (no flush) | 977,184 | 19.49 percent | -0.194918 |
Nothing | 3,551,040 | 70.83 percent | -0.708321 |
Total | 5,013,320 | 1.00 | -0.032386 |
As you can see by scanning the data above, the most likely scenario when placing a 21 + 3 side bet is to land a non-qualifying hand. You'll make nothing at all just under 71 percent of the time, with slightly under 20 percent of deals resulting in one pair, but not enough to trigger a winner.
With that said, roughly 10 percent of all hands will result in a 9 to 1 payout, with a flush being the most likely winner at a 4.72 percent clip.
From there, hitting a straight is the next most likely outcome (3.10 percent), followed by a one pair + flush combo (1.12 percent), then three of a kind (0.52 percent), and finally the straight flush (0.20 percent).
When you add it all up, the lower right-hand entry in the table above shows a house edge rate of 3.24 percent on every 21 + 3 side bet placed. That's a tad higher than the 0.50 percent average house edge faced by basic strategy blackjack play, but it's still well within the realm of respectability when it comes to casino table games.
Consider this… when you spin a double-zero roulette wheel in Sin City, the game offers a house edge of 5.26 percent across the board. Double-zero roulette, like the 21 + 3 side bet, is a pure game of chance, but gamblers from all walks of life still enjoy taking a flier on their number or color coming in. Same goes for the slots, which run an average house edge rate of between 5-9 percent depending on the game and its various features.
All things considered, adding a little bit of intrigue to your regular blackjack session at a cost of only 3.24 percent house edge is well worth it when fun is the name of your game.
Traps to Watch Out for When Playing the 21 + 3 Side Bet
All of the information provided thus far on this page pertains to the standard version of 21 + 3 as produced by Galaxy Gaming.
That means 9 to 1 payouts on all winners, and a six-deck shoe used by the dealer.
Unfortunately, the casino industry loves to tinker with reasonable side bets in order to tilt the odds even further in the house's favor. For that reason, you should remain wary whenever you see the 21 + 3 side bet spread in ways that deviate from the 9 to 1, six-deck shoe model.
For example, you might find the casino's house rules for blackjack use a differently sized shoe. Some venues prefer to use a four-deck shoe, while others opt for an eight-deck alternative.
As a general rule of thumb, whenever the shoe contains fewer decks, you'll find the house edge on 21 + 3 side bets goes up – which is bad news for the player.
Another way the casinos look to trick unsuspecting players who like to wager on 21 + 3 action involves an offshoot known as 'Xtreme.' In this case, the house is hoping a slightly modified pay table hooks players in, only to punish them with exorbitant house edge rates in the process.
Xtreme 21 + 3 Side Bet Combos, Probabilities, and Expected Return Rates
HAND | PAYOUT | COMBOS | PROBABILITY | EXP. RETURN |
---|---|---|---|---|
Straight Flush | 30 to 1 | 10,368 | 0.20 percent | 0.062043 |
Three of a Kind | 20 to 1 | 26,312 | 0.52 percent | 0.104968 |
Straight | 10 to 1 | 155,520 | 3.10 percent | 0.310214 |
Flush | 5 to 1 | 292, 896 | 5.84 percent | 0.292118 |
Nothing | -1 | 4,528,224 | 90.32 percent | -0.903239 |
Total | N/A | 5,013,320 | 1.000000 | -0.133896 |
As you can see, the allure of an Xtreme 21 + 3 side bet is seemingly that sweet 30 to 1 payout up top on the straight flush. Of course, you'll only land the elusive straight flush on one-fifth of one percent of all deals, making it a nonstarter to say the least.
But when you make the most attainable of the 21 + 3 qualifying hands, the basic flush, you'll see your payout drop from 9 to 1 down to 5 to 1.
All things considered, betting on the Xtreme 21 + 3 side bet swells the house edge working against you all the way up to 13.39 percent. That's more than four times as high as the regular 21 + 3 side bet, making the Xtreme version of the worst options on any table game floor.
Conclusion
Now that you know the ins and outs of blackjack's most popular side bet, it's up to you to decide whether or not the added gamble is up your alley. Personally, I don't mind dabbling on the additional wager when I'm feeling lucky, because a 3.24 percent house edge is perfectly reasonable within the context of longshot gambling. The next time you visit Las Vegas for some blackjack action, budget a few bucks on the side to try the 21 + 3 side bet for yourself.
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.Apr 8, 2014
Casinos love to look for an extra edge in every game. In fact, they're always looking for ways to make each game harder for the gambler to win big on. Blackjack is no exception.
While there have been many additions over the years, one of the current favorites amongst casinos the world over is the 21+3 bet. This side bet is to be found on blackjack tables from London to Sydney and its premise is a simple one.
When you are dealt a hand, you can see 3 cards straight away: your two and the dealer's face up card. Sometimes these 3 cards are suited, or even the same number. In other words, poker hands. Why not bet on whether that poker hand comes up, then?
The odds of the 21+3 bet
The first thing any gambler should think about before making a bet is: what are the odds I will win? There's no point playing if the odds of winning are 0%. Likewise, the casino isn't going to offer the game if the odds of winning are 100%.
Yet there is a different calculation that is even more important: the house edge. This is the %age of a bet that the house can expect to win. If someone bets $100 and the house edge is 3.5%, the house should, on average, win $3.50.
The house edge on the most common form of 21+3 – in Vegas at least – is 3.24%. This means each time you bet, you will only bring back 97 cents in every dollar.
That's not all, though, as the chance of actually winning at 21+3 – without any assistance – is less than 10%. So, you need to bet 10 times to win $9 once. Yeah, I think I'll pass on that one, thanks.
Luckily that's not the end of the story
There is a different way to bet, though, and it involves something glamorized in films such as 21: card counting systems.
Unlike counting on the main game, counting on a side bet is not only often easier, but it also disguises your count: your betting patterns will not follow those of a normal card counter.
There have been many side bets used in Blackjack history
• Super Sevens pays out when you have 7s in your hand
• Over/Under 13 let you bet on whether your hand would be worth more or less than 13
• Lucky Ladies pays out when you have 20
So not only is counting your way through 21+3 a good idea for newcomers to card counting, but a good idea for experienced pros to hide their normal game. How do you do it, though?
Well, there are two different systems for counting when it comes to 21+3, but they both have one thing in common…
![21+3 blackjack side bet 21+3 blackjack side bet](https://www.kittybingo.com/_global-library/_upload-images/games/screenshots/perfect-pairs-slots.jpg)
Both counts focus on the flush. Trying to count number cards is just too hard: there are 13 different possibilities. Instead the focus is on the 4 possible suits.
First is the most simple of the two counts. This can even be implemented alone, as a side count of just one suit. The main advantage this will give – along with any winnings, of course – is that the pit boss will turn his attention away from you. You are dropping money on what he considers a suckers bet, after all.
A 1 in 4 chance
First up, there's counting 1 suit. The best way to pick a suit is by seeing whichever comes out the least in the first round of dealing.
Then, each time a card of that suit is dealt, take 1 away from your total. Each time 4 cards are drawn, add 1 to your total. Lastly, you need to divide your count by the number of decks left in the shoe.
It may not be the most complicated card counting system, but it will give you a slight edge. When your count gets to +4 or -5, it's time to bet big, as the chances of three suited cards appearing increases enough to give you an advantage.
The problem with the count, however, is that you're only counting a quarter of the cards. So there's a good chance you could go a whole game without seeing your suit come up. Better then to count more than one suit…
That's not the easiest thing to do, though, especially for a beginner counter.
Count in teams
So why not join with a group of friends and start counting together? Get together a group of 4 or 5 friends and head down to the casino for a night of blackjack action with big rewards.
If everyone counts a single suit, then you'll have the whole shoe under your thumbs. Every time one of you bets on the 21+3 side bet, everyone should do the same. Within no time, you'll have bought in a whole heap of cash, so long as luck goes your way, that is.
Be careful not to get caught, though. While one person betting on a side bet is likely to be ignored, a whole table doing the same thing is most likely to be noticed, especially if the house ends up somewhat down.
There is another method, too
Instead of giving each person a suit to count, there is an even better way to ensure you have the best chance of increasing your advantage. Instead of counting a suit, you need to count the difference between two suits.
21+3 Extreme Side Bet
Let's say you're counting the difference between hearts and clubs: every time you see a heart, add 1 to your score, and every time you see a club, take 1 away. Divide by the number of decks left in the shoe and you've got your true count. Should your score ever get to + or – 7, you've got an advantage and should bet.
21+3 Side Bet
The problem with this is that it only covers 1/6th of the possibilities. So, like above, you need 6 people – or someone with an incredible mind – to count the whole shoe. Again, everyone should bet when one of the counters does, but mind your casino table manners: you don't want to be caught and thrown out.
So that's it. While it may not be the simplest way to play blackjack, 21+3 does at least give you a way to exploit the table while still remaining relatively inconspicuous. Perhaps it's that thing that makes this blackjack tip a real choice for gamblers looking to increase their odds.
Tags: 21+3, Blackjack, blackjack sidegames, blackjack table, blackjack tips, Card-counting systems, casino table manners, counting cards, house edge, Lucky Ladies, strategy, Super Sevens, Vegas
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