Side Bets in Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the most popular card games in the world, and well loved in both physical casinos and online. The simplicity of the games rules combines with the fact that you can play with, but not against other people makes it a good game to play socially, and the fact it is easy to learn and is not skill based means that even if you aren’t a frequent gambler you still have a good chance to win. Winning big in blackjack, however, is not easy, because the amount you can win on each hand is directly proportional to your bet. The best return you can get is getting ‘blackjack’, that is getting 21 in your first two cards. That is not to say people don’t win big on blackjack, but this does usually require playing over some time.

To make the game more interesting and attract people who like the idea of a bigger win on a less likely event, many casinos offer side bets on blackjack. This means that as well as betting on beating the dealer, you can make an additional bet that certain other conditions will occur in your hand. These are usually based on a certain card or value of card coming up. A fairly common one in casinos is called ‘Lucky Ladies’ and relates to queen cards. Different bonus payouts apply for different hands involving queens, and if you make this side bet and get one or two queens you can win. This is just an example, however, and different casinos offer their own special bonuses and side bets to entice players.

Whether you are playing in a land based casino or online, look out for opportunities to make side bets in blackjack. It can be a way to make more money off of a small stake, and while it does up the cost of each individual bet, you only have to win every now and again to recoup the extra you have used on the side bet and make a profit. As well as side bets, there are also some casinos that offer special bonuses for a certain combination of cards. This doesn’t require you to make a separate bet or to bet any more than you usually would on a hand, but should the combo come up, you can get a greater payout than you would for simply winning the hand.