Read more about blackjack side bet payouts. Prize Blackjack Side Bets. When it concerns blackjack side bets, gambling establishment fans generally flock to progressive tables for the leading rewards in business. The appeal of progressive blackjack side bet web betting is the quantity of genuine money that is possibly up for grabs. The 7 card is a big player in blackjack side bets. Sometimes called Super Sevens bets, this side bet is a proposition wager on whether or not the first card you are dealt is a 7. This bet traditionally pays off at 3-to-1. Another Super Sevens side bet is whether the first two cards you receive are 7s. Gamblers love side bets as they offer the chance of blackjack side bets payout. However, strategic blackjack players might avoid them because side bets are purely based on luck. The 21 + 3 blackjack side bet. Unlike your main blackjack bet, where you simply get a 1:1 return if you win the hand (unless you made a blackjack), with 21 + 3 you can. Side bets come in different forms with different odds and varying payouts - but you may have found yourself wondering: are blackjack side bets worth it? It’s no secret that these casino games don’t often produce substantial payouts, with most players making even money at best. Adding a 3-Card Side Bet to Blackjack Gives a Whole New Experience. Many casinos have tried to make blackjack more interesting (and often increase their house edge) by using side bets. Popular examples include 777 or Perfect Pairs. 21 +3 Blackjack is a regular game which can be either European or US rules, which has a 3-card optional side bet.

Blackjack has been a staple of the casino scene for as long as gamblers have assembled around the card table.

For several decades, players remained content to battle the house for basic even money and 3 to 2 (or 6 to 5 nowadays) payouts as part of the base game. Over time, however, the addition of competing table games forced blackjack operators to mix things up in order to keep recreational customers interested.

Enter the blackjack side bet…

By adding a specially designed optional wager to the equation, casinos found a quick fix that offered the best of both worlds. Purists who prefer to play blackjack as it was originally designed remain free to do so. But for the rest of us – gamblers who enjoy the occasional lark on a long shot game of chance offering juicy payout odds – blackjack side bets have been a godsend.

For the next installment in my ongoing series on blackjack side bets, it’s time to tackle the original blackjack side bet: “Lucky Lucky”.

And if you haven’t yet read the first two parts of the series yet, be sure you do. I tackled what you need to know about the 21 + 3 side bet and the Lucky Ladies side bet.

Introduction to the Lucky Lucky Side Bet

The year was 2001 and Franklin Daines found himself searching for creative ways to bring customers through the door of his Jackpot Casino in Alberta, Canada.

Daines ran the small gambling hall with his wife, and eventually the two got to work collaborating on a project that would change the world of blackjack forever. Their tinkering produced the Lucky Lucky side bet, which respected casino game analyst Michael Shackleford of “The Wizard of Odds” asserts to be the first blackjack side bet ever devised to incorporate both the player’s starting hand and the dealer’s up card.

Here’s how it works…

After placing a secondary wager on the Lucky Lucky side betting space, players are hoping to combine their two starting cards with the dealer’s hole card to form qualifying hands. I’ll get into the nitty gritty of the eight available qualifying hands in the next section, but the gist of Lucky Lucky side betting is to create a 21 total – just like in classic blackjack.

When you do, the Lucky Lucky pay table awards payouts ranging from double your money to 200 to 1.

The Lucky Lucky side bet proved to be an immediate hit among local Jackpot Casino gamblers, prompting the Daines family to patent their invention and establish Aces Up Gaming. Over the next two decades, Daines and his adult children successfully marketed the Lucky Lucky side bet and secured installations within hundreds of casinos worldwide.

Today, you can find the Lucky Lucky side bet offered by more than 2,000 blackjack tables in Las Vegas and beyond.

How to Land a Winner on the Lucky Lucky Side Bet

The best possible scenario in blackjack is to wind up with a total of 21 on the deal. Also known as a “natural,” this Ace + 10 combination is good for the base game’s only premium payout of 3 to 2 (or 6 to 5 in the corporate-owned casinos lining the Las Vegas Strip).

From there, players are hoping to hit their way to a total of 21 without going bust, which makes losing your bet impossible and ensures a push at the very least. All in all, 21 is the golden number for blackjack enthusiasts.

And therein lies the allure of the Lucky Lucky side bet…

Take the 7-7 starting hand for a lowly 14 as the perfect example. Holding a 14 against almost any dealer up card makes post-deal play quite difficult. To put things simply, you’re going to be stuck between a rock (standing and losing to superior dealer totals) and a hard place (hitting and going bust before ever seeing the dealer’s down card) when you have a 7-7 in the hole.

But when you’re wagering on the Lucky Lucky side bet, snagging a 7-7 is actually a sight for sore eyes. That’s because Daines and Co. designed their novel addition to blackjack using the following structure for qualifying hands:

Lucky Lucky Side Bet Qualifying Hands and Payouts

HAND	DESCRIPTION	PAYOUT
Suited 7-7-7	7-7-7 all in the same suit	200 to 1
Suited 6-7-8	6-7-8 all in the same suit	100 to 1
Unsuited 7-7-7	7-7-7 in different suits	50 to 1
Unsuited 6-7-8	6-7-8 In different suits	30 to 1
Suited Total of 21	Any 21-total using suited cards	15 to 1
Unsuited Total of 21	Any 21-total using suited cards	15 to 1
Total of 20	Any 20-total regardless of suits	2 to 1
Total of 19	Any 19-total regardless of suits	2 to 1
Any Other Total	Loss

As you can see, the best possible outcome for Lucky Lucky side bettors is to nail a perfect suited 7-7-7 combo using their starting hand and the dealer’s up card. Naturally, this is a difficult prospect given the probabilities (more on this to come), as even an eight-deck shoe only has eight 7s in each suit with which to work. Nonetheless, if you can beat the odds and pull a suited 7-7-7, the Lucky Lucky side bet will send you a sweet 200 to 1 payoff.

The hits keep on coming though, as even an unsuited 7-7-7 is worth 50 to 1 on your money.

You don’t even need to start with a 7-7 in the hole either, as the Lucky Lucky side bet pays out 100 to 1 on any suited 6-7-8 combo, and 30 to 1 on the unsuited 6-7-8.

Additionally, any combo totaling 21 that you can cobble together using your starting hand and the dealer’s up card is good for either 15 to 1 (suited) or 3 to 1 (unsuited).

Finally, when you and the dealer team up to find any three-card total of 20 or 19, you’ll collect a 2 to 1 payout.

But wait, there’s more…

Based on the house’s specific pay table configuration – which the Daines family and Aces Up Gaming are happy to oblige – you might find several alternative payout structures in place. Check out the table below – beginning with the standard payout scheme described earlier labeled as “#1” – to see how various Lucky Lucky side bet pay tables* shake out:

*All pay tables listed below use the “X to 1” system

Lucky Lucky Side Bet Alternative Pay Tables

HAND	#1	#2	#3	#4	#5	#6	#7	#8
Suited 7-7-7	200	0	200	200	200	200	100	500
Suited 6-7-8	100	100	100	100	100	100	50	200
Unsuited 7-7-7	50	50	50	50	50	50	30	100
Unsuited 6-7-8	30	30	30	25	30	30	10	25
Suited total of 21	15	10	10	15	15	10	3	15
Unsuited total of 21	3	3	3	3	3	3	2	3
Total of 20	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2
Total of 19	2	2	2	2	1	1	1	1

You might be wondering about the omission of a topline payout for the suited 7-7-7 in column #2, and if so, congratulations on being an astute reader. In this case, pay table #2 refers to a double-deck version of blackjack which only uses two decks at a time. Obviously, you can’t string together three 7s of the same suit in a double-deck game, hence the removal of that particular payout.

For the most part, these alternative pay tables are limited to areas outside of Las Vegas, like tribal casinos and regional gambling halls. That means the majority of Sin City casinos choose to spread the standard pay table (shown as “#1” in the grid above) rather than mess with a good thing.

With that said, you should always study the Lucky Lucky side bet layout on your blackjack table’s felt before placing a wager.

As you’ll learn in the penultimate section on “Traps to Watch Out For,” the very reasonable odds against and house edge rates offered by standard Lucky Lucky side betting quickly become bastardized by inferior pay tables.

Blackjack With Poker Side Bet

Probabilities and House Edge Rates for the Lucky Lucky Side Bet

When you study the inherent statistical probabilities associated with the Lucky Lucky side bet, you’ll quickly discover a “glass half-full, glass half-empty” scenario.

Take a look at the table* below – which highlights the possible combinations for qualifying hands, probabilities of landing them, and their expected return rates – to see what I mean:

*All data referenced below refers to Lucky Lucky side bets which a) use the standard “#1” pay table and b) use a six-deck shoe

Lucky Lucky Side Bet Combos, Probabilities, and Expected Return Rates

HAND	COMBOS	PROBABILITY	EXPECTED RETURN
Suited 7-7-7	80	0.0016 percent	0.003191
Suited 6-7-8	864	0.0172 percent	0.017234
Unsuited 7-7-7	1,944	0.0388 percent	0.019388
Unsuited 6-7-8	12,960	0.2585 percent	0.077553
Suited total of 21	26,568	0.5299 percent	0.079492
Unsuited total of 21	406,296	8.10 percent	0.243130
Total of 20	377,568	7.53 percent	0.150626
Total of 19	364,320	7.26 percent	0.145341
All other	3,822,720	76.25 percent	-0.762513
Total	5,013,320	1.0000	-0.026556

As you can see, the good news is Lucky Lucky side bet players can expect to form some kind of winning hand on roughly one in every four deals. Taken in sum, this relatively high win rate creates a very reasonable house edge rate of 2.66 percent on the Lucky Lucky side bet.

For comparison’s sake, you can think of this as akin to single-zero roulette, another purely chance-based gamble which offers a snug house edge of 2.70 percent. And when compared to the similarly named “Lucky Ladies” blackjack side bet – which carries an obscene house edge of 24.71 percent – splashing around on the Lucky Lucky option is a definite steal.

As for the bad news, of that approximately 25 percent win rate, 23 percent or so stems from low-paying winners that will only award payouts of either 2 to 1 or 3 to 1.

Let’s break the numbers down so you understand exactly what I’m talking about. First of all, the most likely scenario on any Lucky Lucky side bet is to make no qualifying hand at all, which happens at a 76.25 percent clip.

From there, the most likely winning hand is actually the unsuited 21-total, which will arrive on 8.10 percent of deals for a 3 to 1 payout. Next up is the “any 20-total” winner, good for a 2 to 1 payout on 7.53 percent of deals. And you’ll also score the “any 19-total” winner for 2 to 1 on 7.26 percent of deals.

The mathematically minded readers out there already know, but here’s what these bottom-heavy probabilities really mean. On 99.14 percent of all Lucky Lucky side bet plays, you’ll either lose outright, or win between 2 to 1 and 3 to 1 on your money.

As for those highly touted topline payouts of 200 to 1 for making a suited 7-7-7, consider that to be a lightning strike which only rains down at tiny fractions of a single percentage point. Taken altogether, the 200 to 1 through 15 to 1 payouts will only show up on less than 1 percent of the time.

This extreme disparity between the haves and have-nots makes Lucky Lucky side betting perfect for conservative blackjack players who don’t mind reaping marginal rewards for a marginal risk. On the other hand, folks who prefer going for the gusto by landing “jackpot” hands on their blackjack side bets may prefer a more balanced offering like the 21 + 3 wager.

Traps to Watch Out for When Playing the Lucky Lucky Side Bet

Whenever gamblers find a side bet like Lucky Lucky that offers a fair house edge rate, they can bet their bottom dollar the casinos have tried their best to ruin it by adjusting the odds.

That’s definitely true in the case of Lucky Lucky, which only carries that favorable 2.66 house edge on the standard #1 pay table described earlier.

Exercise caution and scan your pay tables carefully, because here’s how the house edge can fluctuate wildly against you when betting Lucky Lucky against the alternatives*:

*All house edge rates shown in the following table pertain to a six-deck shoe, except for the double-deck variant for pay table #2

Lucky Lucky Side Bet House Edge Rates (by Pay Table)

PAY TABLE	HOUSE EDGE
#1	2.66 percent
#2	5.39 percent
#3	5.31 percent
#4	3.95 percent
#5	9.96 percent
#6	12.60 percent
#7	5.05 percent
#8	7.07 percent

On a final note, Lucky Lucky side bet fans should remain cognizant of the casino’s deck construction for blackjack games. As the table below makes clear, playing with fewer than six decks in the shoe always increases the house’s inherent edge:

Lucky Lucky Side Bet House Edge Rates (by Pay Table and Number of Decks)

DECKS	#1	#2	#3	#4	#5	#6
1	2.61 percent	5.95 percent	6.66 percent	6.41 percent	7.31 percent	8.67 percent
2	2.82 percent	5.21 percent	6.02 percent	5.97 percent	6.85 percent	8.17 percent
3	2.77 percent	4.65 percent	5.5 percent	5.52 percent	6.39 percent	7.70 percent
4	2.72 percent	4.32 percent	5.18 percent	5.24 percent	6.10 percent	7.40 percent
5	2.68 percent	4.10 percent	4.98 percent	5.05 percent	5.92 percent	7.21 percent
6	2.66 percent	3.95 percent	4.83 percent	4.92 percent	5.78 percent	7.07 percent

Conclusion

The Lucky Lucky side bet became an instant classic among blackjack aficionados and casinos alike for many reasons. The ability to win even when you get dealt a bad hand appeals to players who hate unlucky streaks, while the pay table and probabilities make the possibility of paying out huge 200 to 1 winners a rarity for the house. If blackjack is your game, and side bets are something you enjoy indulging in, you can’t do much better than the aptly named Lucky Lucky option.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

As far as card games go, blackjack is one of the most popular formats. It is considered a classic casino game with great potential to satisfy both novice players and seasoned bettors. Standard blackjack variant has been among us for hundreds of years and has been the staple of many casino floors around the world. Naturally, the game founds its position among the top games in online casinos, as well, and one of the reasons why it has been able to persevere for so long is the existence of optional bets that players can choose to activate alongside their main bets.

A wider range of available bets makes for a more immersive playing environment, gives room to experiment with and injects new life energy into the regular game format that most blackjack players are already well-accustomed to. Side bets are an enticing option because they allow players to wager on payouts that supersede their stakes and standard betting possibilities.

Live blackjack games have many benefits to them, the first being the presence of real dealers who deal cards in real time and interact with participants during the round. In addition to this, live blackjack providers have gone a step further and introduced side bets to their blackjack products, making the games even more appealing for players who seek out more dynamic blackjack play and new ways to earn payouts. Some blackjack side bets are more popular than others and Casino Bloke will present the most notable ones below in a detailed guide to live blackjack side bets. Enjoy the read!

What Are Live Blackjack Side Bets?

The name itself is indicative of what side bets represent. These are bets made “on the side”, alternative bets, optional bets. Players are free to decide whether they wish to use them or not; nothing obligates them to make any of the side bets offered in the game of blackjack they are playing. Side bets come with different payout structures and some of them have specific moments in the game during which they can be made.

Optional bets promise attractive payouts, but the house edge becomes higher if the player makes a side bet. Undeniably, they add more fun to the game, but they are recommended more to players with above-average bankrolls. It’s not complicated to use side bets when offered. All you need to do is place your main blackjack bet at the round start on the circle/box reserved for the regular bet amount. You will see that there are side bet areas around the box and this is where you will place your side bets, should you choose to do it, at indicated times.

Side bets cover events in the game that are not affected by the main hand play. Therefore, it is important to remember that live blackjack side bets have no impact on the main hand outcome and the success or failure of the main bet. It is also a good idea to have in mind to always check the payout structure for specific live blackjack side bets because different casinos may offer different payouts for the same type of bet.

If you’ve had experience with side bets while playing at physical blackjack tables, the situation is similar in live casino blackjack games. The range of bets is solid, although somewhat smaller than at land-based casinos due to licensing restrictions. Nonetheless, live casino players can select their favourite amount side bets such as Perfect Pairs, 21+3, Lucky 7, Hot 3, Lucky Lucky or Bust It, to name a few.

Perfect Pairs – Most Common Side Bet in Live Blackjack

Nearly every live casino blackjack table comes with a Perfect Pairs side bet. To be able to place this bet, you must have staked a regular blackjack bet at the beginning of the round. Perfect Pairs has you wagering on a pair – your first two cards or the dealer’s first two cards must form a pair. The payout is different, depending on the type of pair formed. The possibilities include:

Online Blackjack With Side Bets

• Different colour, different suits – Red/Black Pair (Mixed Pair)
• Same colour, different suits – Red/Red Pair or Black/Black Pair (Coloured Pair)
• Same colour, same suit – Perfect Pair

In terms of payouts, the closer the cards match, the bigger the payout. Normally, matching numbers will bring a 6:1 payout. A coloured pair of different suits is worth 12:1, whereas a Perfect Pair, a pair of two identical cards, pays 25:1. The area for the Perfect Pairs bet is usually located to the left of the main bet box and it is often marked with PP. The house edge for the Perfect Pairs side bet stands at 0.576%.

21+3 – A bit of Poker-style Flavour

The 21+3 live casino blackjack side bet is based on the player’s first two cards and the dealer’s upcard. The initial two cards dealt to the player and the one card that is assigned to the dealer’s position facing up form a 3-card poker hand. If you place this side bet and the three cards form a valid poker hand, you will win an additional payout. Compared with Perfect Pairs, the 21+3 requires some knowledge about 3-card poker hands and in that sense, it may be a bit more complicated, but it is still among the most popular alternative bets offered in live casino blackjack games.

Should the player choose to take the 21+3 side bet, the winning outcome will happen if the three cards form the following hands, in ranking order from lowest to highest:

• Flush (three cards of the same suit), pays 5:1
• Straight (sequence of different suits), pays 10:1
• Three of a Kind (three same value cards but of different suits), pays 30:1
• Straight Flush (sequence of the same suit), pays 40:1
• Suited Trips (three identical cards, for example, 3 Queens of Diamonds), pays 100:1

The house edge for the 21+3 side bet is 0.576%. The odds differ, depending on the strength of the hand. The chances of getting Suited Trips are 0.024%, whereas the probabilities for getting a Flush are 5.88%. These numbers apply if the blackjack game is played with 8 decks, so you should always check the rules of any specific blackjack variant you decide to play at your chosen live casino.

Lucky 7 – Is Lady Luck on Your Side?

Lucky 7 is a more exclusive bet and you won’t find it as often as 21+3 and PP. The number 7 is the basis of this optional bet. Payouts are built around how many 7s the player has in hand. It is a very simple bet that you can win if you draw at least one 7. You will receive a payout of 3:1. More sevens will contribute to the size of the payout. A pair of unsuited 7s pays 25:1, whereas a suited pair pays 50:1. Ultimately, you can receive a 100:1 payout if you collect three unsuited sevens and maximise the potential of the Lucky 7 side bet with three suited 7s and a 500:1 payout. Certain games consider two cards from the player’s hand and the dealer’s up card for this side bet.

Best Side Bets In Blackjack

Hot 3 – Like 21+3, but More Specific

Top 3 Blackjack Side Bet

Hot 3 is an uncommon live blackjack side bet, but if you want to try it out you can do it by launching Infinite Blackjack by Evolution Gaming. This wager focuses on the player’s initial two cards and the dealer’s upcard. You are wagering on the specific combinations of cards that result in totals of 19, 20 or 21. Scoring 19 or 20 will earn you even money and 2:1, respectively. A total of 21 pays differently, depending on the suited or unsuited nature of the hand. An unsuited 21 pays 4:1 and a suited 21 is worth 20:1. The biggest payout for a Hot 3 side bet is 100:1 for three sevens.

Free Blackjack With Side Bets

Evolution’s Infinite Blackjack also comes with an interesting Bust It side bet. If you take it, you will be betting on the dealer going bust.

Final Thoughts

Live blackjack side bets are appealing options to make use of if you aim to earn something more than though regular blackjack play. However, most experienced blackjack players would advise to view them merely as a way to have fun. When won, the side bets can make a big difference, but if you rely on them in the long run, the chances of playing profitably will likely diminish. Occasionally, side bets are a favourable supplement, but they rarely enter the long-term blackjack strategy. If you want to see how some of these side bets work in action, check out our selection of top Blackjack casinos.