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Blackjack has one of the lowest house edges in the casino (~0.5%). To make more money, casinos introduced Side Bets like “21+3” and “Perfect Pairs,” which offer high payouts but carry a massive mathematical disadvantage.
This calculator reveals the House Edge for the most popular side bets. Use it to see exactly how much value you are giving up for the chance of a big win.
Blackjack Side Bets Analyzer
Result...
Side Bet Analysis
- 21+3 (9-6-4 Table): House Edge ~3.2%. This is one of the “better” side bets, but still 6x worse than the main game.
- Perfect Pairs: House Edge ~6.1%. High volatility.
- Lucky Ladies: House Edge ~17.6%. This is mathematically disastrous. Avoid at all costs unless you are counting cards specifically for this bet.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can card counting beat side bets?
Yes, some side bets (like Lucky Ladies or Insurance) are highly vulnerable to card counting. Professional teams have exploited them in the past, but for the average player without a specific count system, they are money pits.