Everything You Need to Know About Side Bets in Blackjack

Blackjack has a reputation for being one of the simplest games on the casino floor. Get closer to 21 than the dealer, don't go bust, and collect your win. But sit down at the right table, and you'll spot an extra betting spot, quietly waiting. That's the side bet, and it adds a little something to the standard hand.

If you've ever wondered what those optional wagers are about, this guide walks you through it. We'll cover the most popular side bets in blackjack, how each one works, which games include them, and the pros and cons worth knowing before you place one. If you'd rather skip straight to the tables, our online blackjack games are ready when you are.

What Is a Side Bet in Blackjack?

A side bet is an extra wager you can place alongside your main blackjack bet. It sits separate from the hand you're playing against the dealer, which means it has its own outcome and its own payout.

Here's the part players tend to like: a side bet is settled on its own terms. So even if your main hand doesn't beat the dealer, your side bet could still come in. It's a small spot on the table doing its own thing while the main blackjack game plays out.

Side bets are optional. You're never required to place one, and the core game runs the same whether you do or you don't.

The Most Popular Blackjack Side Bets

There are plenty of side bets out there, and casinos add their own twists. But a handful show up again and again. Here are the ones worth knowing:

Perfect Pairs

Perfect Pairs is settled on your first two cards. If they make a pair, you win, and the payout depends on the type of pair you land.

A mixed pair (two cards of the same rank but different colours, like a red 8 and a black 8) pays the least. A coloured pair (same rank, same colour) pays more. A perfect pair (same rank, same suit) pays the most. Three tiers, one quick result.

21+3

21+3 takes your two cards and combines them with the dealer's up-card to make a three-card hand. If those three cards form a poker-style combination, the side bet pays out.

The winning combinations are the ones you'd recognise from poker: a flush, a straight, three of a kind, and a straight flush. The rarer the combination, the bigger the return. It's a neat crossover for anyone who enjoys both games.

Insurance

Insurance is the side bet most players meet first, mainly because it comes up so often. It's offered when the dealer's up-card is an Ace.

Taking insurance means betting that the dealer's hole card is a 10, Jack, Queen or King, which would give them blackjack. The wager can be up to half your original bet, and it generally pays at 2/1 if you're right. You'll find more on this in our guide to the rules of online blackjack.

Lucky Lucky

Lucky Lucky looks at your two cards and the dealer's up-card together, and it rewards certain totals and combinations. Hands totalling 19, 20 or 21 tend to pay, with the best returns reserved for specific three-card combinations like a suited 7-7-7.

21st Century Side Bets

Game studios keep finding fresh angles on the side bet. Phoenix Blackjack, for example, has its own Phoenix Side Bet, which can trigger a bonus round with a progressive jackpot in play. It's a good reminder that side bets aren't one fixed thing. They vary from game to game, so it's always worth checking what a specific table offers.

Which Blackjack Games Include Side Bets?

Not every blackjack game has side bets, and that's by design. Some games are built around a clean, classic experience. Others lean into extra betting options.

As a general rule, single-deck and stripped-back tables keep things minimal. Single Deck Blackjack, for instance, focuses on the core game without the added wagers. Multi-deck and feature-led games are more likely to include side bets, and live dealer tables often build them in too, since the social, full-experience setting suits them well.

Plenty of Virgin Games blackjack tables show how side bets work in practise. Blackjack Match is built around side bets, with odds up to 500/1 for matching your cards to the dealer's, while your main hand runs as normal.

Single Deck +3 brings in the three-card poker hand, where your two cards plus the dealer's up-card are checked for a flush, straight, three of a kind or straight flush before your blackjack round begins. And Phoenix Blackjack has its own Phoenix Side Bet, where a Phoenix suit blackjack triggers the Jackpot Bonus Round.

The simplest approach is to check the rules of any game before you sit down. Every table tells you which side bets, if any, are available, along with the payouts attached to each. If you're still getting familiar with the wider vocabulary, our A-Z of blackjack terminology is a handy companion.

The Pros and Cons of Side Bets

Side bets split opinion, and it's worth understanding both sides before you decide.

The pros of placing a side bet in blackjack

The appeal is straightforward. Side bets add variety to a hand, and they give you a way to win something even when your main hand falls short. The payouts can also be larger than the even-money returns of the base game, since you're betting on less frequent outcomes. For players who enjoy a bit more happening on the table, they make each round feel fuller.

The cons of placing a side bet in blackjack

The trade-off is the house edge. Side bets typically carry a higher house edge than the main blackjack bet, which means that, over time, they're less favourable to the player than the core game. They also rely far more on the cards you're dealt than on the decisions you make. The main game rewards strategy. Side bets, by their nature, don't.

None of that makes them a bad choice. It just makes them a different one. The key is going in with clear eyes: side bets are an optional bit of fun, not a strategy for getting ahead.

It's also worth knowing that side bets have nothing to do with whether a game is fair. Every regulated game uses tested technology to keep results random, side bets included. If that's ever crossed your mind, our piece on whether online blackjack is rigged covers exactly how it works.

Try Blackjack Side Bets at Virgin Games

Blackjack side bets are a small addition with a fair bit of personality. Perfect Pairs, 21+3, Insurance and the rest each bring their own angle, and the right one for you comes down to how you like to play.

At Virgin Games, you'll find a full range of blackjack tables, from classic single-deck games to feature-rich variations with side bets built in. Fancy a few hands on the move? Our mobile casino app brings the tables with you, so you can take a seat wherever you happen to be.

Have a look, find the table that suits your style, and see which side of the side bet debate you land on.

Now you know your way around side bets, the tables are waiting. Virgin Games has Blackjack Match, Single Deck +3, Phoenix Blackjack and plenty more, side bets and all. Sign up and play today.

All offers mentioned correct at the time of writing but may be subject to change.