Online Blackjack Perfect Pairs


 Online Blackjack Perfect Pairs


 

One of the main grouses of online blackjack players is that the payouts as a multiple of the bet are minuscule. The normal payout for a win is even money whereas a blackjack win pays one and a half times the bet. The maximum payout in roulette is 35:1 and that in video slots can go to 10,000: 1. These players realise that the probabilities of these maximum payouts are comparatively much lower and also that the average returns as a whole in roulette and slots are lower than in online blackjack. Yet, they miss the adrenalin pumping that these other online casino games offer.

 

Games suppliers to online casinos, like Microgaming, Playtech, and Realtime Gaming, have filled this breach through blackjack games with side bets that provide the thrill and expectancy of possible big wins. The most popular of these games is Blackjack Perfect Pairs. There are many variants of this online blackjack game with different payout tables and I have done some search to select the most common one. The side bet can pay out up to 25 times, but there will be a small downside in the expected return. Without getting into the mathematics, let me state that this loss in average return will not be significant for the player that is in the activity for having a good time.

 

You cannot play the Perfect Pairs side bet alone. You must place a bet for the main game and another bet on the Perfect Pairs spot on the table. You will be dealt two cards face up (remember that we are playing blackjack online) and the dealer will be dealt the hand as usual. The Perfect Pairs side bet is decided on your two dealt cards as follows.

 

·       If the hands are not a pair, which is they are not of the same rank, then you lose the Perfect Pairs bet. For the newbie blackjack player, I stress the difference between rank and value. A Jack and Queen have the same value but different ranks. You will find more on basic blackjack in my YouTube Channel here.

·       If you are dealt a pair with the cards being of different colours, then it is a Mixed Pair and pays 5:1.

·       If you are dealt a pair with the cards being of the same colour but different suits, then it is a Coloured Pair and pays 12:1.

·       If you are dealt a pair with the cards being of the same suit then it is a Perfect Pair and pays 25:1. Online Blackjack Perfect Pairs is usually played with 8 decks in the shoe so you can be dealt two Aces of Hearts.

 

Once the player’s first two cards are dealt, the Perfect Pairs bet is immediately settled. You then play out the main blackjack hand in the usual manner and your winning or losing this hand has no bearing on the Perfect Pairs bet outcome.

 

I leave a thought for the day on Blackjack Perfect Pairs. At most online casinos you are not constrained to bet the same amount on the main game and the side bet. So, you should bet more for the main game, say $5 for the main game to $1 for the side bet. This will help mitigate the effect of the lower expectation on the Perfect Pairs side bet.

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