Buster Blackjack
250:1 top payout · 8+ card bust
House edge ≈ 4.7–6.2%
Win when the dealer busts, even if you bust first. The more cards in the wreck, the bigger the payday.
Full pay table →Every side bet · every pay table · the real house edge
Blackjack Side Bets Explained: Payouts, Odds, and Which Are Worth It
Twenty-plus blackjack side bets promise triple-digit paydays on a five-dollar chip. This site breaks down every one of them: full pay tables, verified house-edge math, and a straight answer to whether they're worth it.
TABLE 22 · DEALER MUST HIT
6
4
3
9
22 BUST
4-card dealer bust → Buster pays 4:1 · your hand doesn't matter
The Side-Bet Board: payouts and odds at a glance
Every one of the named blackjack side bets, on one board: top payout, typical house edge, and where the full pay table lives. The edge figures are the honest ranges you will actually meet, blackjack side bets explained the way the pit boss won't.
21+3
100:1 suited three of a kind
House edge ≈ 3.2–6.3%
Your two cards plus the dealer's upcard, scored as a three-card poker hand.
Full pay table →Free Bet Blackjack
Push 22 the variant, not a bet
House edge ≈ 1.04%
The house pays for your doubles and splits, then keeps dealer 22 as a push. A whole game built around a side-bet idea.
Full pay table →Lucky Ladies
1000:1 QQ hearts + dealer BJ
House edge ≈ 17.6–24.7%
Any 20 pays; queens pay more. The flashiest jackpot on the felt, and the worst math.
Full pay table →Perfect Pairs
25:1 identical pair
House edge ≈ 2.2–8.1%
Mixed, colored or perfect — your first two cards as a pair, three payout tiers.
Full pay table →Lucky Lucky
200:1 suited 7-7-7
House edge ≈ 2.66%
Your hand plus the dealer's upcard chasing 19, 20, 21, and the magic sevens.
Full pay table →Match the Dealer
22:1 double suited match
House edge ≈ 3.3–4.8%
Either of your cards matching the dealer's upcard. A Spanish 21 staple gone mainstream.
Full pay table →Blazing 7s
Jackpot three suited sevens take the meter
House edge meter-based
Progressive sevens-chasing with slot-machine plumbing. Fun, streaky, expensive.
Full pay table →Royal Match
25:1 suited K-Q
House edge ≈ 3.7–6.7%
Two suited cards pay small; the king-queen "royal match" pays the premium.
Full pay table →King's Bounty
1,000:1 KK spades + dealer blackjack
House edge ≈ 23%
Twenties built from kings, with a spade-heavy jackpot ladder.
Full pay table →Hot 3
100:1 three sevens
House edge ≈ 5.4%
Nineteen-to-21 totals from your hand plus the dealer's upcard, live-casino flavor.
Full pay table →Super 4
Jackpot diamond royal + dealer blackjack
House edge meter-based
Your two cards plus the dealer's two as four-card poker, live only when the dealer has blackjack.
Full pay table →Pair Square
25:1 suited pair, richest tables
House edge ≈ 4–6%
The straightforward pair bet under another name; regional pay tables vary.
Full pay table →Insurance
2:1 dealer has blackjack
House edge ≈ 7.4%
The oldest side bet in the game, dressed up as protection. The math says otherwise.
Full pay table →Which blackjack side bets are worth it?
Are blackjack side bets worth it once the math is on the table? Every side bet gives the house more than the main game's half percent; how much more is the whole question, and here is the field on one scale.
Main game (basic strategy) 0.5%
Lucky Lucky 2.66%
21+3 (flat 9:1 table) 3.24%
Match the Dealer 4.06%
Buster Blackjack 6.2%
Lucky Ladies 24.7%
Figures assume six decks and the standard US pay tables; the per-bet pages carry the variant-by-variant numbers. If you keep side wagers to a tenth of your main bet, even the red half of this chart stays cheap entertainment. The full math lives in the house edge guide and the blackjack odds primer.
The extra circles on the felt are where the house makes its real money: blackjack side bets explained placard by placard, every one priced on this site.
How often does the dealer actually bust?
Around 28% of hands overall, but the per-upcard spread runs from under 12% behind an ace to almost 43% behind a five. That spread is the entire logic of bust wagers like Buster Blackjack, and it decides when they're closest to fair. We built a meter for it.
The math behind the felt
Every verdict on this site rests on numbers the casino would rather you skipped. The full set lives in the blackjack math guides; here are the four that come up most.
Blackjack house edge What the casino really earns, game by game and rule by rule. Blackjack odds Bust chances, dealer outcomes, and the probabilities behind basic strategy. Push 22 The dealer-22 rule that powers Free Bet Blackjack, explained. Insurance Why the oldest "protection" bet on the felt fails the math test.
Blackjack side bets explained, frequently asked questions
What are side bets in blackjack?
Side bets are optional wagers placed alongside your main blackjack bet. They pay on specific card outcomes (pairs, three-card poker hands, dealer busts, particular totals) and they win or lose independently of your main hand. How do side bets work in blackjack beyond that definition? Placement, timing and payouts are covered question by question below.
How do side bets work in blackjack?
How do side bets work in blackjack, mechanically? You place the wager on its marked spot before the deal. Most side bets are settled as soon as the qualifying cards are visible, often before your main hand finishes. Your main bet plays out normally either way.
Are blackjack side bets worth it?
The blunt answer to “are blackjack side bets worth it”: not on expected value. Every side bet carries a higher house edge than the roughly 0.5% of the main game played with basic strategy. The cheapest ones (Lucky Lucky at 2.66%, the flat-pay 21+3 at 3.24%) are reasonable entertainment. The worst run past 20%. See the house edge guide for the full comparison.
What are the best side bets in blackjack?
By house edge, Lucky Lucky (≈2.66%) and the flat-pay 21+3 (3.24%) lead the field, with Match the Dealer close behind at about 4% on six decks. "Best" also depends on what you want: Buster Blackjack pays up to 250:1 for a slow-motion dealer wreck, which cheaper bets can never deliver.
What do side bets pay in blackjack?
Payouts range from even money up to 1000:1 or more. Typical figures: Perfect Pairs tops out at 25:1, 21+3 at 100:1 for a suited three of a kind, Buster Blackjack at 250:1 for an 8-card dealer bust, and Lucky Ladies at 1000:1 for queens of hearts against a dealer blackjack.