Popular blackjack side bets

Greetings,

I am writing an article about blackjack side bets, and I'm trying to come up with a list of the most popular ones. This can be a world-wide list. I would like the wager to be placed on at least 100 tables and to have been around for a few years. Also, it should be a BJ side bet, not one primarily on a variant (like BJ Switch or SP21).

Here is the list I have so far:

• 21 + 3
• Insurance
• Lucky Ladies
• Lucky Lucky
• Pair Square / Bet the Set
• Perfect Pairs
• Royal Match

Any others? Thanks.

Quote: teliot

• 21 + 3
• Insurance
• Lucky Ladies
• Lucky Lucky
• Pair Square / Bet the Set
• Perfect Pairs
• Royal Match

Any others? Thanks.

Field of Gold is also one I've seen a bunch of places. It goes by a lot of different names, so it may not be trademarked (i.e. at Harrah's St Louis it was called the iBar sidebet).

Eliot,
The "Bust it!" bet should also be included, it's been out for a number of years, and has installs in AC and LV, including Stations.
see Bust it.

The "IN Between Bet" is spreading rapidly in the east and mid Atlantic Area. It is on more than 100 tables and to my knowledge has been around for 2+ years.

What about Over/Under 13? I know of at least one big Indian casino that has them on a lot of tables. Not sure about Vegas or AC.

Let us know if you write an article on new blackjack side bets trying to grab a foothold. I've got one that I've just begun marketing.

Quote: GameBoy

What about Over/Under 13?

This bet has been around a long, long time. It is mostly extinct now, because it is so easily beaten by a simple card counting system. I am always surprised to hear about its reprise.

Quote: Paigowdan

The "Bust it!" bet should also be included, it's been out for a number of years, and has installs in AC and LV, including Stations. see Bust it.

There has been a host of new variations on this wager's core idea -- a side bet associated with the dealer busting. I personally did the mathematics for two variants in the last year, and know of two others that are newer than the one you linked.

How about STREAK ? It was very popular in Colorado for 20 years until the limits got raised. Had at least 20-30 placements.
I thought it would disappear after limits went from $5 to $100, but found 6 or 7 tables on my last visit to Blackhawk.
It was in AC also at one time.

PS Any chance you will provide a link here to your article ?

Match the Dealer is huge on Spanish 21 (and I've seen it on a few regular BJ games too).

My Blackjack side bet: BlackJack Block®. Lage Lay-Out. Video Presentation.

BlackJack Block®

Invented in 2003.
Distributor TCSJOHNHUXLEY
Mathematical Analysis = Michael Shackleford, A.S.A.
Played Live 150+ Tables in Countries: South Africa, Egypt, Latvia, Estonia, Ireland, Morocco, Africa, EU, UK... (Not in the US)

Introduction to: BlackJack Block®

Blackjack Block is a side bet that can be played on any blackjack game. The game is based on the initial two cards and the dealer’s up card.

Rules:
1. The side bet (Blackjack Block) can be played on any blackjack game. There is no strategy to the side bet (Blackjack Block) so it will not interfere with the blackjack play.

2. The side bet (Blackjack Block) shall win or lose depending only on the player’s initial 2 cards and the dealer’s up card.

3. If the player’s cards are different rank and suit, and 1 of them matches the dealer’s suit and exceeds the dealer’s rank the player shall have a “Normal Block” which pays 2 to 1.

4. If the suit of both player cards match the suit of the dealer card, and at least 1 of the player's card exceeds the dealer card in rank, then the player shall have a “Flush Block”, which pays 5 to 1.

5. If the player has an unsuited pair, and 1 of them match the dealer card in suit, and exceed the dealer card in rank, then the player shall have a “Pair Block”, which pays 10 to 1 with 2 or more decks, and 15 to 1 in a single deck game.

6. If the player’s 2 cards are same in both rank and suit, and that suit matches the dealer’s suit, and the player’s rank exceeds the dealer’s rank, then the player shall have a “Ultimate Block” which pays from (35 to 60) to 1, depending on the number of decks. However this win does not apply to a single deck game since it is impossible to have two identical cards in a single deck.

7. If at least 1 of the player cards matches the dealer’s card in both rank and suit, and other card (if any) does not match the dealer’s suit or is less in rank than the dealer’s rank. Then the player shall have a tie, which is a push.

Quote: MrCasinoGames

My Blackjack side bet: BlackJack Block®. Lage Lay-Out. Video Presentation.

This is clearly posted in the wrong thread, but I'd like to make a quick comment about it.

I read the instructions and was thoroughly confused by them. So I decided to watch the video. It makes more sense, though I'm wondering how many installs you have in the US; you mention you've got installs in South Africa and other places.

Simply put, if it takes longer than about 20 words to describe how your side bet works, it's probably not going to gain much traction in the US. The reason the above side bets work is they are VERY EASY to understand. As soon as you have conditional rules that the player has to remember, it goes from being fun to being a chore, and the casual gambler will not play a side bet that takes a lot of thought. Of course, the strategic player doesn't play side bets anyways.

From an operator standpoint, a complicated payout schedule that doesn't have rhymes or rules when multiple cards are involved is not good. I'm comparing this to Match the Dealer on Spanish 21. If you had to memorize the odd schedule, it might be challenging, until you break it down card by card where it makes more sense. I can see the error rate for mispays being extremely high too.

In short, it's always nice to see the entrepreneurial spirit, but this game probably is just a bit too complicated for US audiences.

in other words, most americans are too lazy and stupid for this side bet

Quote: WongBo

in other words, most americans are too lazy and stupid for this side bet

I don't think that you have to be intelligent or a particularly motivated person to play a side bet that requires absolutely no strategy on the part of the player. My thinking is that we are people who like to do things in a somewhat conventional way, so we would like side bets that are simple to understand to the extent that we can get a general (even if only an assumptive and very general idea) of what our probability of profitting off of one play is. My opinion is that this side bet simply holds too many potential payouts that are unrelated to the Rules of most Table Games I have ever seen for a player to feel comfortable with placing a bet.

Your average side bet in an American Table Game usually bears a pretty close resemblance to the Rules of a familiar (but different) Table Game.

Quote: Tiltpoul

Quote: MrCasinoGames

My Blackjack side bet: BlackJack Block®. Lage Lay-Out. Video Presentation.

This is clearly posted in the wrong thread, but I'd like to make a quick comment about it.

I read the instructions and was thoroughly confused by them. So I decided to watch the video. It makes more sense, though I'm wondering how many installs you have in the US; you mention you've got installs in South Africa and other places.

Simply put, if it takes longer than about 20 words to describe how your side bet works, it's probably not going to gain much traction in the US. The reason the above side bets work is they are VERY EASY to understand. As soon as you have conditional rules that the player has to remember, it goes from being fun to being a chore, and the casual gambler will not play a side bet that takes a lot of thought. Of course, the strategic player doesn't play side bets anyways.

From an operator standpoint, a complicated payout schedule that doesn't have rhymes or rules when multiple cards are involved is not good. I'm comparing this to Match the Dealer on Spanish 21. If you had to memorize the odd schedule, it might be challenging, until you break it down card by card where it makes more sense. I can see the error rate for mispays being extremely high too.

In short, it's always nice to see the entrepreneurial spirit, but this game probably is just a bit too complicated for US audiences.

Why is it posted in the wrong thread?

Regarding how many installs I have in the US?
On my post I say: Played Live 150+ Tables in Countries, South Africa, Egypt, Latvia, Estonia, Ireland, Morocco, Africa, EU, UK... (Not in the US).

By the way, None of my games have been trial in the US yet.

I think but I could be wrong that it should have been in the bj thread. This thread is for other games.

Quote: MrCasinoGames

Why is it posted in the wrong thread?

Regarding how many installs I have in the US?
On my post I say: Played Live 150+ Tables in Countries, South Africa, Egypt, Latvia, Estonia, Ireland, Morocco, Africa, EU, UK... (Not in the US).

By the way, None of my games have been trial in the US yet.

I got from the spirit of teliot's OP that it's supposed to be for games that have 100+ installs in the US. I'm probably not going to go to any casinos in the majority of countries where you have this game, except possibly Ireland or UK.

For your sake, I hope you can get a successful US trial going, but I just have a hard time thinking it would succeed giving the reasons I previously stated.

Quote: Tiltpoul

I got from the spirit of teliot's OP that it's supposed to be for games that have 100+ installs in the US. I'm probably not going to go to any casinos in the majority of countries where you have this game, except possibly Ireland or UK.

For your sake, I hope you can get a successful US trial going, but I just have a hard time thinking it would succeed giving the reasons I previously stated.

From the teliot's post it say's:

I am writing an article about blackjack side bets, and I'm trying to come up with a list of the most popular ones. This can be a world-wide list. I would like the wager to be placed on at least 100 tables and to have been around for a few years. Also, it should be a BJ side bet, not one primarily on a variant (like BJ Switch or SP21).

It had no mention of (for games that have 100+ installs in the US only) and How can it be world-wide list, if it is only applies installs in the US?

Quote: Tiltpoul

Field of Gold is also one I've seen a bunch of places..

See this post

Quote: teliot

See this post

I read your post, and I'm very intrigued by the fact that you did that amount of research so quickly.

FYI, I've NEVER seen the game on a double deck game. I have seen it on 6-deck, but usually the game is on a continuous shuffler, which probably detracts counters from making the bet. It never even crossed my mind that it could be counted, but the more I think about it, it makes sense.

See this post by the Wizard which was updated on May 12, 2012