Gambling on the Blackjack Sidebet
Usually, online casino gambling on a side bet in blackjack is, to be blunt, a bad idea. It sways the odds significantly in favor of the house. However, it’s there, so let’s talk about it. From what I can think of off the top of my head, there are something like two dozen different general side bets that various casinos offer – meaning you can wager separately from the blackjack value of your hand with a straight bet that pays odds depending on how hard the combination of cards is to achieve.
Let’s go through the most popular one and see the odds and probability – I’ll let the numbers and the payoffs speak for themselves, and you as an informed player can determine ultimately if it’s something you want to try your hand at.
Super Sevens. Ah, nothing in gambling like the allure of a sexy 7. This side bet runs about five levels of difficulty deep. Starting with the first card, if it’s a seven and you’ve made this side bet, the typical payoff is something like 3:1 of your wager. If your first two cards are unsuited sevens, you can expect a nice enticing 50:1 payoff. The odds of one seven coming up in a six-deck game is a little more than 7 percent. For two to hit in a row, you’re looking at a 0.4% probability. That’s each hand remember, the odds reset every time the cards are swept.
Moving along, if you put $5 down on goldencasino.com on a side bet that your first two cards will be suited sevens, you’ll be looking at a quick $500 win. Of course, the odds of that happening are 0.115%. Which means it’s basically never going to happen. A tougher hand still is three unsuited sevens in a row, coming in at 0.037%. If you manage to strike gold with this hand, the reward is usually a 500:1 payoff. At this point, I really have to say I think you’re wasting your money. The return doesn’t justify the risk.
Finally, at a typical casino you can take this super sevens side bet all the way up to three suited sevens, which pays off a hefty 5,000:1, with a probability of hitting at 0.001%.
Also, keep in mind these payoffs don’t stack. You won’t get the 50:1 from two unsuited sevens in a row as well as the 3:1 for the first seven. It’s just the max payoff.