Boost your profits by learning whether the odds are in your favour with our guide to perfect pairs European Blackjack.
Perfect pairs European Blackjack is one of the most popular variants of blackjack online. This version of the game works like regular European Blackjack, but adds several new side bets for a twist on the classic game. Depending on the outcome of you and the dealer’s hands, you can win special pots.
If you’re looking for an alternative to regular Blackjack, perfect pairs is a fun way to try something new. Let’s take a closer look at the perfect pairs bet and see whether it’s worth investing a bankroll in.
What is perfect pairs in blackjack?
In Blackjack, a ‘pair’ simply means two cards of the same face value. For example, if your hand has a 5 of Diamonds and a 5 of Clubs, you’d have a pair of 5s.
Perfect pairs are a rarer hand type, where both cards in your hand are the same face value and same suit. If you’re holding two 5 of Diamonds cards in your hand, for example, you have a perfect pair.
This new hand type allows you to place side bets for an extra payout, adding another level of strategy to the classic game.
How to play perfect pairs Blackjack
If you’ve played European Blackjack, perfect pairs rules are very similar:
Deal: Players get dealt two cards face up, with the dealer receiving one up and one down. The aim is to receive further cards (“hit”) until you reach 21, or as close to it without going bust.
Stand: If you choose to stop receiving cards, you “stand” and your turn is over. If you beat the dealer’s total, or the dealer goes over 21 (“bust”), you win.
Insurance: At the start of a hand, the player puts in a bet and can take an optional Insurance bet worth 3/2. If the dealer hits blackjack (a natural 21) you receive 2/1 on your ‘Insurance’ bet.
Perfect pairs side bets:
The added side bets are the main attraction of perfect pairs; but what does a perfect pair pay in Blackjack? Here’s a list of the available side bets, as well as their odds:
Mixed Pair (e.g. 2 hearts – 2 spades): A mixed pair is a pair made up of two different colours (red/black). This pays 7/1.
Colour Pair (e.g. 3 hearts – 3 diamonds): This is a pair of the same colour but different suits. This pays 15/1.
Perfect Pair (e.g. Jack hearts – Jack hearts): This is a pair of cards of the same rank AND suit. It pays 30/1.
Perfect pairs Blackjack strategy and tips
It’s important to understand how many cards are available when you play perfect pairs European Blackjack. A standard online perfect pairs game may use two decks of cards. Therefore, the odds of you hitting two cards the same (a “perfect pair”) are better than the 30/1 offered in the payouts. Even if a shoe has 6-8 decks, the chances of being dealt two cards the same are in the thousands.
The side bets in perfect pairs add a different element to the game: if you are going to risk a small stake, perhaps stick to the Mixed Pair bet. This gives you a few more cards in the shoe to hit.
Knowing when to “hit” and “stand” is important. For example, it’s often a good bet to split in blackjack when playing with high pairs. But this isn’t always possible if you have a side bet resting on the outcome of your hand.
Alternative side bets in online Blackjack
There are a variety of other blackjack casino games that feature side bets. In some cases, the general gameplay differs as well.
Blackjack Switch:
In this blackjack variation, players receive additional payouts on a range of side bets.
At the start of a game, the player gets dealt two hands. If they get dealt a pair at the start of a hand, the side bet pays 5/1.
Strategy on splitting pairs then comes into play. Receiving two pairs pays 8/1; and if the player gets quads (four cards the same), the side bet pays 40/1. As in European Blackjack, players in Blackjack Switch can take Insurance and double down.
Super Fun 21:
This variant puts the “fun” into regular blackjack. The gameplay follows European Blackjack, but there are additional payouts for:
Hitting a blackjack with two diamonds (2/1)
Making 21 with five cards or less (2/1)
Making 20 with fewer than six cards (1/1)
Double Attack Blackjack:
Double Attack Blackjack has more side bet action than most variants. The more unlikely the outcome, the higher the payout. The “Bust It” bet is the highlight of Double Attack Blackjack:
The player wins the side bet if the dealer busts with three cards (and exactly three).
There are also bets on everything from the dealer’s up card being a picture card (3/1) to the dealer busting with a nine (6/1) or busting with a seven (10/1).
The player can receive a 50/1 payout if the dealer busts with 8-8-8 of the same colour.
Ready to start playing? Find the best perfect pairs Blackjack games, as well as all your other favourite variants, when you play Blackjack online with Betway Casino.
