- Appendices
- Miscellaneous
- External Links
Introduction
The 21+3 Set of Side Bets. The second broadly available set of side wagers in blackjack comprises the so-called 21+3 bets. You will find those in some online variations developed by software suppliers Realistic Games and Felt Gaming, among others. These are also available at many live-dealer tables by Evolution Gaming. 3:2 Blackjack – these are the best blackjack payouts for players. With a 3:2 blackjack table, you will receive 1.5 x your bet when you have blackjack. Using the same hand values listed above, your payouts will be as follows: $100 blackjack bet x 1.5 (3/2) = $150.
TriLux is a blackjack side bet based on the first two player cards and the dealer up card. It is similar to the 21+3 side bet, except adds a fixed bonus for the dealer on any winning hand.Rules
- The side bet is based on the use of ordinary 52-card decks.
- Winning hands are based on three cards — the initial two player cards and the dealer up card.
- There are three tables, as shown below. They show the pay table for the player, which is based on the bet amount, as usual. They also show the 'Lucky George,' which is a flat win paid to the dealer, regardless of the bet amount.
You may be wondering why the award to the dealer is called a 'Lucky George bonus.' All I know for sure is that a good tipper is called a 'George.' Meanwhile, a stingy tipper is called a 'stiff.' One theory is that a dollar bill features George Washington, and at the time that the saying caught on $1 was still a good tip.
Following are three known pay tables and Lucky George bonuses.
Pay Table 1
| Event | Player Wins | Lucky George |
|---|---|---|
| Straight flush | 8 to 1 | $1 |
| Three of a kind | 8 to 1 | $1 |
| Straight | 8 to 1 | $1 |
| Flush | 8 to 1 | $1 |
Pay Table 2
| Event | Player Wins | Lucky George |
|---|---|---|
| Straight flush | 25 to 1 | $10 |
| Three of a kind | 15 to 1 | $5 |
| Straight | 8 to 1 | $2 |
| Flush | 5 to 1 | $1 |
Pay Table 3
| Event | Player Wins | Lucky George |
|---|---|---|
| Straight flush | 25 to 1 | $10 |
| Three of a kind | 15 to 1 | $5 |
| Straight | 10 to 1 | $2 |
| Flush | 5 to 1 | $1 |
Analysis — Pay Table 1
Following is my analysis of the player's expected return of pay table 1 and six decks. The lower right cell shows a house advantage of 12.91%.
Pay Table 1 — Player Analysis
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight flush | 8 | 10,368 | 0.002068 | 0.016545 |
| Three of a kind | 8 | 26,312 | 0.005248 | 0.041987 |
| Straight | 8 | 155,520 | 0.031021 | 0.248171 |
| Flush | 8 | 292,896 | 0.058424 | 0.467388 |
| Loser | -1 | 4,528,224 | 0.903239 | -0.903239 |
| Total | 5,013,320 | 1.000000 | -0.129147 |
Following is my analysis of the Lucky George bonus of pay table 1 and six decks. The lower right cell shows the dealer can expect to get ¢9.68 for every hand played.
Pay Table 1 — Lucky George Analysis
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight flush | $1 | 10,368 | 0.002068 | $0.002068 |
| Three of a kind | $1 | 26,312 | 0.005248 | $0.005248 |
| Straight | $1 | 155,520 | 0.031021 | $0.031021 |
| Flush | $1 | 292,896 | 0.058424 | $0.058424 |
| Total | 5,013,320 | 1.000000 | $0.096761 |
The next table shows the expected return for both the player and dealer by number of decks under pay table 1.
Pay Table 1 — House Edge
| Decks | Player Return | Dealer Return |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | -0.165356 | $0.092738 |
| 4 | -0.138195 | $0.095756 |
| 5 | -0.132766 | $0.096359 |
| 6 | -0.129147 | $0.096761 |
| 8 | -0.124624 | $0.097264 |
Analysis — Pay Table 2
Following is my analysis of the player's expected return of pay table 2 and six decks of cards. The lower right cell shows a house advantage of 23.25%.
Pay Table 2 — Player Analysis — Six Decks
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight flush | 25 | 10,368 | 0.002068 | 0.051702 |
| Three of a kind | 15 | 26,312 | 0.005248 | 0.078726 |
| Straight | 8 | 155,520 | 0.031021 | 0.248171 |
| Flush | 5 | 292,896 | 0.058424 | 0.292118 |
| Loser | -1 | 4,528,224 | 0.903239 | -0.903239 |
| Total | 5,013,320 | 1.000000 | -0.232521 |
Following is my analysis of the Lucky George bonus of pay table 2 with six decks. The lower right cell shows the dealer can expect to get ¢16.74 for every hand played.
Pay Table 2 — Lucky George Analysis — Six Decks
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight flush | $10 | 10,368 | 0.002068 | $0.020681 |
| Three of a kind | $5 | 26,312 | 0.005248 | $0.026242 |
| Straight | $2 | 155,520 | 0.031021 | $0.062043 |
| Flush | $1 | 292,896 | 0.058424 | $0.058424 |
| Total | 5,013,320 | 1.000000 | $0.167389 |
The next table shows the expected return for both the player and dealer by number of decks under pay table 2.
Pay Table 2 — House Edge
| Decks | Player Return | Dealer Return |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | -0.266529 | $0.159338 |
| 4 | -0.241138 | $0.165330 |
| 5 | -0.235977 | $0.166562 |
| 6 | -0.232521 | $0.167389 |
| 8 | -0.228185 | $0.168430 |
Analysis — Pay Table 3
Following is my analysis of the player's expected return of pay table 3. The lower right cell shows a house advantage of 17.05%.
Pay Table 3 — Player Analysis — Six Decks
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight flush | 25 | 10,368 | 0.002068 | 0.051702 |
| Three of a kind | 15 | 26,312 | 0.005248 | 0.078726 |
| Straight | 10 | 155,520 | 0.031021 | 0.310214 |
| Flush | 5 | 292,896 | 0.058424 | 0.292118 |
| Loser | -1 | 4,528,224 | 0.903239 | -0.903239 |
| Total | 5,013,320 | 1.000000 | -0.170479 |
Following is my analysis of the Lucky George bonus of pay table 3 and six decks. The lower right cell shows the dealer can expect to get ¢16.74 for every hand played.
Pay Table 3 — Lucky George Analysis — Six Decks
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight flush | $10 | 10,368 | 0.002068 | $0.020681 |
| Three of a kind | $5 | 26,312 | 0.005248 | $0.026242 |
| Straight | $2 | 155,520 | 0.031021 | $0.062043 |
| Flush | $1 | 292,896 | 0.058424 | $0.058424 |
| Total | 5,013,320 | 1.000000 | $0.167389 |
The next table shows the expected return for both the player and dealer by number of decks under pay table 3.
Pay Table 3 — House Edge
| Decks | Player Return | Dealer Return |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | -0.203268 | $0.159338 |
| 4 | -0.178794 | $0.165330 |
| 5 | -0.173814 | $0.166562 |
| 6 | -0.170479 | $0.167389 |
| 8 | -0.166292 | $0.168430 |
Combined Casino Cost
Although this site usually looks at games from the player's perspective, I will break from that with the following tables. They show the expected profit according to the amount of the player's bet and the pay table for six and two decks. These figures are lower than the house edge figures in the tables above because the casino must pay the player winnings and the Lucky George bonus.
House Edge from Casino Perspective — Six Decks
| Bet | Pay Table 1 | Pay Table 2 | Pay Table 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | 12.82% | 23.08% | 16.88% |
| $50 | 12.72% | 22.92% | 16.71% |
| $25 | 12.53% | 22.58% | 16.38% |
| $20 | 12.43% | 22.42% | 16.21% |
| $15 | 12.27% | 22.14% | 15.93% |
| $10 | 11.95% | 21.58% | 15.37% |
| $5 | 10.98% | 19.90% | 13.70% |
| $3 | 9.69% | 17.67% | 11.47% |
| $2 | 8.08% | 14.88% | 8.68% |
| $1 | 3.24% | 6.51% | 0.31% |
House Edge from Casino Perspective — Two Decks
| Bet | Pay Table 1 | Pay Table 2 | Pay Table 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | 16.44% | 26.49% | 20.17% |
| $50 | 16.35% | 26.33% | 20.01% |
| $25 | 16.16% | 26.02% | 19.69% |
| $20 | 16.07% | 25.86% | 19.53% |
| $15 | 15.92% | 25.59% | 19.26% |
| $10 | 15.61% | 25.06% | 18.73% |
| $5 | 14.68% | 23.47% | 17.14% |
| $3 | 13.44% | 21.34% | 15.02% |
| $2 | 11.90% | 18.69% | 12.36% |
| $1 | 7.26% | 10.72% | 4.39% |
External Links
- Wizard of Vegas — Discussion of this side bet.
Written by: Michael Shackleford21+3 Blackjack is a very popular side bets blackjack variation, invented and patented by Derek J. Webb in 2000. The game is a combination of blackjack and three card poker, where your first 2 cards and the dealer’s face up card are used to combine a three card hand. If you are familiar with Perfect Pairs, then you can look at 21+3 as its further development.
It is considered one of the latest additions and therefore it is not offered by most blackjack sites. Nevertheless, there are 3 versions of 21+3 Blackjack available online and we are sure that more to come.
Content1. Game reviews
2. 21+3 payout variations
3. Where to Play
4. 21+3 rules
5. Online games comparison
6. Summary
Game Reviews & Free Play
21+3 Payouts
21 plus 3 Blackjack has two common payout tables which you can find below, however some casinos offer their own rule sets. If you encounter any discrepancies, we recommend that you check the appropriate house edge before you proceed.
*We’ve also added option #3 since it’s the one used in IGT online casinos. The odds are calculated based on 6 deck games.
Option #1
Flush – 5:1
Straight – 10 to 1
3 of a kind – 30 to 1
Straight flush – 40 to 1
Suited three of a kind – 100 to 1
Odds: 95.38%
Option #2
Flush – 9 to 1
Straight – 9 to 1
Three of a kind – 9 to 1
Straight Flush – 9 to 1
Odds: 96.76%
Option #3
Flush – 5:1,
Straight – 10 to 1,
3 of a kind – 33 to 1,
How To Play 21+3 Blackjack
Straight flush – 35 to 1
Suited three of a kind – 100 to 1.
Odds: 95.86%
Where to Play
| Casino | Bonus | Why it’s here | Best Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100% up to $1000 | Best for USA and AUS casino | Single Deck – 0.08% house edge | |
| 100% up to £/$/€ 100 | Best for UK, Canada and EU | Classic Blackjack – 0.21% house edge | |
| 150% up to $1500 | Highest USA Blackjack Bonus | N/A |
21+3 Blackjack Rules
21+3 is based on European blackjack rules, meaning that the dealer doesn’t check for blackjack. Therefore in case the dealer has a natural, your doubles and splits will be lost as well. Other rules:
- Usually played with 6 standard decks.
- Dealer stands on all 17s.
- Double down rules vary, but usually you can double on 9,10, 11 value.
- Doubled down hands receive one card.
- Split up to 2 hands, including Aces.
- You can hit or double split hands, including Aces.
- Blackjack pays 3:2
- Similar value hands are push.
21 + 3 Blackjack Rules
The house edge under these rules is 0.48%.
Blackjack 21+3 Online Games Comparison
There are three 21+3 games available online. The first can be found in Wagerworks (IGT) casinos. The second one was developed by Felt Gaming and can be found only in Unibet casino. The third one is a live dealer game by Evolution Gaming.
Basic Game Rules
We will mention only the rules that differ from the common ones listed above.
IGT (Wagerworks): You can split two 3 hands and re-split Aces. Double down on any 2 cards.
Felt Gaming: Standard rules
Evolution: Played with 8 decks. Also offers Perfect Pairs side bet. Double down on any 2 cards. Single card to split Aces.
21+3 Bonus Comparison
Evolution: Standard Option #1, but played with 8 decks which lowers the side bets house edge by roughly 1%.
Felt: Standard Option #1.
IGT (Wagerworks): Option #3.
Bottom Line
Wagerworks (IGT)
21 3 Blackjack Payouts Free
Base Game: 99.70%
Side Bets: 95.86%
Evolution Gaming
Base Game: 99.41%
Side Bets: 96.38%
Update: Realistic Games also offer 21+3 blackjack. The special rules are: based on American Blackjack (dealer checks for blackjack). Double down on any 2 cards. Split Aces receive only 1 card. Bonus payouts are as on Option #1, except the 3 of a Kind which pays 25:1. Under these rules basic odds are 99.59%. The side bet odds are extremely low, just 92%.