One thing about these side bets I could add which may be helpful.. I’ve been training hundreds of hours before stepping foot into a casino recently. One thing is for sure, training at home and live casino play is a huge adjustment and another hurdle in developing your advantage play. The table I played at had 2 side games that I did not play nor would I … but I noticed how much it slowed the game down. I would say as being new to live casino play, this was helpful to me in helping me keep an accurate count. After a couple of hours when I began to feel more comfortable, I didn’t like the slow pace any longer. But I would definitely say as a new counter, it was nice to have a slower paced game. But it can get old quickly.
Same- one time a guy hit the 3 suited 7’s and won $11,000. He started screaming and running around the casino- couple casino employees in suits came over on their cell phones looking all distressed. Next hand wasn’t dealt for quite a bit😂
@@maximusfrank2835not gonna lie thats the counter argument for throwing a few chips at side bets, do it when there is a potential massive payout. Basically a lottery. The people who play a side bet that pays 4-1 but hits every 6 hands is just dumn it'll siphon those chips sooo fast
same in my experience. I went heads up with the dealer and kept dropping the count, made the decision to play basic strategy and got great variance, doubling $500 in an hour and walked. I kept trying to count but kept dropping it because I wasn't ready. Drove to a casino down the street from there, had a few people with me playing side bets, let me feel fully confident in keeping the count the entire time. Within just a few hours of casino play, I was fully prepared to play heads up, and two other people at the table didn't bother me, unless they had side bets and dragged the game out.
Hey Colin, I just wanted to say thank you for all of these videos over the years. Even though I wasn't a succesful long term, full time AP, I loved the job and I loved the experiences I gained from card counting. Thanks for this. Maybe someday I can try again. But that day is a long ways away. Cheers.
In my experience, blackjack tables with Lucky Ladies side bet are more closely scrutinized by casino personnel. You have to decide for yourself what the best course of action is.
@@langdonogeay1141 You're the first person to ask me that question here on UA-cam. No, I'm just an enthusiastic, young green chipper counter with a career. I'm not even close to Ian Andersen or James Grosjean's level. I read Ian Andersen's book in the past, but I have found his camo advice to be only useful in a small number of scenarios, and even then I've had mixed success and don't know if it was worth the loss of EV. Personally, I wonder if Ian Andersen is still alive, or if he'll ever reveal his true identity, say in a book, and schedule its release after he's gone.
Thinking about it, wouldn’t a high true count be beneficial to make player/dealer pair side bets? If it’s more likely to see a lot of face cards then what are the chances you wouldn’t see a few of the same face cards? And with that in mind, if you’re seeing a table with a big negative true count, wouldn’t that be a good 21+3 bet? A lot more smaller cards meaning there’s a good chance you could end up with a 3 card straight or 3 cards totalling 21? The only downside is that you’d need a main bet to play the side bets and you wouldn’t play on a negative true count
This is sort of like going first in a game of Russian roulette. Sure. You're more likely to "win" than people who go after you, but the odds are still terrible. The entire appeal of poker to me, and I guess AP in blackjack, is that you can actually have an edge yourself. There's literally nothing else in a casino where you can do that, even if it's at the blackjack table.
Twice in my hometown Cardroom I placed $5 on the BB (buster bet) last time was more memorable cuz it was 4 relatively strangers who all bet the BB. One guy bet $20, another 15, yet another 10 and myself $5....well the lady drew a 7 card bust ..500 to 1 payouts! We were all whopping and hollering.... it did take all of about ten minutes for the management to review the tape and 👌 the payout....needles to say we all took our blk chips and headed to the cash cage!
My local casino changed to no hole card blackjack. However if the dealer has blackjack you only loss your original bet. So you don't loss anything from splitting or doubling ect. It's intresting how many people pay attention to the no hole card but ignore the extra rules basically saying it's standard blackjack.
Caesars in Las Vegas used to have under/over 13 side bets. You bet on whether or not your first 2 cards would be over or under 13, with Aces always being 11. When the count got well on the + side I would bet over , and bet under when the count got well into the - side. I was winning quite regularly ....soon I had three guys in suits watching me play. I then realized I had outed myself as a card counter. I cashed out a healthy profit and left.
Harrahs in Vegas has a 25-50$ double deck buster blackjack bet but you can’t bet it until the dealer shows a 4, 5 or 6 on dealers first card. After she shows a 4, 5 or 6 you have the option to place the buster bet but not before.
They can be beaten, but you have to have very good memory. If you know that a certain card hasn’t come out very much the probability of 3 of a kind goes up toward the end of the shoe
If there is a high count and the dealer pulls a bust card there is an even greater chance they will bust since there are more tens in the shoe. Basic the odds are in favor that they have a ten behind the bust card and will pull another 10 to go bust. 4-6 is pretty much always a stay regardless of what you have. Your play against a 4-6 wouldn't be altered by a high count though you'd just feel more comfortable that a win is coming. However if it was a 2-3 showing you'd alter your play if you had 12 or 13 due to the increased likelihood of both you and the dealer going bust from a shoe rich with 10s.
You forgot one aspect which is reducing rik with one specific side bet. In the case of the side bet called "dealer blackjack" you place a bet that pays usually 19:1 in the case the dealer has a BJ. When you have a high count and you put down a large bet, this side bet would allow you to substantially reduce overall risk, because the high count does not only increase your odds of winning, but also increases the dealer's odds of having a blackjack. The implementation could be for example that on a large bet of say 100 USD you place a "dealer blackjack" of just 5 USD to "insure" yout bet in advance. Cheers.
When the count is really high or really low, a straight or pair is more likely to occur. This is what I’ve noticed not just in my experience, but with the other players at the table as well
@@johnandrews9433 theres no way hes wrong(atleast on the pair part), its just to what degree is where the sim/math will help you. If you think about it, a high/low count means there are more cards of a certain type, so pairs are obv. more likely to appear.
This has also been my experience , when my count got high I started noticing more and more pairs landing. As well as hitting when I know the chances a high card was coming to me and not to the dealer the chances increase of the dealer busting. So no it’s not just you. And those side bets pay
Somebody ran a sim on one of the older Black jack forums. From my understanding Match The Dealer becomes profitable (though very very marginally) starting at a True 7. It's such a slim margin of positive EV that putting anything up there in my view isn't worth the trouble.
I just spent the past 2 weeks travelling around using advantage play for the first time. Every casino I was at had the 21+3 game. I'm sure in the long run the side bet is a loser, but man, if I had been playing it I'd have made a fortune. At one casino a player even got irritated at me for never playing it, as I was "winning" about every 3rd or 4th hand had I played it. It was tempting to start playing, but never did. But it was hard after a while.
Ive had a similar situation. with a frustrated player upset he was losing the side bets and seeing that if I had been playing sides id be winning. I never play side bets.
I do well on em. Just in the past week I've hit 4 aces 500 to 1 on lucky aces, which also paid the three of a kind on the 21+3. I wouldn't play lucky aces with real cards though. There is a new casino near me, only have digital blackjack so I play the lucky aces on it. The only side bet I will play religiously is 21+3. There are days it doesn't hardly pay off. There's been other days hit 2 or 3 straight flushes, multiple 3 of a kind and handful of straights.
The casino o deal at has the bonus that pays 9x your bet if you get a straight, flush, and three of a kind, and we also have the Super 3 bonus that pays 90x 180x and 270x your bet
Is it worth playing a game with side bets that can generate positive EV? Like Lucky Ladies at a true +7. Or is the table limit too low to make it worthwhile
I would treat the LL bet as just an extra way of making money Not something to seek out and specifically play for. The high count needed to beat that bet is rare, so the gain is small, over all. Still, it is worth it if it is available. Table limits can vary widely. I have seen as low as $20 to up as far as $350 and I am sure vary even wider. With that in mind, I agree with Colin, good ole counting is going to be the primary money-maker. Side bets are just that, side bets. Another tool in the bag to be used when needed.
I hit the Lucky Ladies for 25k Dec of 2017 at HollyWood Casino at Charles Town race Track. 25 dollar bet. Got the 2 queen of hearts and dealer was showing a 10 of clubs. He checked the down card and took a step back and said " Whoah Dude..Holy shit. I've got it. He called a pit boss over to flip the card to reveal an ace of diamonds. The whole table was immediately shut down while security started reviewing footage yo make sure it was a legal bet. Finally they came out to get some info from me. After taxes that 25k win paid 18,007 dollars. You have to pay taxes on side bets over 5k. I like that casino because it's a 8 card shoe and pays 3/2. Also, they offer 2 side bets on blackjack that you can play both. The lucky ladies and 3 card poker. 3 card poker pays 9 to 1 and you can bet 5 dollars to 500 each time on that side bet. I've played up to 200 per bet on the 3 card poker side bet and that pays 2700 each time you get a pair, 3 of a kind, a flush, or a straight.
My local has a sidebet that is "double without taking a card" the only "downside" is if you push you lose the sidebet, it's been profitable. Crazy way to sneak in betsizing without drawing heat
In my experience, if the count is bad, almost bad enough to trigger a ‘walk away’, then playing the side bets can be a way of hedging your bet or effectively buying insurance; without actually buying insurance. Beyond that, they are there to make the house $
Here is a question. I think that i already know the answer, but im mostly interested in the mathematical standpoint. When you talked about 2 different tables, one with better rules and one that goes faster, this is actually a rare case where you generate higher expected value but will be at a higher risk of ruin. If you increase bet size at the slow table you'll be higher expected value too, with higher risk of ruin. Should the consideration not be, which one of the two tables will give the lower risk of ruin given the same expected value per time, or which gives the higher expected value given the same risk of ruin?
It comes down to the specific numbers. However, I think in Colin’s case, it is more about the fact that he wants to stick to what he is familiar with, since learning to count a new game takes time and practice. Say a pro tennis player has the energy to play as many games he wants to, he would choose to play squash everyday and get paid 500 per game than a 6000 tennis game that he can only play once a month.
@@tubeguy4066 I have examined this question in depth and have developed a detailed and in my opinion very accurate conclusion. My hypothesis to the question at hand here is undoubtedly a friendly yet competitive ‘Bagmmiton match between two acquaintances/friends.’
All you have to do is find the house edge on that side bet game and apply it however many hands per hour you are using to calculate your EV then subtract that from your EV. If the house edge is 15% and you are playing 100 hands per hour that's -$75/hr EV on your sidebet play. Even if you get those big payouts from the side bet, if you keep playing them long enough you just lose it back. This would be like trying to swim with an anchor tied to your waist. You'd likely be better off trying to bribe the dealer with $75/hr in tips for better penetration and some hole card slips.
the pot of gold side bet is one where the table gives out free doubles on any 9-11 and free splits up to 9 so if the count is low wouldn't you be much more likely to get a free double or free split?
3:30 - I had that exact experience when I went to play Blackjack recently in a big casino. I've arrived early during the afternoon and they only had the Free Bet table open (yes, I know Free Bet sucks). Initially I was doing well up to a certain point, until more jokers started arriving and everyone was wasting their money doing the side-bets, thinking they were genius gamblers. I eventually left the table the moment when I dropped down to my buy-in chips since it was frustrating to me and noticed that the next table was opened and it just happened to have real Blackjack at a slightly higher minimum. In a matter of hours, I managed to raise my chips to almost 9 times my buy-in, just using basic strategy.
I agree side bets are the biggest sucker bets out there. However idk why but I have done extremely well on dealer bust or the buster side bet. It’s total luck don’t get me wrong but playing heads up with a dealer it’s saved my butt!
Hi Colin, I just start to follow your free content and this video generate curiosity, in my local casino, there are side bets that consist on if you get a hand of -13 you get paid 1-1 and the same for a hand that adds +13, my question is it worth to bet on those when the count correlates? Ex I have a +10 running count with 3 decks left so that’s a true 3 can I bet on a +13 hand in that case or you won’t recommended ether way ?
I know there is a special system for counting to beat o/u13 but I can’t really do two different counts at once is there a point in the standard system I can use to accurately tell me when to play o/u13 over is fairly easy for me to estimate myself but the under seems far from that.
I've made more playing side bets than straight blackjack. A while back, another player sat there criticizing me and my friend for playing side bets. Two hands later, he was dealt two queen of hearts!
Great video Colin. In my casino there is a side bet that pays 5 to 1 when you get a "imperfect pair" which is for example a 2 red card and 2 black card, then a colour pair that pays 10 to 1 which same example a 2 and 2 but both red, so 2 of hearts and 2 of Diamond then the best one is 30 to 1 which is perfect pair and continue with the same 2, getting a 2,2 of hearts. What do you think of these side bets?
Oh my I had a pit boss argue with me about this…”THAT’S WHERE THE MONEY IS!” He made fun of me for talking math so I just shut up. ;-) The worst part? I played ONE HAND with the side bets just to shut him up and I won 10X ha ha, “SEE? TOLD YA!” Even in winning, I lost 😂
I like playing "Buster bet" (California) when the count is negative(rare that i play it because I'm usually wonging out of that shoe if its a neg count). I think "Buster bet" is self explanatory but if you need an explanation lmk.
@@ELCLAVE300 I don't know what you mean by "bank" I live in northern CA so I play at Hard rock and I go to stations casinos when I am in Vegas. I only like to play BJ with all the good rules (re-split Aces etc.)
@@gstacks510 In California card rooms you are allowed to bank the game. Meaning that the dealers hand is your hand. So if the table loses then you get all the winnings.....but if the dealer loses then you gotta pay the table.... There is more to it. But that's the basics of how banking works.
@@gstacks510 Exactly why I banked the game at cardrooms because of the horrible player advantage. I am an advantage player. I used to play at the socal indian casinos. But I don't have the sizeable bankroll anymore. Ill get back in the game one day if I have at least a $50K bankroll.
My friends sometimes hit the side bets and tease me for never playing them. But I say they’ve lost more on losing the side bets than actually winning them
Used to deal to multiple cats that would play MORE on the side bet than the actual BJ bet. Of course my casino allowed it! It was insane times. A person would literally get blackjack and be disappointed. Something you have to see as a dealer to believe. These gamblers are nuts.
what's everyones thoughts on a hitter? are they trolls? are the literally making honest mistakes? or are they hired help to throw a count off.. for instance say 98% of a table stands on a basic strat hand, but that 1 or 2% that hits on say a 20? this is a big flaw I've seen w online cards. your thoughts please.
What other people do on the table doesn't affect anyone else but themselves. In the long run, they will save the table exactly as often as they kill it
I see that at the ultimate table a lot and just as often as they draw a dealers bust card, they would draw small cards that would have given the dealer the win.
My casino has a side bet for natural 20s and matching the dealer. Personally i think playing the nat 20s on high runs is not a bad idea since 10s and aces are more common
what about the 7s sidebet? i dunno what it's called. possibly keep track of the 7s coming out of the deck? i aint smart so someone tell me why it bad. ty ty
@@chrisfinch8637 A true 3 is a true count value, the number that card counters keep track of. If you want to learn how to count cards watch some more of Colin’s videos. If you just want play basic strategy then refusing insurance is the right move.
@@chrisfinch8637 when keeping the count you have to convert it to a true count by dividing the running count by the number of decks left. If that number is 3 or more you want to buy insurance.
I play the $100 minimum tables at WinStar. I usually get up anywhere from $1000 to $1500 and walk. I’ll take $100 of that and I’ll go to the $10 minimum tables and play the $5 progressive bet until I run out of that $100 or until I’m tired and leave. The way I see it, it’s a scratch off ticket. I’ve seen that Jackpot as high as $200,000. Highest I’ve hit is 3 Kings for $1800 just once. But I’ll pay $5 for $200,000. Why not?
I usually don’t play the side bets but match the dealer is the one I play the most I usually set aside and extra $500 just for this particular side bet. And here in New Orleans they have the poker side bets, when there bad there bad and when there good there good having won $10k on a side bet sometimes you have to play them.
Sidebets are great. I do understand that if you play real live in casino it will cost time. However, online it mostly safe me from a bigger loss. I lose my hand but i got a flush or a pair I just got my money back as its a draw. So I dont think its a disadvantage. I play alot of blackjack and sidebets really saved me alot of times. I get alot of x26 x13 x11 x7 x6. Big X are rare but still me and others make alot of those sidebets
Push 10 to 1, is a good sidebet if you play it correctly. Only play it with a bet that is 10 percent your wager, and only start playing it if you push with dealer at the beginning of the shoe. Ironically pushes come again if you get one, but if you never get one for half a shoe, don't sidebet it.
A house I play has the Kings Bounty. I watched this video and have been putting out a bet at true 7. Happens a few time a week. I have been about 25% on hitting on it. I get comments from my players around me like, "wait, you don't play that bet!" I cringe and say I had a feeling. I get a side eye out of the dealer. Just rolling with it. Also, since it is a advantage play are you keeping this money in your EV tracker or are you taking it out? I hit a 75:1 KKss for $1875 the other day but don't know if I should count it as it will skew my numbers BUT it derived from an AP play...so....??
How you track can be up to the player, but playing that side bet at those ideal conditions are part of the game when you're there so I would think it factors into the EV. If it skews your numbers heavily then that more just means it's a great game to play given the ability to also find that extra EV. There's no wrong way to track your stats, as long as you're consistent and the data is meaningful enough to know to follow your progress.
There was a 4 card royal flush side bet BJ game offered in Vegas this year that after 5 years running, had gotten up to $3.2M for a Royal Flush in hearts, a royal in other suits would still pay 10% of the jackpot. We had a bunch of 1/45 chances of hitting the $3M but bricked. Then not long after the casino removed the game without anyone hitting it. So sketchy.
I played a few hands of side bets and then didn’t. The time I didn’t I had pocket 7s suited (spade) and the dealer flipped over a 7spade would have had $1300 all because I didn’t put a $5 chip out (that one friggin time)
I was just at a black jack table in Reno Nevada, and it was free to double down, Ive never seen this before but any time you had 10 or 11 they would double it for you! Seemed crazy but cool
@Blackjackapprenticeship Yes, I had never seen it before, but I bought in Twice, Once for $80 , playing $15 per hand and cashed out at $280 Then went back and bought in for $100 and cashed out $300 So It was good
One of my favorite insurance conversations was at my local place. Dealer was a seasoned vet and very good at his job. Very personable and I’m pretty sure knew I was an AP but didn’t care. [Dealer has an Ace up] Dealer: “Insurance? Insurance anyone?” Casual player: “So is insurance worth it?” Dealer: “If I have blackjack it is!” [Table laughs] Casual player: “No like what’s the odds behind it?” Dealer: “Think about it this way. Do we have to offer insurance on these games?” Other player: “No” Dealer: “Correct. But we do anyway. What would that tell you?” [Casual player sits dumbfounded] Dealer: “Are you staying in the hotel?” Casual player: “Yes tonight and tomorrow” Dealer: “Is it nice?” Casual player: “Very” Dealer: “Do you think we are able to do that because we offer bets that lose money?” Casual player: “So don’t take insurance?” [Everyone passes on insurance - dealer checks & no blackjack] Casual player: “I knew you didn’t have it” Dealer just smiles and glances at me. I smile back. Like our own private joke that nobody else at the table would even understand.
$5 side bet in the Casino in 29 palms casino in California is absolutely worth it, pay a $5 side bet and if you get a blackjack, you spin a wheel of fortune where at the very minimum is a win of $50. Wish I knew how to count cards when I was in Cali, seemed like a great place to count thinking back on it
That's a terrible side bet. The average player gets 1 blackjack once per shu. And you play about 30 hands a shu. Meaning your putting in about 150 per shu to win on average 40$. Sure you have that 1% chance of winning more but those wheels are programed to give the lowest amount to 90% of the time.
@TheJssr2 Even at the bare min, a side bet win pays for at minimum of 5 more hands or you get a motorcycle at most but most the time it's between $100-250, theres only one option for $50, one for the motorcycle, (3) for $100, (3) for $150, (2) for $250, (1) Free spin and (1) elusive motorcycle, alternatively, instead of a motorcycle, you can take $25,000 instead. In the 5 years I went there, that was won twice. It's either a $10 bet or $15 bet, it's a very easy side pot to play every hand, there's literally no reason not to. You'll never hit it if you don't!
Just last week at a kings bounty table I placed $10 on the side bet at a true 3 and hit two kings of spade! (100 to 1 payout) I’m just starting out so I wasn’t aware of the odds with this particular side bet but understood there was a correlation with Hi-Lo. This has been my biggest payout yet :D
I just won a couple grand on a side bet called "push your luck" where the pay out was 10 to 1 and couldn't exceed more the half of your main bet. I was bet $50 hands and $25 on the side bet. Only time I was aiming for pushes over beating the dealer just cus I was getting paid $250 a hand
Their was a Casino in downtown Vegas around 2002-2004 that had a BJ side bet.IT was a DD pitch game. Suited BJ was 10-1 ,other BJs were3/5/7 -1.It was a dollar side bet up to whatever your BJ bet was. This place dealt deep ,and I'd always side count aces. Every 5 or 6 shuffles we'd run through all the aces ,and still have one hand left. Hilarious watching people side bet with no aces left to deal
Hey Colin, I read an article ablut beating Bj without csrd counting. They listened two methods, 1) Hole Carding (Identifying the dealers hole card) and 2) Front loading (Predicting the next card). I am not sure what to think about it, can you make a Video about it please. I think this is very interessting. Keep up your great content!
I only play lucky ladies after the true count is above a 7 that’s the only side bets I trust I hit them a lot too even when the count is low I feel like every time is sit at a table someone is upset at me because I don’t play them lol
Most of the beatable side bets have went the way of the dodo. One of the local shops had lucky ladies for a long time because the gaming commission wouldn't let them switch to 21+3. Can't say I made much off of it but I'd definitely play it if the opportunity presented itself. Nothing worse than sitting at a table full of hardcore 21+3 players betting the farm on that sidebet and I am the only one consistently hitting it. I feel like it draws a bit of extra heat to myself because now every player is crying and moaning to the floor and dealer and I am still not putting money on it.
See Arnold Snyder's Big Book of Blackjack for a ton of info, including beating side bets and some pseudo-blackjack variant games. In reality, he admits most of them aren't worth the effort, but are still, technically, beatable.
Break even for 750 ish hours (8 months of full time play). Lost $46,000 in less than 100 hours, getting treated like a criminal, etc. Run while you can.
@@chriscarlone527 It WAS 128K. Ask anyone about me. My name is "John Smith" on blackjack the Discord. Everything I say is 100% true. Ask Nickles on BJA if you're on there. He knows me well.
Unfortunately I play based to win on the sides bets. Cause there's two at the casino I go to. Genuine +3 if you and the dealer makes a 3 card flush, straight etc. but they have another one (top 3) where 3 of a kind, straight flush, suited trips it pays 90, 180, and 270 to 1 so yeah I play 10 on main and then 5 or 10 on plus 3 and 5 (max) on the top 3 and sure if I win the hand but no side bets I break even and if I lose on all 3 I can lose $200 easily and it happened last night but luckily later on I hit two 3 of a kinds in 4 hands so it saved me and brought me to profit. I don't have the mentality of trying to bet $40 even $50 on just the main bet and winning. Just me I guess.
thus the trap of side bets, if you don't play them every hand you can miss out, but if you do then you will also likely be pouring money down the drain
I've been thinking about this - what's the EV on playing perfect basic strategy BUT ALSO including deviations BUT WITHOUT changing bet sizes - seems like possible cover, but is it costly? Or ~0EV
Depends what the house edge of the game is and how aggressive you sit out of negative counts. 70% of hands will have a true count 1 or lower, so for most games, you’ll be at a disadvantage 70% of the time. If you’re playing a really good single deck game with like a 0.05% or 0.1% house edge, you can probably gain a slight edge just from flat betting with deviations but for the most part you’ll need some type of spread
I won close to $3700 on a $12.50, 4 card straight side bet. They removed all those tables eventually. And just last week I hit several suited matches on match the dealer side bets. Max bet on thise are $15 for me. Pays nicely.
At the casino I always play blackjack in, they have a Royal Match side bet. So if my first two cards are suited, it pays more than a blackjack equivalent to the bet. I usually put my spare change on it, and it has often saved me from some bad stiffs and unexpected dealer 21s. I think Side bets are acceptable as long as you treat them like you would a slot machine. Only your chump change and never your main bankroll.
1 time 10$ black jack table 5$ Side bet 3 card poker bet (your 2 cards + dealers showing card) got three of a kind (3, 3's) got a 100 back for the 5 bucks never bet it again
Prior to the round Running count : 12 True count: 3 Playing heads you’re holding TT and the dealer has and Ace. Do you take insurance? Don’t know if you take it because it was a true three at the start of the round or after the cards are dealt. At first, played it based on the true count prior to the round then migrated to whatever the true count was prior to the dealer drawing their hole card. Not sure what is the correct way to do it.
When your turn comes around, always consider ALL cards that have seen when considering index plays...including insurance(whether to take it or not). That's your count to consider, not the count prior to the round being dealt. In your hypothetical, I'd probably take the insurance with the true count at an approximate 2.3. (9 divided by a little less than 4 now. The hi-lo system is an imperfect science when it comes to any index plays. Reason being is that sometimes there is a higher or lower proportion of neutral cards left in the deck. And sometimes the percentage of 10's left in the deck can vary if the negative cards you've counted are a higher or lower proportion of Ace's compared to 10's. At a true 3, there's an average of 18.4 tens and 4.6 aces per 52 cards....or 35.4% tens. (a nice advantage on a 1 in 3 bet!) But I'll bet the 95% bell curve( +/- 2 standard deviation) would run something like 33% to 38% on a 6 or 8 deck shoe. That's just a guess. But it almost all but guarantees positive EV on the play. (but not 100% of the time) At a true 2 the average ratio drops to 17.6 tens and 4.4 aces per 52 cards. That's still 33.8 % tens. So this indicates to me that an average true 2 count there will be more chances than not( maybe 60%) that it will be an advantageous bet. But the EV is miniscule. I'll bet the bell curve is something like 31.5% to 36%. Often enough if its a double deck game, I'll take insurance on a true 2. or even less. That is if I've seen a lot of Aces or neutral cards come out. Likewise, I'll refrain on a true 3 if the decks are ace rich and/or if there hasn't been many neutral cards played. Harder to keep track on an 8 deck game haha.
I have a rule, when a gambler says "That's where the money is at" you instatnly avoid it like the plague.
The casino has it all
Lmfao same
Had this same exact experience a couple of nights ago
Yup
Your comment made me think of this song lol:
"Education, that's where the money is"
"You think you funny huh?"
"Yeah I'm the funniest"
Instablaster.
One thing about these side bets I could add which may be helpful.. I’ve been training hundreds of hours before stepping foot into a casino recently. One thing is for sure, training at home and live casino play is a huge adjustment and another hurdle in developing your advantage play. The table I played at had 2 side games that I did not play nor would I … but I noticed how much it slowed the game down. I would say as being new to live casino play, this was helpful to me in helping me keep an accurate count. After a couple of hours when I began to feel more comfortable, I didn’t like the slow pace any longer. But I would definitely say as a new counter, it was nice to have a slower paced game. But it can get old quickly.
Hi did u also count in live casino's?
Same- one time a guy hit the 3 suited 7’s and won $11,000. He started screaming and running around the casino- couple casino employees in suits came over on their cell phones looking all distressed. Next hand wasn’t dealt for quite a bit😂
@@maximusfrank2835not gonna lie thats the counter argument for throwing a few chips at side bets, do it when there is a potential massive payout. Basically a lottery. The people who play a side bet that pays 4-1 but hits every 6 hands is just dumn it'll siphon those chips sooo fast
same in my experience. I went heads up with the dealer and kept dropping the count, made the decision to play basic strategy and got great variance, doubling $500 in an hour and walked. I kept trying to count but kept dropping it because I wasn't ready. Drove to a casino down the street from there, had a few people with me playing side bets, let me feel fully confident in keeping the count the entire time. Within just a few hours of casino play, I was fully prepared to play heads up, and two other people at the table didn't bother me, unless they had side bets and dragged the game out.
@@maximusfrank2835
Hey Colin, I just wanted to say thank you for all of these videos over the years. Even though I wasn't a succesful long term, full time AP, I loved the job and I loved the experiences I gained from card counting. Thanks for this. Maybe someday I can try again. But that day is a long ways away. Cheers.
In my experience, blackjack tables with Lucky Ladies side bet are more closely scrutinized by casino personnel. You have to decide for yourself what the best course of action is.
Are you the Ian Andersen?
@@langdonogeay1141 You're the first person to ask me that question here on UA-cam.
No, I'm just an enthusiastic, young green chipper counter with a career.
I'm not even close to Ian Andersen or James Grosjean's level.
I read Ian Andersen's book in the past, but I have found his camo advice to be only useful in a small number of scenarios, and even then I've had mixed success and don't know if it was worth the loss of EV.
Personally, I wonder if Ian Andersen is still alive, or if he'll ever reveal his true identity, say in a book, and schedule its release after he's gone.
Cvdata can sim most side bets .. just takes a bit of tinkering
Colin gives so much incredible info away for free. Thanks, man.
Thinking about it, wouldn’t a high true count be beneficial to make player/dealer pair side bets? If it’s more likely to see a lot of face cards then what are the chances you wouldn’t see a few of the same face cards? And with that in mind, if you’re seeing a table with a big negative true count, wouldn’t that be a good 21+3 bet? A lot more smaller cards meaning there’s a good chance you could end up with a 3 card straight or 3 cards totalling 21? The only downside is that you’d need a main bet to play the side bets and you wouldn’t play on a negative true count
This is sort of like going first in a game of Russian roulette.
Sure. You're more likely to "win" than people who go after you, but the odds are still terrible. The entire appeal of poker to me, and I guess AP in blackjack, is that you can actually have an edge yourself. There's literally nothing else in a casino where you can do that, even if it's at the blackjack table.
Twice in my hometown Cardroom I placed $5 on the BB (buster bet) last time was more memorable cuz it was 4 relatively strangers who all bet the BB. One guy bet $20, another 15, yet another 10 and myself $5....well the lady drew a 7 card bust ..500 to 1 payouts! We were all whopping and hollering.... it did take all of about ten minutes for the management to review the tape and 👌 the payout....needles to say we all took our blk chips and headed to the cash cage!
Highly informative stuff right here, love it Colin!
Glad you enjoyed it!
My local casino changed to no hole card blackjack. However if the dealer has blackjack you only loss your original bet. So you don't loss anything from splitting or doubling ect. It's intresting how many people pay attention to the no hole card but ignore the extra rules basically saying it's standard blackjack.
Caesars in Las Vegas used to have under/over 13 side bets. You bet on whether or not your first 2 cards would be over or under 13, with Aces always being 11. When the count got well on the + side I would bet over , and bet under when the count got well into the - side. I was winning quite regularly ....soon I had three guys in suits watching me play. I then realized I had outed myself as a card counter. I cashed out a healthy profit and left.
Same experience when doing match the dealer on high true count.
Harrahs in Vegas has a 25-50$ double deck buster blackjack bet but you can’t bet it until the dealer shows a 4, 5 or 6 on dealers first card. After she shows a 4, 5 or 6 you have the option to place the buster bet but not before.
Do you know of any casinos that still do this?
@@bruce4139 I haven't seen that bet offered since the 90's
You shouldn't play through negative counts though.
They can be beaten, but you have to have very good memory. If you know that a certain card hasn’t come out very much the probability of 3 of a kind goes up toward the end of the shoe
Loving your videos! I was hoping you were going to go over the Bust side bet, as I was anticipating having an edge with an accurate count
Me too. I just stumbled across this video and was wondering that myself.
I won so much in sidebets, the main bet not even close to half of the winnings from sidebets...maybe I’m just a lucky guy
until your not
@@mattvisconti8456I mean yeah that’s gambling like what💀
I'm curious if there's a high count and dealer is showing 4-6 if the "Dealer bust" side bet can be profitable. Thanks, and love your videos!!
If there is a high count and the dealer pulls a bust card there is an even greater chance they will bust since there are more tens in the shoe. Basic the odds are in favor that they have a ten behind the bust card and will pull another 10 to go bust. 4-6 is pretty much always a stay regardless of what you have. Your play against a 4-6 wouldn't be altered by a high count though you'd just feel more comfortable that a win is coming. However if it was a 2-3 showing you'd alter your play if you had 12 or 13 due to the increased likelihood of both you and the dealer going bust from a shoe rich with 10s.
You forgot one aspect which is reducing rik with one specific side bet. In the case of the side bet called "dealer blackjack" you place a bet that pays usually 19:1 in the case the dealer has a BJ. When you have a high count and you put down a large bet, this side bet would allow you to substantially reduce overall risk, because the high count does not only increase your odds of winning, but also increases the dealer's odds of having a blackjack. The implementation could be for example that on a large bet of say 100 USD you place a "dealer blackjack" of just 5 USD to "insure" yout bet in advance. Cheers.
When the count is really high or really low, a straight or pair is more likely to occur. This is what I’ve noticed not just in my experience, but with the other players at the table as well
Unless you have math or sim proof to back that up, then bs
@@johnandrews9433 theres no way hes wrong(atleast on the pair part), its just to what degree is where the sim/math will help you. If you think about it, a high/low count means there are more cards of a certain type, so pairs are obv. more likely to appear.
This has also been my experience , when my count got high I started noticing more and more pairs landing. As well as hitting when I know the chances a high card was coming to me and not to the dealer the chances increase of the dealer busting. So no it’s not just you. And those side bets pay
Somebody ran a sim on one of the older Black jack forums. From my understanding Match The Dealer becomes profitable (though very very marginally) starting at a True 7. It's such a slim margin of positive EV that putting anything up there in my view isn't worth the trouble.
This is the video I wanted to see, thank you!
What about the EZ Bust side bet. I find it to be a good reasonably side bet if the dealers up card is a 5 or 6.
What's the second site he mentions after wizard of odds?
ANY THING THE CASINO OFFERS YOU,,IS FOR THEM,,NOT THE PLAYER,,GREAT VIDEO
I just spent the past 2 weeks travelling around using advantage play for the first time. Every casino I was at had the 21+3 game. I'm sure in the long run the side bet is a loser, but man, if I had been playing it I'd have made a fortune. At one casino a player even got irritated at me for never playing it, as I was "winning" about every 3rd or 4th hand had I played it. It was tempting to start playing, but never did. But it was hard after a while.
Ive had a similar situation. with a frustrated player upset he was losing the side bets and seeing that if I had been playing sides id be winning. I never play side bets.
Commit to the grind! If you wanna have fun and get a rush, take up skydiving or unprotected back alley sex with randos.
haha good. i love those players, i typically lean into the skid and point out when my not side-bet wins or loses.
Oh yeah i have been waiting for this :)
I do well on em. Just in the past week I've hit 4 aces 500 to 1 on lucky aces, which also paid the three of a kind on the 21+3. I wouldn't play lucky aces with real cards though. There is a new casino near me, only have digital blackjack so I play the lucky aces on it. The only side bet I will play religiously is 21+3. There are days it doesn't hardly pay off. There's been other days hit 2 or 3 straight flushes, multiple 3 of a kind and handful of straights.
The casino o deal at has the bonus that pays 9x your bet if you get a straight, flush, and three of a kind, and we also have the Super 3 bonus that pays 90x 180x and 270x your bet
You are talking about the Trilux Bonus right?
Is it worth playing a game with side bets that can generate positive EV? Like Lucky Ladies at a true +7. Or is the table limit too low to make it worthwhile
I would treat the LL bet as just an extra way of making money Not something to seek out and specifically play for. The high count needed to beat that bet is rare, so the gain is small, over all. Still, it is worth it if it is available. Table limits can vary widely. I have seen as low as $20 to up as far as $350 and I am sure vary even wider. With that in mind, I agree with Colin, good ole counting is going to be the primary money-maker. Side bets are just that, side bets. Another tool in the bag to be used when needed.
I hit the Lucky Ladies for 25k Dec of 2017 at HollyWood Casino at Charles Town race Track. 25 dollar bet. Got the 2 queen of hearts and dealer was showing a 10 of clubs. He checked the down card and took a step back and said " Whoah Dude..Holy shit. I've got it. He called a pit boss over to flip the card to reveal an ace of diamonds. The whole table was immediately shut down while security started reviewing footage yo make sure it was a legal bet. Finally they came out to get some info from me. After taxes that 25k win paid 18,007 dollars. You have to pay taxes on side bets over 5k. I like that casino because it's a 8 card shoe and pays 3/2. Also, they offer 2 side bets on blackjack that you can play both. The lucky ladies and 3 card poker. 3 card poker pays 9 to 1 and you can bet 5 dollars to 500 each time on that side bet. I've played up to 200 per bet on the 3 card poker side bet and that pays 2700 each time you get a pair, 3 of a kind, a flush, or a straight.
My local has a sidebet that is "double without taking a card" the only "downside" is if you push you lose the sidebet, it's been profitable. Crazy way to sneak in betsizing without drawing heat
This channel is great 👍🏻
In my experience, if the count is bad, almost bad enough to trigger a ‘walk away’, then playing the side bets can be a way of hedging your bet or effectively buying insurance; without actually buying insurance. Beyond that, they are there to make the house $
Playing a high house edge bet on top of a low house edge bet is not a hedge it's just two bad bets.
Here is a question. I think that i already know the answer, but im mostly interested in the mathematical standpoint. When you talked about 2 different tables, one with better rules and one that goes faster, this is actually a rare case where you generate higher expected value but will be at a higher risk of ruin. If you increase bet size at the slow table you'll be higher expected value too, with higher risk of ruin. Should the consideration not be, which one of the two tables will give the lower risk of ruin given the same expected value per time, or which gives the higher expected value given the same risk of ruin?
Perhaps a high level baggmitton tournament would suffice?
It comes down to the specific numbers. However, I think in Colin’s case, it is more about the fact that he wants to stick to what he is familiar with, since learning to count a new game takes time and practice. Say a pro tennis player has the energy to play as many games he wants to, he would choose to play squash everyday and get paid 500 per game than a 6000 tennis game that he can only play once a month.
@@treasurewuji8740 baggmitton is the only solution
@@FLINTMICHIGANMEGABOWL lol
@@tubeguy4066 I have examined this question in depth and have developed a detailed and in my opinion very accurate conclusion. My hypothesis to the question at hand here is undoubtedly a friendly yet competitive
‘Bagmmiton match between two acquaintances/friends.’
How much ev would it cost to keep a 5 on the sidebet as possible cover or would it be worth it and do you think that would provide some cover if any?
All you have to do is find the house edge on that side bet game and apply it however many hands per hour you are using to calculate your EV then subtract that from your EV. If the house edge is 15% and you are playing 100 hands per hour that's -$75/hr EV on your sidebet play. Even if you get those big payouts from the side bet, if you keep playing them long enough you just lose it back.
This would be like trying to swim with an anchor tied to your waist. You'd likely be better off trying to bribe the dealer with $75/hr in tips for better penetration and some hole card slips.
My mom puts 10 on her regular hand and 100 on the buster bet🙈😭 Colin, please talk some sense into her because she doesn’t care what I say lmao🤣
Kid, your momma likes the action. What else is there to say?
Every casino I’ve been to doesn’t let you bet more on the buster than the main
she's too far gone ( OP is a bot anyway)
@@veganlifting4145 Hustler casino in LA does
the pot of gold side bet is one where the table gives out free doubles on any 9-11 and free splits up to 9 so if the count is low wouldn't you be much more likely to get a free double or free split?
3:30 - I had that exact experience when I went to play Blackjack recently in a big casino. I've arrived early during the afternoon and they only had the Free Bet table open (yes, I know Free Bet sucks). Initially I was doing well up to a certain point, until more jokers started arriving and everyone was wasting their money doing the side-bets, thinking they were genius gamblers. I eventually left the table the moment when I dropped down to my buy-in chips since it was frustrating to me and noticed that the next table was opened and it just happened to have real Blackjack at a slightly higher minimum. In a matter of hours, I managed to raise my chips to almost 9 times my buy-in, just using basic strategy.
Still gonna lose over time (unless if you meant you were doing more than *just* basic strategy)
I agree side bets are the biggest sucker bets out there. However idk why but I have done extremely well on dealer bust or the buster side bet. It’s total luck don’t get me wrong but playing heads up with a dealer it’s saved my butt!
Hi Colin, I just start to follow your free content and this video generate curiosity, in my local casino, there are side bets that consist on if you get a hand of -13 you get paid 1-1 and the same for a hand that adds +13, my question is it worth to bet on those when the count correlates? Ex I have a +10 running count with 3 decks left so that’s a true 3 can I bet on a +13 hand in that case or you won’t recommended ether way ?
There’s a big difference between the side bets and I don’t think people should lump them in together.
I know there is a special system for counting to beat o/u13 but I can’t really do two different counts at once is there a point in the standard system I can use to accurately tell me when to play o/u13 over is fairly easy for me to estimate myself but the under seems far from that.
I've made more playing side bets than straight blackjack. A while back, another player sat there criticizing me and my friend for playing side bets. Two hands later, he was dealt two queen of hearts!
don't worry, keep playing them and you'll realize how right that other player was
Great video Colin. In my casino there is a side bet that pays 5 to 1 when you get a "imperfect pair" which is for example a 2 red card and 2 black card, then a colour pair that pays 10 to 1 which same example a 2 and 2 but both red, so 2 of hearts and 2 of Diamond then the best one is 30 to 1 which is perfect pair and continue with the same 2, getting a 2,2 of hearts. What do you think of these side bets?
Are there times when the count is so lopsided that side bets are positive?
Yes, lucky ladies at +5 or higher.
Oh my I had a pit boss argue with me about this…”THAT’S WHERE THE MONEY IS!” He made fun of me for talking math so I just shut up. ;-) The worst part? I played ONE HAND with the side bets just to shut him up and I won 10X ha ha, “SEE? TOLD
YA!” Even in winning, I lost 😂
I like playing "Buster bet" (California) when the count is negative(rare that i play it because I'm usually wonging out of that shoe if its a neg count).
I think "Buster bet" is self explanatory but if you need an explanation lmk.
I used to bank the game at negative counts. I did well sometimes. I never thought of betting the buster. Where did you play?
@@ELCLAVE300 I don't know what you mean by "bank"
I live in northern CA so I play at Hard rock and I go to stations casinos when I am in Vegas. I only like to play BJ with all the good rules (re-split Aces etc.)
@@gstacks510 In California card rooms you are allowed to bank the game. Meaning that the dealers hand is your hand. So if the table loses then you get all the winnings.....but if the dealer loses then you gotta pay the table.... There is more to it. But that's the basics of how banking works.
@@ELCLAVE300 I never play at card rooms. In my experience they have shitty BJ. That's why u never heard bank. You an advantage player ?
@@gstacks510 Exactly why I banked the game at cardrooms because of the horrible player advantage. I am an advantage player. I used to play at the socal indian casinos. But I don't have the sizeable bankroll anymore. Ill get back in the game one day if I have at least a $50K bankroll.
What is an example in gambling world of low risk - high reward opportunity?
Coin flip is the best you will get
My friends sometimes hit the side bets and tease me for never playing them. But I say they’ve lost more on losing the side bets than actually winning them
Used to deal to multiple cats that would play MORE on the side bet than the actual BJ bet. Of course my casino allowed it! It was insane times. A person would literally get blackjack and be disappointed. Something you have to see as a dealer to believe.
These gamblers are nuts.
what's everyones thoughts on a hitter? are they trolls? are the literally making honest mistakes? or are they hired help to throw a count off.. for instance say 98% of a table stands on a basic strat hand, but that 1 or 2% that hits on say a 20? this is a big flaw I've seen w online cards. your thoughts please.
What other people do on the table doesn't affect anyone else but themselves. In the long run, they will save the table exactly as often as they kill it
I see that at the ultimate table a lot and just as often as they draw a dealers bust card, they would draw small cards that would have given the dealer the win.
ur prolly talking about infinite bj online, ppl go on alts and do like 1 euro bets and hit untill they bust to try and get rid of the low cards
My casino has a side bet for natural 20s and matching the dealer. Personally i think playing the nat 20s on high runs is not a bad idea since 10s and aces are more common
Which table rules should we look for ?
And which ones are not worth playing ?
Look up his Blackjack Edge calculator.
what about the 7s sidebet? i dunno what it's called.
possibly keep track of the 7s coming out of the deck? i aint smart so someone tell me why it bad. ty ty
Most of the time, I never play them- my dad always tells me that they're "sucker bets", just like the Insurance part of the game.
You want to buy insurance with a true 3 or higher
@@scotttaylor5596 A true 3 or higher?
@@chrisfinch8637 A true 3 is a true count value, the number that card counters keep track of. If you want to learn how to count cards watch some more of Colin’s videos. If you just want play basic strategy then refusing insurance is the right move.
@@chrisfinch8637 when keeping the count you have to convert it to a true count by dividing the running count by the number of decks left. If that number is 3 or more you want to buy insurance.
You have a great dad
Whit is the European Enhc black jack strategy please?
I play the $100 minimum tables at WinStar. I usually get up anywhere from $1000 to $1500 and walk. I’ll take $100 of that and I’ll go to the $10 minimum tables and play the $5 progressive bet until I run out of that $100 or until I’m tired and leave. The way I see it, it’s a scratch off ticket. I’ve seen that Jackpot as high as $200,000. Highest I’ve hit is 3 Kings for $1800 just once. But I’ll pay $5 for $200,000. Why not?
I usually don’t play the side bets but match the dealer is the one I play the most I usually set aside and extra $500 just for this particular side bet.
And here in New Orleans they have the poker side bets, when there bad there bad and when there good there good having won $10k on a side bet sometimes you have to play them.
What about matching suits side bet
Sidebets are great. I do understand that if you play real live in casino it will cost time.
However, online it mostly safe me from a bigger loss. I lose my hand but i got a flush or a pair I just got my money back as its a draw. So I dont think its a disadvantage. I play alot of blackjack and sidebets really saved me alot of times. I get alot of x26 x13 x11 x7 x6. Big X are rare but still me and others make alot of those sidebets
bro how can i contact you i have a big idea about this
1:55 is literally all of casinos in one sentence
My local casino has a 90/1 payout for 3 of a kind. For a 5 dollar bet it doesn’t seem too bad. What do you think?
Bad, because you should be splitting - you're giving away tons more equity than you're going to win by playing your biggest hands wrong.
Push 10 to 1, is a good sidebet if you play it correctly. Only play it with a bet that is 10 percent your wager, and only start playing it if you push with dealer at the beginning of the shoe. Ironically pushes come again if you get one, but if you never get one for half a shoe, don't sidebet it.
A house I play has the Kings Bounty. I watched this video and have been putting out a bet at true 7. Happens a few time a week. I have been about 25% on hitting on it. I get comments from my players around me like, "wait, you don't play that bet!" I cringe and say I had a feeling. I get a side eye out of the dealer. Just rolling with it. Also, since it is a advantage play are you keeping this money in your EV tracker or are you taking it out? I hit a 75:1 KKss for $1875 the other day but don't know if I should count it as it will skew my numbers BUT it derived from an AP play...so....??
How you track can be up to the player, but playing that side bet at those ideal conditions are part of the game when you're there so I would think it factors into the EV. If it skews your numbers heavily then that more just means it's a great game to play given the ability to also find that extra EV. There's no wrong way to track your stats, as long as you're consistent and the data is meaningful enough to know to follow your progress.
There was a 4 card royal flush side bet BJ game offered in Vegas this year that after 5 years running, had gotten up to $3.2M for a Royal Flush in hearts, a royal in other suits would still pay 10% of the jackpot. We had a bunch of 1/45 chances of hitting the $3M but bricked. Then not long after the casino removed the game without anyone hitting it. So sketchy.
I played a few hands of side bets and then didn’t. The time I didn’t I had pocket 7s suited (spade) and the dealer flipped over a 7spade would have had $1300 all because I didn’t put a $5 chip out (that one friggin time)
Your mistake was the few hands you did play not the ones you didn't.
MGM Springfield offers "In Between" bets where the dealer's up card has to be in between your up cards.
Four decks in the discard pile?
My casino has match dealer, I'll put a chip of count is very low or high
I was just at a black jack table in Reno Nevada, and it was free to double down, Ive never seen this before but any time you had 10 or 11 they would double it for you! Seemed crazy but cool
You were playing Free Bet Blackjack, there are a host of other rules as well, like no surrender and dealer can push on 22, even if you have 21.
@Blackjackapprenticeship Yes, I had never seen it before, but I bought in Twice, Once for $80 , playing $15 per hand and cashed out at $280
Then went back and bought in for $100 and cashed out $300
So It was good
You forgot the over/under 13 side bet too which can be beaten by traditional counting, although it’s rarely found anymore.
One of my favorite insurance conversations was at my local place. Dealer was a seasoned vet and very good at his job. Very personable and I’m pretty sure knew I was an AP but didn’t care.
[Dealer has an Ace up]
Dealer: “Insurance? Insurance anyone?”
Casual player: “So is insurance worth it?”
Dealer: “If I have blackjack it is!”
[Table laughs]
Casual player: “No like what’s the odds behind it?”
Dealer: “Think about it this way. Do we have to offer insurance on these games?”
Other player: “No”
Dealer: “Correct. But we do anyway. What would that tell you?”
[Casual player sits dumbfounded]
Dealer: “Are you staying in the hotel?”
Casual player: “Yes tonight and tomorrow”
Dealer: “Is it nice?”
Casual player: “Very”
Dealer: “Do you think we are able to do that because we offer bets that lose money?”
Casual player: “So don’t take insurance?”
[Everyone passes on insurance - dealer checks & no blackjack]
Casual player: “I knew you didn’t have it”
Dealer just smiles and glances at me. I smile back. Like our own private joke that nobody else at the table would even understand.
$5 side bet in the Casino in 29 palms casino in California is absolutely worth it, pay a $5 side bet and if you get a blackjack, you spin a wheel of fortune where at the very minimum is a win of $50. Wish I knew how to count cards when I was in Cali, seemed like a great place to count thinking back on it
That's a terrible side bet. The average player gets 1 blackjack once per shu. And you play about 30 hands a shu. Meaning your putting in about 150 per shu to win on average 40$. Sure you have that 1% chance of winning more but those wheels are programed to give the lowest amount to 90% of the time.
@TheJssr2 Even at the bare min, a side bet win pays for at minimum of 5 more hands or you get a motorcycle at most but most the time it's between $100-250, theres only one option for $50, one for the motorcycle, (3) for $100, (3) for $150, (2) for $250, (1) Free spin and (1) elusive motorcycle, alternatively, instead of a motorcycle, you can take $25,000 instead. In the 5 years I went there, that was won twice. It's either a $10 bet or $15 bet, it's a very easy side pot to play every hand, there's literally no reason not to. You'll never hit it if you don't!
@TheJssr2 "Programmed" it's handspun dude 😂😂😂
@johnnyslokes2712 I've got a different wheel at my Nearby casino. Same idea but it's automated. I've seen one with a hands spun wheel.
I've heard people say, some of the side bets are over 25% house advantage. Worse than machines, at Nevada minimum payout.
If the true count was -4 or higher, wouldnt buster blackjack seem relatively advantageous?
Just last week at a kings bounty table I placed $10 on the side bet at a true 3 and hit two kings of spade! (100 to 1 payout)
I’m just starting out so I wasn’t aware of the odds with this particular side bet but understood there was a correlation with Hi-Lo. This has been my biggest payout yet :D
I hope its 6 deck .. ive found kings bounty on double deck with the same paytable.. -30% .. like drugs just say no
If you don’t know the math behind the side bet you shouldn’t play it . You’re guaranteed to lose over time
@@supernatural653 yeah it was 6 deck
I just won a couple grand on a side bet called "push your luck" where the pay out was 10 to 1 and couldn't exceed more the half of your main bet. I was bet $50 hands and $25 on the side bet. Only time I was aiming for pushes over beating the dealer just cus I was getting paid $250 a hand
aye bro do you have a way I can contact you.got a way around this
What about if a flush pays 9:1?
I make more on the side bet than the main bet. I like match the dealer the bet the best though.
I made a killing off buster blackjack lol, they can be traps, but they are fun , once in a while
A local card casino has a reds side bet, they payout based on the dealers consecutive red cards. There’s gotta be a way to beat that
Count the black and red like you would using +1 -1. Red is -1 black is +1. If the count gets super high in red then go for it.
At my local casino, a triple match offers a total of 129x, and straight flushes 180x 😮
Their was a Casino in downtown Vegas around 2002-2004 that had a BJ side bet.IT was a DD pitch game. Suited BJ was 10-1 ,other BJs were3/5/7 -1.It was a dollar side bet up to whatever your BJ bet was. This place dealt deep ,and I'd always side count aces. Every 5 or 6 shuffles we'd run through all the aces ,and still have one hand left.
Hilarious watching people side bet with no aces left to deal
Hey Colin, I read an article ablut beating Bj without csrd counting. They listened two methods, 1) Hole Carding (Identifying the dealers hole card) and 2) Front loading (Predicting the next card).
I am not sure what to think about it, can you make a Video about it please. I think this is very interessting.
Keep up your great content!
Those are real skills, but MUCH more rare to find than a table that can be beaten with card counting.
@@Blackjackapprenticeship ok, much thanks for the answer!
Im wondering how many casinos you are allowed to enter now?
He's teaching and not playing for a reason.
Ever heard of Push 22?
What about over under 13 sidebet??
I only play lucky ladies after the true count is above a 7 that’s the only side bets I trust I hit them a lot too even when the count is low I feel like every time is sit at a table someone is upset at me because I don’t play them lol
Most of the beatable side bets have went the way of the dodo. One of the local shops had lucky ladies for a long time because the gaming commission wouldn't let them switch to 21+3. Can't say I made much off of it but I'd definitely play it if the opportunity presented itself.
Nothing worse than sitting at a table full of hardcore 21+3 players betting the farm on that sidebet and I am the only one consistently hitting it. I feel like it draws a bit of extra heat to myself because now every player is crying and moaning to the floor and dealer and I am still not putting money on it.
See Arnold Snyder's Big Book of Blackjack for a ton of info, including beating side bets and some pseudo-blackjack variant games. In reality, he admits most of them aren't worth the effort, but are still, technically, beatable.
Way different years ago.
@@bonusman Yes, he makes that clear, if you've read the book. He traces the game all the way back to the origin.
Break even for 750 ish hours (8 months of full time play). Lost $46,000 in less than 100 hours, getting treated like a criminal, etc. Run while you can.
Weren't you just saying on another video that your bankroll was now $128,000? Are you okay man?
@@chriscarlone527 It WAS 128K. Ask anyone about me. My name is "John Smith" on blackjack the Discord. Everything I say is 100% true. Ask Nickles on BJA if you're on there. He knows me well.
what is the meaning of ev
Unfortunately I play based to win on the sides bets. Cause there's two at the casino I go to. Genuine +3 if you and the dealer makes a 3 card flush, straight etc. but they have another one (top 3) where 3 of a kind, straight flush, suited trips it pays 90, 180, and 270 to 1 so yeah I play 10 on main and then 5 or 10 on plus 3 and 5 (max) on the top 3 and sure if I win the hand but no side bets I break even and if I lose on all 3 I can lose $200 easily and it happened last night but luckily later on I hit two 3 of a kinds in 4 hands so it saved me and brought me to profit. I don't have the mentality of trying to bet $40 even $50 on just the main bet and winning. Just me I guess.
As a black Jack only player, never playing side bets. But there was time I would have won a progressive side bet of $98,000 if I had played it. Ouch!
Scared money don’t make money always bet on side bets
I missed out on a 1k side bet despite the fact that I was playing the bet for several hours, so frustrating but it happens
thus the trap of side bets, if you don't play them every hand you can miss out, but if you do then you will also likely be pouring money down the drain
I've been thinking about this - what's the EV on playing perfect basic strategy BUT ALSO including deviations BUT WITHOUT changing bet sizes - seems like possible cover, but is it costly? Or ~0EV
Depends what the house edge of the game is and how aggressive you sit out of negative counts. 70% of hands will have a true count 1 or lower, so for most games, you’ll be at a disadvantage 70% of the time. If you’re playing a really good single deck game with like a 0.05% or 0.1% house edge, you can probably gain a slight edge just from flat betting with deviations but for the most part you’ll need some type of spread
Thanks for the reply - I was actually considering no sit outs at all. Seems like that would almost certainly be
I play 21 for the side bets at my casino lol that really is where my winnings come from
Me personally I love the side bet especially 21+3
Same here, especially if I'm in the mood for 3 card poker
I won close to $3700 on a $12.50, 4 card straight side bet. They removed all those tables eventually. And just last week I hit several suited matches on match the dealer side bets. Max bet on thise are $15 for me. Pays nicely.
Anecdotal evidence! If you always play the side bets you are giant tees to lose if you have a huge amount of hands played!
@@kristianstenerson9895 I have no complaints. I know when to leave.
@@dougstyles its a way better way around this me and my wife discovered last week..
Hey where can I get deviations chart for UK blackjack?
At the casino I always play blackjack in, they have a Royal Match side bet. So if my first two cards are suited, it pays more than a blackjack equivalent to the bet. I usually put my spare change on it, and it has often saved me from some bad stiffs and unexpected dealer 21s. I think Side bets are acceptable as long as you treat them like you would a slot machine. Only your chump change and never your main bankroll.
Those flush ones come in clutch id put a dollar on them and get ten bucks a few times in a row.
What does EV stand for?
1 time
10$ black jack table
5$ Side bet 3 card poker bet (your 2 cards + dealers showing card)
got three of a kind (3, 3's)
got a 100 back for the 5 bucks never bet it again
Prior to the round
Running count : 12
True count: 3
Playing heads you’re holding TT and the dealer has and Ace.
Do you take insurance? Don’t know if you take it because it was a true three at the start of the round or after the cards are dealt. At first, played it based on the true count prior to the round then migrated to whatever the true count was prior to the dealer drawing their hole card.
Not sure what is the correct way to do it.
When your turn comes around, always consider ALL cards that have seen when considering index plays...including insurance(whether to take it or not). That's your count to consider, not the count prior to the round being dealt.
In your hypothetical, I'd probably take the insurance with the true count at an approximate 2.3. (9 divided by a little less than 4 now.
The hi-lo system is an imperfect science when it comes to any index plays. Reason being is that sometimes there is a higher or lower proportion of neutral cards left in the deck. And sometimes the percentage of 10's left in the deck can vary if the negative cards you've counted are a higher or lower proportion of Ace's compared to 10's.
At a true 3, there's an average of 18.4 tens and 4.6 aces per 52 cards....or 35.4% tens. (a nice advantage on a 1 in 3 bet!)
But I'll bet the 95% bell curve( +/- 2 standard deviation) would run something like 33% to 38% on a 6 or 8 deck shoe. That's just a guess. But it almost all but guarantees positive EV on the play. (but not 100% of the time)
At a true 2 the average ratio drops to 17.6 tens and 4.4 aces per 52 cards. That's still 33.8 % tens. So this indicates to me that an average true 2 count there will be more chances than not( maybe 60%) that it will be an advantageous bet. But the EV is miniscule. I'll bet the bell curve is something like 31.5% to 36%.
Often enough if its a double deck game, I'll take insurance on a true 2. or even less. That is if I've seen a lot of Aces or neutral cards come out. Likewise, I'll refrain on a true 3 if the decks are ace rich and/or if there hasn't been many neutral cards played.
Harder to keep track on an 8 deck game haha.
What you have should have no bearing on whether to take insurance.