In cases where counting systems have been developed for a specific side bet, I’ve listed the source for them. I’ve listed the best payoff schedules to look for and the corresponding house edge assuming a six-deck game. Note that the house edge for a side bet is very dependent on the payoff schedule, which is not necessarily the same from one casino to the next (the payoff schedule is usually imprinted on the felt, or summarized on a placard).
What follows is a summary of the more popular blackjack side bets that you may find on blackjack tables in land-based and online casinos. But some have survived, and more are in the pipeline waiting for their chance. The reality, however, is that many of these side bets never make it to the casino floor, and the few that do die quickly because of lack of play from players (that can learn how to play blackjack right here). Each year at the casino industry’s premier trade show ( Global Gaming Expo, or G2E, which is held in Las Vegas), you will find countless numbers of enthusiastic vendors pitching their side bets to casino officials. Inventors dream up side bets to bolster casino profits, and then try to sell them to casinos. It’s no secret that blackjack has a low house edge (around half a percent) with the relatively easy-to-learn basic playing strategy that I described in earlier chapters of this Guide.
