First introduced in the Vegas Strip casinos in the early 2000s, 21+3 is an exciting side wager that can be placed alongside the main bet in a standard Blackjack game. The side bet combines the elements of Classic Blackjack and Three-Card Poker, which makes the overall gameplay highly entertaining.
Besides, the 21+3 side bet offers some of the best odds. In this guide, we explain the 21+3 Blackjack side wager and how you can place it in online Blackjack games.
21+3 Blackjack rules
When playing at the best online casinos like ours, you’ll find several Blackjack games offering the 21+3 side wager. And it’s highly common in traditional Blackjack games that are played with six or eight-card decks.
In Blackjack games offering this side wager, the standard Blackjack rules still apply. So, your main aim in these games is to get the perfect point total of 21 or the closest to it. But along with that, you’ll also form a Three-Card Poker hand using your initial two cards and the dealer’s face-up card. And this is the reason why this side wager has been named 21+3.
Other Blackjack rules that are common to many 21+3 Blackjack games are:
- The dealer must stand on all 17s.
- Players can double down on point totals of 9, 10, or 11.
- Players opting to double down get only one additional card.
- As a player, you can split up to 2 Blackjack hands. And this includes the Aces as well.
- There’s the option to double down after splitting.
- All the standard types of bets in Blackjack are available here.
- The payout for the main game is 3:2.
How to play the 21+3 side wager?
The 21+3 side wager is placed in a separate area of the betting box. To make things easier, the Blackjack table usually has the 21+3 symbol or icon imprinted there. At some 21+3 Blackjack tables, players can access the Blackjack strategy chart.
Once all the bets have been placed, the dealer deals two face-down cards to each player at the table. Also, they draw two cards for themselves – one of which is face-up, and the other is face-down.
Then you use your two-hole cards and the dealer’s face-up card to form a Three-Card Poker hand. If you make a Three-Card Poker, you’ll win this side bet and receive a payout per the game’s paytable.
21+3 Blackjack hand rankings
Below we’ve listed the different Three-Card Poker hand rankings in 21+3 Blackjack. These hand rankings are from highest to lowest.
Suited Three of a Kind
– As the name implies, this hand consists of three cards of the same suit and with the same rank.
Straight Flush
– A Straight Flush is formed by three cards of consecutive values. Also, the cards must be in the same suit here.
Three of a Kind
– These are three cards of the same rank but from different suits.
Straight
– These are three consecutive cards of any suit.
Flush
– To have a Flush, all three cards must be of the same suit. The order of the cards doesn’t matter here.
21+3 Blackjack payouts
This side wager appeals to many Blackjack players because of the lucrative payouts that are up for grabs. Unlike standard Blackjack games, where winners receive a 3:2 for having a natural Blackjack, the 21+3 side bet offers players the chance to get up to 100x their stake in potential winnings.
As you’d guess, the better the Three-Card Poker hand you have, the higher your potential payout will be. The payouts for the different 21+3 hands are as follows:
- Flush: 5/1
- Straight: 10/1
- Three of a Kind: 30/1
- Straight Flush: 40/1
- Suited Three of a Kind: 100/1
While these payout rates may not necessarily result in the biggest Blackjack wins, they are quite lucrative to try your luck at.
21+3 Blackjack side bet: summary
To summarise, 21+3 is an exciting side wager to place in online and live Blackjack games. It adds extra thrill to your Blackjack gameplay and can be quite rewarding if you get lucky.
For 21+3 Blackjack players who want to use advantage playing techniques like card counting and shuffle tracking, they may help you to some extent at land-based Blackjack tables.
But owing to the nature of RNG-based Blackjack games, they’ll be of little use when playing Blackjack online. Instead, we recommend you focus on other Blackjack strategies, such as managing your Bankroll properly and placing informed bets. Have an entertaining 21+3 Blackjack experience there!