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Blackjack side bet: what are side bets in blackjack?
There are numerous different blackjack side bets to try out. Find out what they are and more information on how to play them
![A green blackjack table](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/betting/better-collective-new/blackjack-side-bet.jpg?imwidth=680)
Blackjack side bets prove there’s much more to betting on the game of blackjack than simply placing wagers on whether you can get closer to 21 than the dealer.
Bets such as double down, split, 21+3, insurance and surrender add extra dimensions to blackjack betting as well as blackjack strategy.
Here we discuss them under the heading of blackjack side bets, but many are integral to playing the game in anything above its simplest form.
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Blackjack double down
Doubling down has come into popular parlance to describe people reaffirming their belief in a statement or decision in some way, but to double down is originally a blackjack side bet.
To double down is to increase your initial bet (the one placed on you vs the dealer in the nearest to 21 duel), by up to 100 per cent. In return you have to stand after taking exactly one more card.
Find out more about the blackjack double down bet and when to go for it.
Blackjack split
In blackjack, splitting is a betting opportunity that comes into play after your first two cards have been dealt. If they are of the same value, eg two sevens, then the player has the opportunity to split them into two hands.
To do so, you must place a bet on the newly created second hand that is of the same value as your original bet. In some forms of blackjack further splitting is allowed.
Learn more on when it makes sense to split in Blackjack
21+3 blackjack
This bet involves the first two cards dealt to the player and the first card the dealer deals themselves. Players can bet on the three cards comprising various combinations of suits and values, with the winning outcomes usually paying out at odds of 9/1 or more.
Check out more on the various 21+3 blackjack winning hands
Blackjack insurance
After the initial two cards have been dealt and the dealer’s face-up card is an ace, players have the option of taking the insurance side bet before the dealer checks their hole card (the one that is left face down).
The bet provides insurance against the increased likelihood of the dealer having blackjack (a two-card hand with a value of 21). It pays odds of 2/1 and you can bet up to half your initial stake, meaning that if the dealer does have blackjack, the player breaks even on the hand.
Find out why insurance isn’t often as attractive a bet as it seems
Surrender
Not strictly a side ‘bet’ as such, but an opportunity for a player to alter their betting position on a hand.
You are offered the chance to compare your opening two-card hand with the dealer’s face-up card and surrender if you believe they are more likely to get blackjack.
The player sacrifices half their stake, but gets half their stake back and ends their involvement in the hand.
Other side bets
Had your interest in blackjack side bets sparked? There are plenty more to learn about too, including Lucky Ladies, Lucky Lucky, Perfect Pairs and Royal Match to name but a few.
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