Blackjack Perfect Pairs

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About Blackjack Perfect Pairs

Blackjack Perfect Pairs is a popular variation of blackjack that adds a side betting feature. The main game is a straight forward “21” blackjack game, but if you place a Perfect Pairs side bet at the start of the round that your first two cards will be the same rank, you win a huge additional bonus.

How to Play Blackjack Perfect Pairs

Despite the singular title, it pays for one or two Perfect Pairs. A Perfect Pair is defined by the player's or dealer's initial two cards matching in both rank and suit. Evolution uses eight decks in the blackjack game, so I am basing this return table on eight decks. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 8.05%. Try your luck at Blackjack + Perfect Pairs for free here today! Start playing Blackjack + Perfect Pairs online now or learn more about the Blackjack + Perfect Pairs Table Games game here.

The object of the Blackjack Perfect Pairs game is to achieve a hand value that is closer to 21 than that of the dealer’s without going over 21, or a hand that is a Perfect Pairs bonus winner.

Point Values

Play blackjack perfect pairs for free
  • 2 through 10 are worth their face value.
  • Jacks, Queens and Kings are worth 10 points each.
  • Aces are worth 1 point or 11 points, whichever makes a better hand.

Player’s Turn

In Blackjack Perfect Pairs, start by selecting the amount you want to bet for this round of play. If you want to play the side bet, click in the Perfect Pairs betting circle, then make your wager. Click Deal to start the round. You are dealt two cards face up and the dealer is dealt two cards, one face down and one face up.

Click Hit to be dealt another card. Click Stand to stick with cards in your hand and end your turn. Click Double if you want to double your bet and receive one more card in your hand. If you haven’t already won by placing the side bet and were dealt a Pair, clicking Split will double your bet and turn your hand into two hands. You are automatically dealt the additional cards and play each hand separately.

Dealer’s Turn

  • The Dealer must hit on any hard or soft total of 16 or less.
  • The Dealer must hit on a soft total of 17 or less.
  • The Dealer must stand on a hard total of 17 or more.
  • The Dealer must stand on any total of 18 or more.

You Win When

  • You get Blackjack.
  • Your hand is closer to 21 than the Dealer’s hand and doesn’t go over 21.
  • The Dealer’s hand busts, while your hand stays within 21 points.

Game Features and Bonus Rounds

The objective of the Perfect Pairs side bet is to achieve a pair from the first two cards dealt. If you decide to make a Perfect Pairs bet, you must do so at the onset of play before clicking Deal. A winning Perfect Pairs hand is not affected by the dealer’s hand.

To win the Perfect Pairs side bet, your hand must meet one of the following conditions:

Blackjack Betting Guide

  • The first two cards you are dealt are a mixed pair, for example an Ace of Hearts and an Ace of Spades.
  • The first two cards you are dealt are a colored pair, for example a Ten of Hearts and a Ten of Diamonds.
  • The first two cards you are dealt are a perfect pair, for example Three of Clubs and another Three of Clubs.

Additional Rules

  • Cards are dealt from six standard 52-card decks.
  • Cards are re-shuffled after each hand.
  • Blackjack wins automatically, unless you and the Dealer receive Blackjack at the same time. It is then considered a draw and you push.

Strategy/Tips

There are lots of charts available online and printed materials with information on when to hit, stand, double, or split, but it really is a luck of the draw regardless of the point vale of your hand. More importantly, watch the Dealer’s up card. Always assume the hole card is a ten and then make your decision accordingly.

Perfect Pairs Blackjack side bets, while risky, can pay out big, but as with every big payout option, the odds are fairly low. The lowest payout rewards you with a 6:1 payout for simply being dealt a mixed pair. This actually happens quite frequently, so if you’re prepared to bet a small amount on the side, it can positively pay off, especially on those rare occasions when you get colored or suited pairs.

History

Pairs

Even though the origin of Blackjack is rather unclear, the earliest evidence of the game was found in 17th Century France, under the name Vingt-et-Un (French for 21). An Italian game, Seven and a Half, also contributed to the rules of modern day Blackjack. Even closer versions of the game started to appear in North America by the middle of the 19th Century.

Glossary

Bet: The amount of money you wager during a round of play.

Blackjack: A hand that totals 21 points with the first two cards you are dealt. A hand equal to 21 points with three or more cards is not considered Blackjack.

Colored Pair: Two cards of the same rank with matching color suits, i.e., Hearts and Diamonds is a red colored pair and Spades and Clubs is a black colored pair.

Double: Doubles your bet and adds one more card to your hand.

Hit: Adds another card to your hand.

Mixed Pair: Any two cards of the same rank regardless of the suit.

Perfect Pair: The exact same card (in rank and suit) from two of the six decks used in the game.

Side Bet: An optional wager independent of the main game. In Blackjack Perfect Pairs, the Perfect Pairs Bonus is the side bet.

Splitting: You can split the first two cards dealt if they are of equal point value. When you split, you must place an additional bet that is equal to your initial bet. You will now have two hands. You can continue to hit for each hand, unless the split was made for a pair of Aces, in which case you can only hit once for each hand.

Stand: Stick with the cards already in your hand, stops your turn and ends your part of the game.

This exciting variant of the old time game of Blackjack can now be played completely free! Play free Blackjack Plus Perfect Pairs at Silver Oak Casino. No downloads, no catches just good old fun without even having to make an account or signup to play.

Perfect Pairs blackjack is seen by many as the more exciting variant of Blackjack, even if it is basically a standard casino classic that also offers players a chance to place perfect pairs side bet. This means that the main gameplay is no different than in any other standard Blackjack game, whereas the perfect pairs side bet when placed applies to the player’s first two cards.

Due to perfect pairs payouts going up to 30:1, a far cry from your regular 3:2 blackjack payout, Perfect Pairs game tend to appeal to high stakes blackjack players and those chasing big wins, although it is important to note that the aforementioned side bet features a very high house edge of 4-6%, meaning you would probably be better playing any other blackjack game if you can live without the extra excitement provided by the potential big wins. If you can not, the make sure to check out some of the best Perfect Pair titles below.

Perfect Pairs Blackjack Rules

What you need to know if you are thinking about giving Perfect Pairs a try is that perfect pairs side bet can only be placed alongside a standard blackjack wager, with bet limits the same for both parts of your bet. Nevertheless, the two wagers do not have to be the same.

In most games you are not forced to place the side bet each time, but can choose when to do so and when to play regular blackjack. In most cases, the main rules are based on popular blackjack variations such as European Blackjack or Vegas Strip, however the common ones are:

  • 2-8 Decks
  • Dealer draws to 16, stands on 17
  • Player can re-split up to two times
  • Double down available on any first two cards
  • Dealer checks for blackjack before paying out side bets
  • Blackjack pays 3 to 2

Free Perfect Pairs Online

Blackjack Betting Strategy 1 3 2 6

USA (RTG) Odds: 99.46% on the basic game. Side bets: 93.9%.
Games OS: 99.3% on basic game, 96.63% on side bets.
Cryptologic: 99.63 on main game and 94.3 on side bets.
Amaya: 99.57% basic and 93.9% on side bets.

Where to Play Real Money Perfect Pairs

Casino BonusWhy it’s hereBest Game
100% up to $1000Best for USA and AUS casinoSingle Deck – 0.08% house edge
100% up to £/$/€ 100Best for UK, Canada and EUClassic Blackjack – 0.21% house edge
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Perfect Pairs Odds & Payouts

If you place the side bet and your first two cards form a pair, you will qualify for one of the three possible payouts: perfect pair (same suit), coloured pair and mixed pair. The payouts vary between different blackjack sites and casinos. Here are the common ones and their winning odds (according to 6 decks table):

Perfect pair – 30 to 1

Coloured pair – 10 to 1

Mixed pair – 5 to 1

Return: 94.3%

Perfect pair – 25 to 1

Coloured pair – 12 to 1

Mixed pair – 6 to 1

Return: 93.9%

Perfect pair – 25 to 1

Coloured pair – 12 to 1

Mixed pair – 5 to 1

Return: 90.1%

  • Please be aware, that the odds decrease with the number of decks (opposite to the main game). For example if you play the first option with 2 decks, the odds decrease from 94.3% to miserable 75%.

Things That Go Together

Perfect Pairs Tips and Strategies

As odd as it may sound, the first advice we can give you with regards to Perfect Pairs blackjack games is never to place the side bet if you want to have any chance of turning a profit in the long run. When compared to the standard Blackjack wager, the house edge is significantly higher when side bet is in play, so if you are after best value for money, you should definitely look elsewhere.

But, in case you cannot resist the temptation of placing your wagers on markets with potentially high outcomes, then you can improve your chances by staking say $5 per hand on regular wager and another $1 on perfect pairs side bet.

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Considering that the side bet is always settled first, you need to ensure that its outcome does not affect your standard wager, since you might be tempted to take more risks if you have already lost your side bet and vice versa.

5.00 Perfect Pairs Blackjack

With perfect pairs payouts ranging from one casino to the next, you also need to ensure you only play games where perfect pair pays 30 to 1, as the house edge is already high enough even without the lowered payouts.