Side Bets

One of the first games I posted about on this blog was the blackjack side bet Twenty One Plus Three (21+3).

The Upcard Luck (UL) blackjack side bet is a bit wacky to describe. Payouts are based on the dealer's up-card together with the two cards the player is dealt. In this sense, it is similar to both Lucky Lucky and 21 + 3.

“Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.” – Unknown (not Groucho Marx)

A long long time ago, in a casino far far away, there was a blackjack side bet called “Over/Under 13” (OU13). The player had the opportunity to wager that his two cards would total more than 13 (Over) or would total less than 13 (Under).

My dog told me I have gone off the deep end with this article and I don’t disagree: I decided to investigate computer-perfect play against the Over/Under 13 blackjack side bet (OU13). In other words, I assume an AP is using a computer program.

This post gives an overview of the relative vulnerability of the blackjack side bets I've written about in this blog. Some of these side bets have been spectacular one-time opportunities for APs.

One ongoing method to beat baccarat is to use the knowledge of the rank of exactly one card in the shoe to gain an edge on one hand per shoe (see this post). One card out of 416 may not seem like a lot, but to the "known-card" AP it's a pot of gold.