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Bonus Blackjack
Introduction
I have seen five versions of side bets called Bonus Blackjack through the years. What they have to do with each other, I don't know. I'm going to treat and explain each one separately below.
Bonus Blackjack — Version 1
It seem this side bet has been at the Riverside in Laughlin since forever. This is a simple pair of side bets that the player and/or dealer will get a blackjack. Wins pay 15 to 1. The player may bet on a player blackjack and/or dealer blackjack. If the player bets at least $1 on both and both the player gets a blackjack, composed of an ace and jack of spades, then the player will win a progressive bonus.
As the number of decks increases, the probability of a blackjack decreases, making the player's odds worse. The following table shows pertinent information about this bet as explained below.
First column: Number of decks
Second column: House edge if just one bet is made
Third column: Overall reduction in house edge for each $100 in meter if both bets are made
Fourth column: Point meter must reach for bet to have zero house edge.
Bonus Blackjack — Version 1
| Decks | House Edge | Reduction in House for each $100 in Meter |
Break-even Meter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22.78% | 3.77% | $604.00 |
| 2 | 23.53% | 3.73% | $630.00 |
| 4 | 23.89% | 3.72% | $643.00 |
| 6 | 24.02% | 3.71% | $647.33 |
| 8 | 24.08% | 3.71% | $649.50 |
Bonus Blackjack — Version 2
This is another side bet called "Bonus Blackjack." I noticed it at the Sycuan casino near San Diego on October 25, 2009. The only bet amounts permitted were 50¢ and $1. The following table shows the pay table, probabilities, and return for a six-deck game. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 40.78% (ouch!). This assumes the player always tries for a 678 or 777 if possible, even if it violates basic strategy. The cost of such strategy deviations are not indicated.
Bonus Blackjack (Sycuan) — Six Decks
| Hand | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 777 | 500 | 12144 | 0.000404 | 0.201862 |
| 678 | 50 | 82944 | 0.002757 | 0.137873 |
| Suited BJ | 20 | 357120 | 0.011872 | 0.237447 |
| Loser | -1 | 29627712 | 0.984966 | -0.984966 |
| Total | 30079920 | 1 | -0.407784 |
The next table shows the house edge for various number of decks.
Bonus Blackjack (version 2) — House Edge
| Decks | House Edge |
|---|---|
| 2 | 45.16% |
| 4 | 41.92% |
| 5 | 41.24% |
| 6 | 40.78% |
| 8 | 40.20% |
Bonus Blackjack — Version 3
I noticed this third version of Bonus Blackjack at the Riviera casino on November 17, 2012. It was played on a single-deck game. Wins are based on the player's first two cards, and for the highest win, on the dealer's cards as well. The following table shows everything you need to know.
Bonus Blackjack — Version 3
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probabity | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player and dealer blackjack | 25 | 2,880 | 0.001773 | 0.044325 |
| Player suited blackjack | 10 | 18,880 | 0.011623 | 0.116231 |
| Player unsuited blackjack | 3 | 56,640 | 0.034869 | 0.104608 |
| Pair | 2 | 95,550 | 0.058824 | 0.117647 |
| Suited | 1 | 362,600 | 0.223228 | 0.223228 |
| All other | -1 | 1,087,800 | 0.669683 | -0.669683 |
| Total | 1,624,350 | 1.000000 | -0.063644 |
The lower right cell shows a house edge of 6.36%.
Bonus Blackjack — Version 4
I noticed this fourth version of Bonus Blackjack at the Golden Gate on October 27, 2016. It is similar to version 3 above. The return table below shows each win, what it pays, the probability, and contribution to the return. The table is based on six decks.
Bonus Blackjack — Version 4
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probabity | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player and dealer blackjack | 25 | 5,034,240 | 0.002167 | 0.054163 |
| Suited blackjack | 15 | 26,328,960 | 0.011331 | 0.169961 |
| Suited pair | 10 | 37,358,100 | 0.016077 | 0.160772 |
| Unsuited blackjack | 5 | 78,986,880 | 0.033992 | 0.169961 |
| Unsuited pair | 3 | 134,489,160 | 0.057878 | 0.173633 |
| All other | -1 | 2,041,476,480 | 0.878556 | -0.878556 |
| Total | 2,323,673,820 | 1.000000 | -0.150065 |
If you should see this bet on a game with a different number of decks, the following table will show you the house edge, assuming no other changes.
Version 4 House Edge
| Decks | House Edge |
|---|---|
| 8 | 14.16% |
| 6 | 15.01% |
| 5 | 15.69% |
| 4 | 16.71% |
| 2 | 21.87% |
Version 5
I noticed what I call Version 5 of Bonus Blackjack at the Rampart casino in Las Vegas. Wins are based on the player's first two cards and the dealer's up card. For all my rules and analysis, please see my page on Version 5 of Bonus Blackjack.
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