Blackjack Perfect Pairs Strategy
- Blackjack Perfect Pairs Strategy Definition
- Perfect Basic Strategy Blackjack
- How To Play Perfect Blackjack
- Perfect Pair Blackjack online, free
- 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.
- That is why it is impossible to find the specific strategy for Perfect Pairs Blackjack: everything you should do is to follow the blackjack strategy for a traditional variation of this game which is played by 2 decks of cards. Use blackjack basic strategy charts which show you the steps to follow when you have this or that card combination. Remember, that you can not take such charts with you to casinos.
- Appendices
- Miscellaneous
- External Links
Introduction
How to Play Perfect Pairs. Start by placing a bet as an ante. Players can also select to play the Perfect Pairs side bet before cards are dealt. The side bet must be of equal value to the ante bet. Two cards will be dealt to the player and the dealer. If the first two cards are a pair, the side bet will win. Perfect Pairs Strategy Blackjack is one of the simplest table game that’s easy to understand; the whole idea is to win without breaking 21. Perfect Pairs is a blackjack side bet game. In order to win this game, first two cards dealt to you need to be a pair.
I'm aware of two side bets calling themselves Perfect Pair or Perfect Pairs. I'll divide them into a version 1 and version 2.
Version 1
Version 1 goes by the plural name Perfect Pairs. It may be found in casinos in Australia, Macau, and London. It pays if the player's first two cards are a pair. The following table shows the specifics. A 'perfect pair' is two identical cards (like two ace of spades). A 'colored pair' is two cards of the same rank and color (like the ace of spades and ace of clubs). There are four pay tables that I am aware of, which are referred to as A to D below. The following four tables show how the odds of each pay table.
Internet casinos using live dealer studios by Evolution Gaming the following pay table.
Pay Table A — 8 decks
Hand | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
---|---|---|---|---|
Perfect pair | 25 | 1456 | 0.016867 | 0.421687 |
Colored pair | 12 | 1664 | 0.019277 | 0.231325 |
Red/black pair | 6 | 3328 | 0.038554 | 0.231325 |
Non-pair | -1 | 79872 | 0.925301 | -0.925301 |
Total | 86320 | 1 | -0.040964 |
Pay Table B — 8 decks
Hand | Pays | Combintions | Probability | Return |
---|---|---|---|---|
Perfect pair | 30 | 1456 | 0.016867 | 0.506024 |
Colored pair | 10 | 1664 | 0.019277 | 0.192771 |
Red/black pair | 5 | 3328 | 0.038554 | 0.192771 |
Non-pair | -1 | 79872 | 0.925301 | -0.925301 |
Total | 86320 | 1 | -0.033735 |
Pay Table C — 8 decks
Hand | Pays | Combintions | Probability | Return |
---|---|---|---|---|
Perfect pair | 25 | 1456 | 0.016867 | 0.421687 |
Colored pair | 12 | 1664 | 0.019277 | 0.231325 |
Red/black pair | 5 | 3328 | 0.038554 | 0.192771 |
Non-pair | -1 | 79872 | 0.925301 | -0.925301 |
Total | 86320 | 1 | -0.079518 |
Pay Table D — 8 decks
Hand | Pays | Combintions | Probability | Return |
---|---|---|---|---|
Perfect pair | 25 | 1456 | 0.016867 | 0.421687 |
Colored pair | 15 | 1664 | 0.019277 | 0.289157 |
Red/black pair | 5 | 3328 | 0.038554 | 0.192771 |
Non-pair | -1 | 79872 | 0.925301 | -0.925301 |
Total | 86320 | 1 | -0.021687 |
The next table shows the expected return under all four pay tables, according to the number of decks.
Perfect Pairs Expected Returns
Decks | Pay Table A | Pay Table B | Pay Table C | Pay Table D |
---|---|---|---|---|
2 | -0.223301 | -0.252427 | -0.262136 | -0.203883 |
4 | -0.101449 | -0.106280 | -0.140097 | -0.082126 |
5 | -0.077220 | -0.077220 | -0.115830 | -0.057915 |
6 | -0.061093 | -0.057878 | -0.099678 | -0.041801 |
8 | -0.040964 | -0.033735 | -0.079518 | -0.021687 |
Version 2
Version 2 goes by the singular name Perfect Pair. It can be found at Internet casinos using live dealer software by Evolution Gaming. 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%.
Version 2 — 8 Decks
Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
---|---|---|---|---|
Two perfect pairs | 200 | 2,101,008 | 0.000285 | 0.056941 |
One perfect pair | 25 | 244,747,776 | 0.033166 | 0.829138 |
Zero perfect pairs | -1 | 7,132,734,336 | 0.966550 | -0.966550 |
Total | 7,379,583,120 | 1.000000 | -0.080470 |
Next, here is the house edge for 2, 4, 6, and 8 decks.
Version 2 House Edge
Decks | House Edge |
---|---|
2 | 48.08% |
4 | 21.50% |
6 | 12.54% |
8 | 8.05% |
There is another version of version 2 that pays 25 to 1 for one or two perfect pairs. The house edge on that, assuming eight decks, is 13.03%. This side bet is also seen in baccarat, where I have a separate page for it.
Written by: Michael Shackleford
If you’re here looking to learn what is perfect pairs in blackjack, then you are at the right page. Blackjack has several side-bets including Perfect Pairs, of which all are compelling to play.
If you’re thorough with the standard format already, you may skip straight away to the Perfect Pairs overview. However, if you’re new to Blackjack, stick around to peep into game rules, its origin, and of course some interesting trivia.
If you’re feeling intrigued by Blackjack’s origin, you aren’t alone because It has always been shrouded in mystery owing to lack of evidence proving where it all began.
Hence, the belief that it originated in Spain. It wasn’t soon before traders and immigrants brought it to Colonial America in the 1800s.
Today, variations like Perfect Pairs, Blackjack Switch, and Super Fun 21 are played across casinos for fun and it gets intense, as each game variant has unique bonus criteria.
Perfect Pairs in Blackjack
Perfect Pair is a side-bet where players get a shot at a bonus of 30 to 1 pay-out without deviating from the regular Blackjack. Moreover, Perfect Pairs can be played side-by-side with the regular Blackjack.
On the table is a box reserved for accepting Perfect Pair wagers. In any case, the dealer makes the move on behalf of players so there’s not much of the game to figure out.
Blackjack Perfect Pairs Strategy Definition
In the round, two initial cards are drawn from two or more decks and distributed facedown from left to right. The two cards forming a pair can be Mixed, Perfect, or Coloured. In all these cases, the winner is picked as per the pay table conditions.
Perfect Basic Strategy Blackjack
Here is a complete definition of pairs in blackjack
1. Perfect Pair: Similar pairs that include two face cards
2. Coloured Pair: Pair that includes cards of any suit with matching colour
- Example: 7 of Hearts and 7 of Diamonds
3. Mixed Pair: Cards from any suit with an identical face value
GFL Bonusing
Perfect pairs in Blackjack are ideal for Game Floor Live (GFL) bonusing. So before finding out how, let’s start by understanding what GFL bonusing is.
It facilitates a connected ecosystem through special modules so Casinos can track activities across the game floor in a single view.
GFL modules keep players riveted to games through special bonuses. Sort of like a neoteric experience that is bundled with side bets that can be modified then and there itself for specific events.
How To Play Perfect Blackjack
The GFL bonusing is leveraged by casinos to set up jackpot pools that are payer funded. Casinos add side bets into jackpot pools after the initial put-in. The goal is to self-fund the winning jackpots as well as to top up and enhance the next available jackpot value.
In doing so, players will be kept on the edge rather than packing early. By having a progressive jackpot, every bet increases the jackpot value and will ensure the continuity of the play.
After the jackpot is claimed, the game isn’t reset. Instead, other players can continue playing and winning until the last one standing. The perks of adopting GFL bonusing is that it can help casinos weave game experiences personalised to demographic tastes.
It makes jackpot events more lucrative and boosts table revenue by luring new players to the pit. We’ve seen something similar when the slot technology boomed, allowing players to find a new way to amuse themselves.
In a nutshell, GFL bonusing is a bus that shouldn’t be missed because it has allowed room for newer elements like Perfect Pairs and event-based jackpots to make the game enticing.
Playing Perfect Pairs in Blackjack
Playing Perfect Pairs in blackjack may seem like a piece of cake if you understand the rules below:
- On a regular Blackjack table, there are dedicated boxes for playing Perfect Pairs. Your side bets should go into this box to become eligible for Perfect Pair Jackpot.
- Before any cards are dealt, the side-bet must go into the Perfect Pairs wager box
- If the first two cards dealt are a pair, the player wins the Perfect Pair jackpot
- If the first two cards dealt don’t form a pair, the player forfeits the wager
- Each game will have a pay table and the Perfect Pairs pay-outs will be based on it
- Once the two cards are dealt, the losing wagers must be collected and paid to winning hand
- After the pay-out is sent, the round resets but the game doesn’t
- The dealer resumes dealing cards and collecting wagers from the participating players
Winning Hacks in Perfect Pairs
Perfect Pairs is a game of skill so there’s more than one way to read conditions at the table and call out playing decisions. Make sure to follow these methods for a better winning odds:
- Start by analysing the number of decks used in the Perfect Pairs Blackjack.
- In a typical Perfect Pairs game, the dealer starts with two decks. So the chance of getting two cards of similar value (perfect pair) is greater than Pay-out of 30 to 1.
- The side bets in Perfect Pairs can get interesting as it’s full of surprises. You can go for a mixed pair wager if your risk appetite isn’t higher than most players. This would increase your odds slightly as more cards land in the shoe.
- There isn’t a hard and fast strategy to win, but whatever stakes you prefer, be prepared to hit or stand at well-timed moments.
- If you have high pairs it may be a good idea to split, but it’s unlikely to bring better outcomes whilst having an open side bet whose outcome is dependent on your hand.
House Edge of the Perfect Pairs in Blackjack
With Perfect Pairs, the number of decks decides the hold percentage. It increases or decreases with the deck size. Often, the pay-out odds are adjusted for a better house edge. At any given instance, the pay table mustn’t provide a hold percentage greater than 7%.
Casinos stand to gain from Perfect Pairs because players often get convinced that the wagers are fair while in reality, it’s far from it. This is one of the main reasons behind a great turnover for Casinos.
In theory, the hold percentage can be as high or as low as the deck size. The chance of scoring Perfect Pairs are higher when played with more than eight decks and lower with four. However, with just a single deck, Perfect Pair becomes unachievable.
How Competitive are Perfect Pairs?
You could be wrong in assuming Perfect Pairs are just petty wagers like watered-down liquor because it’s not a scheme that’s played with a low limit.
Perfect Pair Blackjack online, free
Today, most major casinos world-wide are offering Perfect Pairs in Blackjack tables. In most cases, wagers are off the charts in VIP rooms where game rounds get intense as bet size jumps by hundreds of dollars.
Time and again Perfect Pairs have proven to be the biggest revenue sources for casinos and since its inception, not many have rolled back to the regular table action.
Side Bets in Live Blackjack
Did you know there are many variants of Blackjack with side bets? Sometimes, variations in the gameplay can occur too. Here are some of the popular variations:
1. Double attack blackjack
If you’re looking for a variant with most side bets and most action, then “Double Attack Blackjack” is worth a try. The pay-out is way higher when the dealer “busts”. The winning criterion is that the dealer must bust with no more or no less than three cards.
It doesn’t end there. You also get to wager on whether the dealer up card is a picture card. In this case, pay-outs are equal to 3 to 1. Additionally, you can also get a 6 to 1 and 10 to 1 if the dealer busts with nine and seven consequently.
The most interesting pay-out is the 50 to 1 which is handed to winners when the dealer busts with an 8-8-8 of the same colour.
2. Super Fun 21
Super Fun 21 is a must-try variant because it’s a slight departure from the regular format but double the excitement.
In this format, players get additional pay-outs for hitting Blackjack. The pay-out is as follows:
- 2 to 1 for hitting with two diamonds
- 2 to 1 for counting a total of 21 with fewer than five cards
- 1 to 1 for counting a total of 20 with six cards or less
3. Blackjack Switch
The Blackjack Switch is a variation where additional pay-outs on side bets are offered to players. In this format, two hands are dealt with each player. If the player is dealt a Perfect Pair at the beginning, a 5 to 1 pay-out is rewarded by side bet.
In the European format of the same game, the players are eligible for Insurance and can double down.
Now that you have learn what is perfect pairs in blackjack, get playing.