Blackjack is a great game to play because of the skill involved. The one identifiable weakness in the main game itself has been the lack of opportunity for players to score big wins. One of the ways that is taken care of is through the numerous side bets available for the different game variants. One of the most well-known is Perfect Pairs Blackjack.

Perfect Pairs Blackjack is, more than a side bet, a bonus game. This is a game that gives a player a shot at winning more than just the regular blackjack wins. As a side bet, it is optional; a player has the option of not playing it and instead playing the regular game itself. Perfect Pairs Blackjack is found mostly in casinos in Australia, London, and also Macau.

List Of Real Money Casinos To Play Perfect Pairs Blackjack

CasinoOfferDevicesPlay Now / Review
1st

100% up to $5000
(T&Cs apply, 18+)
New Customers Only, Gamble Responsibly

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2nd

200% up to $1000
(T&Cs apply, 18+)
New Customers Only, Gamble Responsibly

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3rd

up to $6000
(T&Cs apply, 18+)
New Customers Only, Gamble Responsibly

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4th

300% up to $500
(T&Cs apply, 18+)
New Customers Only, Gamble Responsibly

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5th

150% up to $10,000
(T&Cs apply, 18+)
New Customers Only, Gamble Responsibly

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6th

150% up to $3000
(T&Cs apply, 18+)
New Customers Only, Gamble Responsibly

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7th

150% up to $3000
(T&Cs apply, 18+)
New Customers Only, Gamble Responsibly

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8th

Deposit $20 , Get up to $8888
(T&Cs apply, 18+)
New Customers Only, Gamble Responsibly

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9th

up to $5500
(T&Cs apply, 18+)
New Customers Only, Gamble Responsibly

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10th

100% up to $500
(T&Cs apply, 18+)
New Customers Only, Gamble Responsibly

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11th

200% up to $1000
(T&Cs apply, 18+)
New Customers Only, Gamble Responsibly

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100% up to $5000
(T&Cs apply, 18+)
New Customers Only, Gamble Responsibly

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13th

100% up to $777
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14th

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15th

1000% up to $4000
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300% Match up to $3000
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New Customers Only, Gamble Responsibly

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The game is played using anywhere between 4 to 8 decks usually; standard form is to use 8 decks. The game is usually available as a single-hand game and also, a lot of times especially at online casinos, a multi-hand game. The main game remains the same in terms of the card values and rules.

  • Cards 2 to 10 are valued at face.
  • The J, Q, and K are valued at 10 points each.
  • The Ace has 2 values – 1 or 11; the player can choose the value he wants to use depending on his hand.

Perfect Pairs Blackjack Rules

The game itself is the same as the standard blackjack game that is available at land-based, online, and mobile casinos across the world. The difference is in the Perfect Pairs Blackjack side bet itself. We list out below for you the major rules pertaining to the Perfect Pairs Blackjack side bet.

  • The player wins the side bet if his original hand (the first 2 cards that are dealt) form a pair.
  • The payout is higher if the player has a perfect pair – 2 identical cards of the same color and suit.
  • The payout is slightly lower if the player has a pair that has 2 identical cards of same color but different suits
  • The payout is the least if the player has a pair that has 2 identical cards of different colors and suits.
  • The Perfect Pairs Blackjack side bet can be placed only along with the main wager. Players cannot play a game with only the side bet, thereby making it an independent game.

Playing Perfect Pairs Blackjack

Playing Perfect Pairs Blackjack is simple and easy.

  • The player places the original blackjack wager by placing the relevant chips on the table.
  • If the player opts to play just one hand, he will place the bet on the slot for the hand he want to play.
  • If he opts to play multiple hands, he places the bets on all the hands being played.
  • Next, the player has the option of placing the Perfect Pairs Blackjack side bet.
  • The player places the chips on the slot for the hand for which he wants to place the bet.
  • Players can place the Perfect Pairs Blackjack side bet on multiple hands as well.
  • Once the bets are placed the cards are dealt.
  • The player gets 2 cards face up, while the dealer gets one card face up and the second one face down.
  • The player makes his move based on the hand he has:
    • Hit: Pick additional cards to strengthen the hand without busting it.
    • Stand: Do not pick any more cards as the hand is strong enough.
    • Double down: Double the initial wager and pick an additional card; then stand.
    • Split: Split a hand of 2 identical-value cards into 2 separate hands.
      • Each hand is played individually.
      • A pair in a split hand does not count for an additional spike in the Perfect Pairs Blackjack side bet; that bet is only for the original hand.
      • Re-splitting is not allowed.
  • The Surrender option is not available.
  • If the dealer’s first card is an Ace, the Insurance bet option is available.
  • Once the player has completed his hand, the dealer makes his move by hitting or standing.
  • The hand with the bigger value wins the game.
  • Any original hand with a pair wins the Perfect Pairs Blackjack side bet along with the regular hand wins.

Pay Tables for Perfect Pairs Blackjack

The following pay tables outline the payouts and other related information for Perfect Pairs Blackjack.All these pay tables are for 8-deck Perfect Pairs Blackjack.

 Table 1

Hand Payout Possible Combinations Probability Returns
Perfect Pair 25 to 1 1456 0.016867 0.421687
Colored Pair 12 to 1 1664 0.019277 0.231325
Non-color Pair 6 to 1 3328 0.038554 0.231325
No Pairs -1 79872 0.925301 -0.925301
Total 86320 1.000000 -0.040964

Table 2

Hand Payout Possible Combinations Probability Returns
Perfect Pair 30 to 1 1456 0.016867 0.506024
Colored Pair 10 to 1 1664 0.019277 0.192771
Non-color Pair 5 to 1 3328 0.038554 0.192771
No Pairs -1 79872 0.925301 -0.925301
Total 86320 1.000000 -0.033735

Table 3

Hand Payout Possible Combinations Probability Returns
Perfect Pair 25 to 1 1456 0.016867 0.421687
Colored Pair 12 to 1 1664 0.019277 0.231325
Non-color Pair 5 to 1 3328 0.038554 0.192771
No Pairs -1 79872 0.925301 -0.925301
Total 86320 1.000000 -0.079518

The following table lists out the payouts for the progressive jackpot for Double Twist Blackjack. This is, as mentioned earlier, subject to the availability of the jackpot with the game and depends on the casino.

Table 4

Hand Payout Possible Combinations Probability Returns
Perfect Pair 25 to 1 1456 0.016867 0.421687
Colored Pair 15 to 1 1664 0.019277 0.289157
Non-color Pair 5 to 1 3328 0.038554 0.192771
No Pairs -1 79872 0.925301 -0.925301
Total 86320 1.000000 -0.021687

So what would be the expected returns based on the values from the above tables? We list these for you in the table below.

Expected Returns for Perfect Pairs Blackjack

Number of Decks Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Table 4
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

Strategy in Perfect Pairs Blackjack

Perfect Pairs Blackjack, at the end of it all, is a side bet. That is why there is not much you can do in terms of strategy when you opt to play the game with this side bet. Probability has as much of a role to play in determining whether you win the side bet as luck.

The house edge on Perfect Pairs Blackjack is higher than the regular game because of the above dependency on luck. It could range from anywhere between 2% to 8%. That number is significantly higher than the house edge for a standard blackjack game.

You may not want to opt for this bet if you are just looking for the maximum odds per game. However, the payout is also much higher than the regular winning hand in blackjack, as you can see from the pay tables above, so it may be something you would want to consider.