Blackjack variations can present some exciting playing options both for online blackjack and for blackjack played in brick-and-mortar casinos. These variations can range from full-on changes in the game, such as Pontoon (a UK version of blackjack) and Spanish 21, to additions to the game, such as Streak and Perfect Pairs.
While blackjack variations that have full-on changes are not too bad—they are usually culturally different in slight ways, the variations with additions are problems in disguise.
Additions will usually come in the form of side bets. Side bets add an extra thrill to the game because it is not only about winning the round of blackjack, it is now also about winning the extra bet.
Unfortunately, these side bets are bad for your bankroll.
Side bets in blackjack variations are another way for online casinos and brick and mortar casinos to squeeze some more money out of players.
Streak, for example, is a side bet in which players make a separate wager on how many rounds of blackjack they will win in a row. If they do win that many rounds in a row, they will collect on the side bet. If they lose a round before reaching the number they wagered on they will lose their wager. The streak side bet carries an edge of 9.7% up to 14.3% depending on how many rounds in a row you are wagering.
Another variation found mixed in with online blackjack and casino blackjack is Perfect Pairs. In this variation of blackjack, the game itself is played the same as a regular game but offers players a side bet. The side bet is based on whether the player will be dealt a pair in their first two cards.
This side bet is independent of the game itself, meaning that it does not matter if the dealer won or not. The side bet, the point of this variation, is on whether or not those first two cards will be a pair. If they are the player collects on the side wager, otherwise the casino merely collects it.
Because additive variations are meant to take more money from players it is best to avoid variations of blackjack when you encounter them online or in a casino.