What Is Perfect Pairs In Blackjack
- Appendices
- Miscellaneous
- External Links
Introduction
- Perfect Pairs Blackjack online or in a casino in Las Vegas is pretty the same. The game follows the standard blackjack game play. Just like in the main online blackjack, players get a pair of cards face up while the dealer has a pair with just one card exposed. What makes Perfect Pairs different is the additional side bets where players can get.
- In case the dealer hits a straight blackjack (the natural 21), then you get 2/1 on your Insurance bet. Perfect Pairs Payout and Probability Perfect Pair (e.g. Queen diamonds – Queen diamonds): cards that share the same suit and rank – 30/1 payout, 1.7% chance.
- Perfect Pairs Blackjack was invented by a professional blackjack dealer John Wicks who wanted to find the new bingo sites game with the big money action: thanks to its additional bet, Perfect Pairs is considered to be the exciting blackjack variation today which gives extra chances to increase your winning by making a side bet on a perfect pair. Its winning strategy exists as well.
Perfect Pairs Blackjack: This game is licensed by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC). In perfect pairs, the chance to make that additional bet also gives you an additional chance to win. After your initial hand, all you have to remember is that there are three types of pairs for you to receive. These are the mixed pairs, coloured pairs and perfect 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 |
Blackjack Betting Guide
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
What Is Perfect Pairs In Blackjack Games
| 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.
What Is Perfect Pairs In Blackjack Card Game
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 ShacklefordRules of Perfect Pair Blackjack
The perfect pair rules and statistics are simple but vary according to the changing pairs. Also, the payouts and thereby, the house edge varies depending on the online/brick and mortar casino you are playing blackjack in.
How to Do a Perfect Pair Side Bet
To play a Perfect Pair wager, players must bet in the designated side bet area on the blackjack table, before they are dealt the initial two cards. Normally, there are two separate betting areas for normal wagers and side wagers and the Perfect Pair side bet has to be placed in the side bet zone.
As for the Perfect Pairs bet amount, it should at least be the minimum wager of the table but does not need to match the amount of the regular bet. Some casinos can have specific rules regarding the bet amount such as the wager can be half of the table minimum but such instances are rare.
How to win a Perfect Pair Side Bet
To win a Perfect Pair side bet or increase the odds, players must follow the Perfect Pair strategy. First, it is crucial to understand how many cards are available in the deck after the initial two cards have been dealt to the players. Many online blackjack variations are played with just two decks of cards. In such games, the odds of the player hitting a Perfect Pair are typically better, promising a 30:1 payout too. The more decks, the lesser will be the probability.
If the player wants to risk a small stake, it is better to stick to the Mixed Pair bet. Also, when playing Perfect Pairs, knowing when to ‘hit’ and when to ‘stand’ by following the optimal blackjack strategy is crucial. For instance, it is ideal to split high pairs in online blackjack but not always feasible when the player is expecting an outcome of the side bet.
Qualified Hands, Payout Rate, Probability
There can be three variations of the Perfect Pair side bet and the odds vary depending on the pair. Typically, in an 8-deck game, the best odds are available on the Perfect Pair (two cards of the same value and same suit), and that is a 1.7% chance of being paid out 25:1. The same for a colored pair and mixed pair would be 1.9% and 3.9% respectively.
Blackjack Dealer Rules
The following table gives a clear idea of the hands and their respective payouts, combinations, probabilities, and returns with the Perfect pair side bet in a blackjack game with 8 decks of cards.