What is 21+3 Blackjack? A guide.

So, what is 21+3? Besides 24, of course… In short, 21+3 Blackjack is simply a side bet that you can place alongside your main bet in Blackjack games. Based on three-card poker hand rankings, 21+3 Blackjack bets can potentially lead to much larger wins than a normal Blackjack hand.

About the 21+3 Side Bet

You will find 21+3 Blackjack offered at a variety of online Blackjack tables, but most commonly in a game of standard Blackjack with six to eight decks.

With the 21+3 side bet, you will still play your main Blackjack hand and aim to reach 21, but you will also look to make a Three Card Poker hand from your hole cards and the dealer’s up card. This is from where we derive the name of the bet: 21 plus three Blackjack.

How to play 21+3 Blackjack

If the 21+3 Blackjack side bet is available at your table, you will place your bet in a separate area of the box next to each of the hands you are being dealt. You’ll usually be able to see the 21+3 symbol or logo indicating the bet.

Once all bets have been placed the hand is dealt as normal. Your hole cards and the dealers up card (their one visible card) will combine to make a Three Card Poker hand. If no hand is made then your bet is lost, but if you are successful in making a poker hand from these three cards then you will win the side bet. This will be paid out and then the Blackjack hand will continue as normal.

21+3 Blackjack Hand Rankings

The Three Card Poker hand rankings in 21+3 Blackjack are, from best to worst:

• Suited Three of a Kind: three cards of the same rank and suit.
• Straight flush: three sequential cards of the same suit.
• Three of a Kind: three cards of the same rank and any suits.
• Straight: three sequential cards, e.g., 9-8-7, of any suits.
• Flush: three cards of the same suit in any order.

21+3 Blackjack Payouts

What makes this side bet so appealing to Blackjack players is the potential winnings. While in an ordinary Blackjack game the best return you can hope for is 3/2 on your bet for a natural Blackjack, the 21+3 Blackjack side bet can offer payouts of up to 100x your stake.

As you might expect, the better your 21+3 Blackjack hand, the higher the payout. The 21+3 Blackjack hands pay out the following winnings:

• Flush: 5/1
• Straight: 10/1
• Three of a Kind: 30/1
• Straight Flush: 40/1
• Suited Three of a Kind: 100/1