Perfect Pairs (Blackjack) | Bovada
Play Perfect Pairs and enjoy the classic fun of Blackjack, with an added bonus option for players who wish to seek some extra excitement.
Perfect Pairs is an online casino game based on a standard Blackjack game, played with six 52-card decks, in which players play against the dealer.
As an added feature, players have the opportunity to win bonus money based on their opening hand by placing a Perfect Pairs bet.
How To Play Perfect Pairs Blackjack
Rules
- Perfect Pairs is played using six decks, which are reshuffled after each hand.
- Dealer will hit on a soft 17.
- The player may split up to three hands.
- The player may surrender any first two cards.
- Split aces receive only one card.
- No re-splitting of aces.
- A split ace and a ten-value card is not a Blackjack.
- The player wins when they hold a score of 21 or less but greater than the dealer’s final total or the player achieves a score of 21 or less when the dealer’s final score exceeds 21.
Card Values
- Cards 2 to 10 have face value.
- Jacks, queens, and kings are worth 10.
- Aces have a value of 1 or 11.
Betting
- To place a bet you must first select your desired betting area. Then, click on chips to place them in the selected area.
- Additional clicks on the chip interface will add to your wager.
- To remove a bet from play, click on the chip in the betting circle.
- Minimum amount to bet is $1 while the maximum is $500.
Payouts
- An ace and any ten-value card together on the initial deal is called a Blackjack. Blackjack pays 3 to 2, providing that the dealer does not also have Blackjack.
- A player and dealer Blackjack on the same hand results in a tie, known as a push.
- Any other winning hand is paid 1 to 1.
- Insurance pays 2 to 1.
- Any winning score of 21 after a split is paid 1 to 1.
- Any mixed Perfect Pair bonus bet gets a 6 to 1 payout.
- A Perfect Pair bonus bet with the same colors receives a 12 to 1 payout.
- A Perfect Pair bonus bet receives a 25 to 1 payout.
Buttons
- Deal – Starts the game after the player has placed their bet.
- Hit – Clicked when the player wants to be dealt another card. The player can hit as many times as they like unless the total of their cards equals or exceeds 21.
- Stand – Clicked when the player wants to keep the hand that has been dealt to them. This automatically happens if the player hits 21 or Doubles Down.
- Double – After being dealt the first two cards, the player can decide to Double Down. The bet on the hand is doubled and one additional card is dealt to the player.
- Split – When the player’s first two cards match, they can opt to Split them into two separate hands. The player can Split twice and play up to three hands at one time. When the player Splits two aces, only one additional card can be dealt for each hand. Aces can only be Split once. It’s important to note that a hand total of 21 after Splitting aces is considered 21, not Blackjack.
- Surrender – If the player opts to Surrender their hand, they get 50% of their bet back. The other half goes to the house.
- Rebet – After having finished playing a hand, the player can click Rebet to wager the previous amount again.
- Insurance – If the dealer is showing an ace as their face-up card, the player may place a supplemental bet called Insurance. A wager of exactly half of the original bet is placed on the table. If the dealer has Blackjack, the player receives an Insurance payout of 2:1. If the dealer does not have Blackjack, the player loses the Insurance bet and their initial bet is then settled by comparing their cards with the dealer’s. If the dealer and the player both have Blackjack, the game is considered a push and the player gets even money – the amount won by taking Insurance.
Glossary
- Bust – When either the dealer’s or the player’s cards equal more than 21.
- Bust Card – The individual card that brings a hand’s total to over 21.
- Hole Card – The dealer card that remains face-down until the player’s hands have been resolved.
- Paint – Any face card, such as a king or queen.
- Push – When the total of both hands are the same and fall between 17 and 21, neither hand wins.
- Soft Hand – Any hand in which an ace is counted as an 11.
- Stand – Choosing to receive no more cards from the dealer.
- Stiff – A hard hand total between 12 and 16.
Pairs Side Bet
When playing Live Dealer Blackjack in our casino, you get access to the Pairs side bet. This is a fairly common side bet, also known as Pair Play, that pays 11:1 if your initial two-card hand is a pair, say for example, two Jacks. The suits don’t affect the outcome. You’ll see a more complex Pairs side bet available in our Perfect Pairs blackjack game.
So what are the odds of landing a pair right off the bat? With six decks, there are 312 cards. To account for the first card dealt to you, deduct 1 from 312 (311). Out of the 311 cards still in the deck, 23 are capable of completing your pair. That means the odds of your second card creating a pair is 23 in 312, or 7.37%. Combined with the payout, that makes for a meaty house edge of 11.25% when playing with six decks. With this side bet, the more decks in the shoe, the lower the house edge.
