Perfect Pairs™ is a powerful and very popular side bet for blackjack, blackjack derivatives such as pontoon. Perfect Pairs is also played on mini baccarat and baccarat.
The concept of Perfect Pairs could not be much simpler. Get any pair on your first two cards to win. A Perfect Pairs bet wins if the 1st two cards dealt to a blackjack hand are a pair and it loses if they are not a pair. For mini baccarat and baccarat, a Perfect Pairs bet can be made on either the Players’ hand, the Banker’s hand or both.
There are 3 different types of pairs:- a “Mixed Pair”, a “Coloured Pair” and a “Perfect Pair” and the payout odds vary accordingly.
A Perfect Pairs bet is made prior to the initial deal of cards and must be supported by a regular blackjack bet on the same betting box.
Historically, Perfect Pairs has been shown to increase game turnover and generate interest and excitement for players at all levels.
Perfect Pairs is already a proven success story. It is a non-volatile bet that is both fast and easy to play. It has great player appeal and significantly boosts game turnover without affecting playing strategy.
POINTS OF INTEREST
♦ Perfect Pairs is a simple bet that is very easy to explain and understand.
♦ Perfect Pairs is definitely not a novelty bet. It is enjoyed by players at all levels from low level action players right through to VIP high roller players.
♦ All Perfect Pairs wagers are decided and acted on by the dealer at the completion of the initial deal and consequently the player’s blackjack playing strategy is totally unaffected.
♦ Perfect Pairs is not susceptible to card counting.
♦ Perfect Pairs is a very appealing bet to the players due to-
i) the high frequency win rate, and
ii) the attractive payout odds.
♦ Perfect Pairs does not expose the casino operator to volatile high payout odds or jackpots that are offered on some other side bets.
♦ The player is not limited to a flat $1 wager and can bet up to the maximum bet for Perfect Pairs on each box that the player has placed a blackjack wager. This allows the potential for a much higher game turnover than a side bet that is limited to a $1 flat bet.
♦ Perfect Pairs generates genuine excitement amongst the players. It offers much higher payout odds than are on the main blackjack game. It complements and adds a new dimension to blackjack that is long overdue.
PAIR TYPES
A pair is defined as being “2 cards with the same face value”. The actual face value of the 2 cards making up the pair has no relevance. In other words it makes no difference to the worth and payout odds of a pair whether it is a pair of aces, two’s, three’3 etc.
There are 3 types of pairs and the distinction between the 3 pair types is solely due to the suits of the 2 cards that make up the pair.
The 3 different pair types are defined as follows-
Mixed Pair
A pair that is comprised of 1 red suited card and 1 black suited card.
Example- 3♣ 3♥
A pair that is comprised of 2 cards that are different suits, with both cards being either red suited cards or both cards being black suited cards..
Example- 6♠ 6♣
An identical pair.
Example- 8♥ 8♥
PAYOUT ODDS
Payout odds for Perfect Pairs vary in some casinos mainly due to the number of decks of cards that are being used. The most popular payout odds for 6 and 8 deck games are as follows.
PAIR TYPE ODDS
Mixed Pair 6 to 1
Coloured Pair 12 to 1
Perfect Pair 25 to 1
Most other side bets have a big jackpot or offer high payout odds for a big prize that is very rarely won by a player. They restrict the player to a flat $1 bet which in turn limits turnover to a few dollars maximum per round of play. Perfect Pairs breaks this mould completely and allows players the opportunity to have some serious play on a side bet that has a high frequency win rate at good odds and this is exactly what many players want.
Perfect Pairs is definitely not just a novelty bet that is only played on low limit tables. Perfect Pairs operates in every casino and on over 90 % of all the blackjack tables in Australia. This includes the high action tables in the VIP rooms where it generates some big turnover.
Perfect Pairs is fast becoming a popular side bet for mini baccarat and baccarat. It works the same as on blackjack except the player can bet on Perfect Pairs on either the PLAYER’S hand or the BANKER’S hand or both the PLAYER’S hand and the BANKER’S hand. The result is determined exactly the same as in blackjack on the first 2 cards dealt to the hand.
Note, the deck for mini baccarat and baccarat needs to be cut similar to blackjack. At least 25% of the deck is left unplayed after the cut card emerges during the course of the shoe.
