In this series of blog posts we’ve been looking at the different side bets that one might find in their favourite blackjack game. Today’s subject is one that’s becoming increasingly popular among both online and brick and mortar casinos, and it’s the Suit ‘Em Up blackjack side bet. What does this involve, you might ask? Simple - your first two cards will belong in the same hand. No fuss, no additional strategies to keep in mind just, just an addition that demands an extra bit of luck on your part. Ready to know more about the Suit ‘Em Up side bet? Then let’s get started with the show!
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The Suit ‘Em Up Side Bet Basics
In case you’re actually not familiar with the subject matter, the term “side bet” refers to any additional bets you place together with your main wager while playing blackjack. These side bets are based around different things that might happen as you play, and in the case of the Suit ‘Em Up this is on the first two cards you get from the dealer. Specifically, here you’re betting on these two cards being in the same suit. Since it depends on your first two cards this side bet doesn’t affect your game strategy, and the payout depends on the cards you get. As you might expect, getting a pair of aces of the same suit pays the most, followed by a suited blackjack, suited pair, suited 11, and finally any two suited cards.
Suit ‘Em Up Side Bet Rules
These are the basic rules you need to follow if you’re going to play blackjack with the Suit ‘Em Up side bet active:
- Check if your blackjack game offers this side bet. Many games list their side bets on their table layout, or have a dedicated side bet menu.
- Choose your side bet as you’re placing your main bet.
- The dealer hands out your first two cards face up.
- If both these two cards are in the same suit you’ll automatically receive your payout from the side bet according to the pay table.
Suit ‘Em Up Side Bet Payouts
Suit ‘Em Up Side Bet Payouts
In our research of casinos and online blackjack games offering the Suit ‘Em Up side bet we’ve seen two different pay tables. These are as follows:
Suit ‘Em Up Pay Table 1
|
Event |
Payout |
|
Suited Aces |
60:1 |
|
Suited Blackjack |
10:1 |
|
Suited Pair |
5:1 |
|
Suited 11 |
3:1 |
|
Any other suited |
2:1 |
Suit ‘Em Up Pay Table 2
|
Event |
Payout |
|
Suited Aces |
50:1 |
|
Suited Blackjack |
10:1 |
|
Suited Pair |
5:1 |
|
Suited 11 |
3:1 |
|
Any other suited |
2:1 |
As you can see from these two pay tables the only difference in payouts is in the case of a pair of suited aces. After all, one pays 50:1 and the other 60:1. Whether the chances of actually getting these two cards from the get go make this side bet worth placing is another matter entirely!
The House Edge of the Suit ‘Em Up Side Bet
The house edge refers to the cut the casino takes whenever you’re placing a bet. This is the way of the game, alas, where it is indeed the case that the house always wins. Blackjack is a game with a famously low house edge that’s less than 1%, and while this increases when it comes to side bets this is still relatively low when it comes to the Suit ‘Em Up.
Interestingly, the house edge of the Suit ‘Em Up depends on the number of decks in play. Namely the more decks the game uses, the lower the house edge. This makes sense when you think about it, since this side bet requires duplicates of the same cards in the same suit in order to actually work. You certainly cannot have the Suit ‘Em Up active if you’re playing with a single deck, and the odds are perhaps too high if you’re playing with two decks. So it’s just as well that blackjack is typically played with 6 or even 8 decks!
Now that we know all of this, what is the house edge? We’ve crunched the maths, and worked out that the house edge totals 3.41% if you’re playing with 6 decks and 2.67% if the game uses 8 decks. That is pretty low, especially when one considers that it reaches no less than 9.41% if you’re playing with just 2 decks.
Hope for Suited Cards with the Suit ‘Em Up!
Hope for Suited Cards with the Suit ‘Em Up!
The Suit ‘Em Up side bet adds a spot of excitement to any round of blackjack! It’s a simple affair that doesn’t require any changes in strategy or additional skill - simply hope that your first two cards will be of the same suit! As such it’s all about the luck of the draw, but then again we’ll be the first to admit that a lot of blackjack boils down to chance in the first place. This means that you should always play blackjack responsibly, regardless of whether you’re placing any additional side bets. Set a bankroll to play with and stick to it. Never chase your losses, and remember that there are no such things as hot or cold streaks. With all of this in mind you’ll be playing blackjack as intended, namely as a means to relax and have fun.
