Blackjack Royal Pairs Guide

Blackjack is a staple at casinos and continues to be one of the most popular card games to play. One of the many blackjack variations is the iSoftBet Blackjack Royal Pairs, an interesting twist on the classic game, played with eight decks.

Blackjack Royal Pairs is similar to regular blackjack games in many ways, but there’s an interesting side bet that you can place in this game. This quick blackjack guide will explain everything you need to know about the Royal Pairs Blackjack, how to play it, and the basic rules to remember.

What is Blackjack Royal Pairs?

Blackjack Royal Pairs online is a popular variant that follows most of the regular rules. This means that if you already know how to play blackjack for real money, you’ll find the Blackjack Royal Pairs game very easy to play.

What’s unique about this game is the side bet that can be played in addition to your regular blackjack wager. This is a bet that the first two cards dealt to you by the dealer will be a pair. There are multiple types of card combinations that count as a pair. These include mixed pairs, unsuited pairs, suited pairs, and Aces (suited or unsuited). 

Blackjack Royal Pairs Rules

In this section, we’ll look closer at the Blackjack Royal Pairs rules that apply to the player and the dealer. If you’ve never played this version of blackjack before, it’s important to be aware of the unique game rules before you play Royal Pairs Blackjack games.

• The Blackjack Royal Pairs game is played with eight decks of cards.
• One hand can be played against the dealer.
• The cards are shuffled at the end of each round.
• The dealer doesn’t check for blackjack when they have an Ace or a ten value card.
• The dealer stands on a soft or hard 17.
• If the dealer’s face up card is an Ace, you’ll have the option to take insurance.
• Doubling down is allowed on any two initial cards.
• Splitting is allowed on any two cards with the same value, but re-splitting isn’t allowed.
• The Royal Pairs side bet can be placed at the start of the game before the cards are dealt.

How to Play Blackjack Royal Pairs?

Once you know the game’s basic rules, you can play Blackjack Royal Pairs like any regular European blackjack game. Here’s an easy step-by-step guide you can follow to play this game with the Royal Pairs side bet.

1. Open the Blackjack Royal Pairs game.
2. Place your wager on the table. Remember, every blackjack table has betting limits that indicate the minimum and maximum amount you can stake.
3. Before you click ‘deal’, place one or more chips on the circle labelled ‘Royal Pairs’ beside the regular betting area.
4. You can decide how much to wager on this bet (within the table’s limits).
5. Click the ‘deal’ button to start the game.
6. If your first two cards are a pair, you’ll win the Royal Pairs side bet.
7. Whether you win your side bet, the game should be played as usual by deciding whether to hit, stand, double, or split (if possible).
8. The best Blackjack Royal Pairs strategy is following a basic strategy chart to play your hand correctly.

Blackjack Royal Pairs Payouts

Blackjack Royal Pairs has the same paytable as most versions played at online casinos. This means that if you beat the dealer, you’ll win even money, while if you win with a natural blackjack (Ace and a ten value card) you’ll be rewarded with a 3:2 payout, equal to 1.5x your stake.

If you’ve also placed a Perfect Pairs wager, these are the payouts you can win for the following pairs:

• A pair of mixed face cards pays 5:1.
• A pair of the same face cards (unsuited) pays 10:1. If they’re suited, it pays 50:1.
• A pair of unsuited Aces pays 40:1.
• A pair of suited Aces is worth the highest payout of 150:1.

Remember, you won’t get a payout if you’ve made a Royal Pairs side bet but didn’t receive a pair as your first two cards. If a pair is formed when you take a third card, it doesn’t count according to the rules of this game.

The House Edge in Blackjack Royal Pairs

Like any side bet, the royal pairs bet has a much higher house edge than the regular blackjack wager. Any additional wager, like side bets, will increase the house edge, which means the odds aren’t favourable. Although the payouts you can win with this side bet are attractive and go as high as 150:1, the odds of winning them are very low.

To put it into perspective, this game has a house edge of around 0.60% without the Royal Pairs side bet. With the bet in place, the house edge goes up to 6.28%. The same goes for the insurance bet, another popular side bet which significantly increases the house edge.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Blackjack Royal Pairs

As you might have realised, this blackjack side bet offers advantages and disadvantages. Although the possible rewards are certainly high, the odds are certainly low. Let’s compare some other pros and cons of this blackjack game.

Frequently Asked Questions About Blackjack Royal Pairs