Winner’s Option

We’ve all received a nice dose of blackjack side bets by now, but it’s important to know all the ones being offered currently, and how they stack up against each other if you’re going to try them, and intend to maximize your opportunity to profit from all aspects of the game.

So, with Winner’s Option (commonly found in Las Vegas), you’re basically given the option to not only play your own hand, but you can literally bet on the dealer’s hand separately. Now, one would immediately click on the light bulb above their heads (you have one, check) and plan to bet heavy on the dealer and tank their hand on purpose as a result. If only it were that easy, right? No, here, if you decide to bet on the dealer, you’re then bound to the same strict rules that the dealer adheres to, generally meaning you can’t double or split, and you have to hit to hard 17 or soft 18.

First rule, if both you and the dealer bust, you still lose half your side bet. So be careful on this one. As always, I’m including some basic odds and statistics to help you determine if it’s worth it for you to play.

From one to eight decks, there’s basically around a 4% negative return, or another words, the house edge is 4%. It increases as the decks decrease, maxing at 4.24% if you ever find this offered in a one-deck setting. In fact, the varying percentage change between the decks is so minute I’ll just list the average here, which is for a 4-deck game. The general odds on you winning the side bet is 41%. The odds of a push are about 9.5%. The odds that you’ll lose half (both bust) is about 8.2%, and the odds you’ll face a straight full loss are 41%.

So when would I recommend betting this? Well, if you’re the type of player that grinds out the odds at a single table for hours (or days), you’ll inevitably come across what’s commonly accepted as a cold run of cards. If you’re astute enough to recognize when this is happening, you can theoretically cut your losses during this time by betting the dealer more frequently – until the tide of the cards turns again. By doing this, you’re minimizing your losses while maintaining your assumed winnings, of course resulting in a greater purse at the end of your session.