Royal Match is an optional side bet in a standard live dealer blackjack game. You will find the Royal Match side bet in several blackjack variants. 

This side bet is offered before the round begins and is entirely independent of the main game. This means you can win a round and lose a side bet or win a side bet but lose a round.

Read on to learn more about the Royal Match blackjack side bet and how to profit from it effectively. 

What Is a Side Bet in Blackjack?

There are several common blackjack side bets that you may have already come across, including Perfect Pairs, 21+3, insurance, and Over/Under 13. Another one you may have seen is the Royal Match side bet, also known as the Royal Match 21 side bet. 

Blackjack side bets are additional bets placed during a standard game. These bets involve predicting which cards the player and sometimes the dealer will receive.

Many side bets have fixed odds, usually offering greater payouts than the simple +200 rewarded for beating the dealer.

The Royal Match Side Bet Rules

Royal Match is based on the first two cards dealt to the player. The rules of this side bet are quite simple. If the player’s first two cards are suited, such as a queen and five of hearts, the player is paid five to two. If the player has a Royal Match (a suited king and queen), the bet pays +2500. 

It’s important to note that the outcome of the main blackjack hand doesn’t affect this side bet. The payout is made immediately after the first two cards are dealt, irrespective of how the rest of the hand plays out.

This side bet is mostly for blackjack games with six decks of cards. Regular blackjack rules, like whether the dealer hits on a soft 17 and players can double down or double down after splitting, are still in place.

Odds and Potential Payouts

The Royal Match side bet in blackjack typically offers three ways for players to win. You can get two cards of the same suit, a Royal Match with a king and queen of the same suit, or a Crown Treasure.

The payouts vary accordingly:

Royal Match (king and queen suited) = +2500

Two cards suited (easy match) = +250

Crown Treasure (player and dealer get king and queen suited) = $1,000

No match = ‒1

Crown Treasure

A Crown Treasure occurs when both the player and the dealer get a Royal Match. This means both have a king and queen of the same suit, which is exceptionally rare but is covered by the Royal Match side bet. The payout for this scarce event is the highest, at $1,000.

In some online casinos, there is a version of the Royal Match side bet that pays a progressive jackpot for a Crown Treasure. In such a game, the blackjack payout for a Crown Treasure can reach as high as $10,000.

Casino Advantage

The more decks in play on a Royal Match bet, surprisingly, the better the odds are for the player. If you’re playing on a six-deck shoe game, the casino advantage is 6.67%. The house edge is slightly lower at 6.46% on an eight-deck game. 

For the player, things get progressively worse the fewer decks there are in the game. For four decks, the house advantage is 7.08%; for two decks, it climbs to 8.33% and then to a whopping 10.86% on a single-deck game. 

One exception is a pay table occasionally seen on some single-deck blackjack games, where a non-royal match pays +400, and a Royal Match pays +1000. The house edge with these rules is 3.77%.

Maximizing Your Chances of a Royal Match

To maximize your chances of hitting a Royal Match, first and foremost, it’s important to understand fundamental blackjack strategy. This means knowing when to hit, stand, split pairs, and so on. 

By playing smart and making strategic decisions, you’ll be putting yourself in the best position possible to hit a Royal Match when the opportunity arises.

Another key factor to consider is the specific rules and regulations at each casino or when you play casino games online. Different locations may have slightly different payout odds or other side bets that can impact your overall odds of hitting a Royal Match. 

Royal Treatment at Borgata Online

By doing some research ahead of time and finding out which casinos offer the best odds for Royal Match side bets in blackjack, you can give yourself an edge over the competition. Register with Borgata Online for Royal Match 21 blackjack and other online casino games.