There are many blackjack enthusiasts who go to real or virtual casinos every day to test their skills with playing cards. Among these, however, there are few who know exactly the rules of the famous card game, which always reserve some nice surprises for less experienced players.

The main aim of the blackjack game is to get a higher score than the dealer without exceeding the limit of 21, but in addition to this game situation there are other card combinations that allow you to get a win regardless of the score obtained by the player .

These combinations are called secondary bets (or side bets) and make the game even more exciting; there are different types and remembering them all can be complicated, but gaining experience with the free software available on some online gaming platforms can be an excellent way to memorize all the possible side bets that can feed the player's coffers to the detriment of the dealer .

Among the most profitable side bets for blackjack players is what is defined as "21 3", which consists of the opportunity to bet on a combination of three which can give rise, just like in the game of poker , to a three of a kind, a straight, a combination of flush, a straight flush or a perfect set.

The cards to be taken into consideration for the realization of these combinations are the two cards in the player's hand plus the dealer's up card: if these three cards together constitute one of the above combinations, the player who has made a side bet gets the prize corresponding, which grows according to the difficulty of making the combination.

In particular, the hierarchy of the 21 3 combinations is as follows:

• color (which is obtained when the three cards taken into consideration belong to the same suit - pays 5 times the bet),
• straight (the three cards are in order of value but belong to different suits – pays 10 times the bet),
• three of a kind (three cards of the same value belonging to different suits - pays 30 times the bet),
• straight flush (three cards in order by value belonging to the same suit - pays 40 times the bet)
• perfect set (the situation in which the three cards are perfectly identical, both in rank and in suit – pays 100 times the bet).

It is not mandatory to use side bets in a hand of blackjack, according to many purists of the game it is preferable to stick to the basic rules without inserting further elements that can distract players from the main aim, but side bets become an option to take into consideration when you want to increase the chances of winning for the players.

Modern fans of the best online blackjack sites have learned to use innovative game strategies that integrate side bets and make the most of these bets, based on the card counting technique. In general, therefore, it can be said that the blackjack side bets guarantee a higher payout for the individual player and add a further element of unpredictability to the outcome of a game, but they can initially be set aside especially if you are dealing with players inexperienced.