How to Play Live Free Bet Blackjack
Never again face the dicey decision about whether to double down on that nine or split those fours. In Live Free Bet Blackjack, you can split or double down selected hands for free.
Live Free Bet Blackjack otherwise plays out almost identically to regular Live Blackjack. Check out our Live Blackjack rules page for more information on how to play Live Blackjack.
Live Free Bet Blackjack – Basic Rules
Before the hand begins, you must place your bet. Additionally, you can place one to four optional Side Bets: Any Pair, 21+3, HOT 3 and Bust It. These are detailed below.
As with regular Live Blackjack, the Live Dealer will shuffle eight 52-card decks together before dealing a pair of cards to the player face-up and a pair of cards to themselves, one face-up and one face-down.
The game then plays out the same as a regular Live Blackjack hand, but with the ability to place free Double Down or Split bets on selected hands. For more information on these bets and Blackjack play, see our Live Blackjack rules page.
Note that in Live Free Bet Blackjack, the dealer must stand on 17, including a soft 17, and a dealer hand of 22 will result in a push.
The ‘Six Card Charlie’ rule also applies in Live Free Bet Blackjack. Should your hand consist of six cards totaling 21 or less, you automatically win the main bet. The value of the dealer’s hand does not impact this.
The Free Bets in Live Free Bet Blackjack
If your first two cards total 9, 10 or 11 then you will have the option to take a ‘Free Double’ which plays the same as a regular Double Down bet in Blackjack, doubling the wager in exchange for one further card. However, this additional bet is free.
If you are dealt a pair of equally-ranked cards for your initial hand, then you have the option to take a ‘Free Split’ which also plays the same as a regular Blackjack split. Free Splits are available on all pairs except 10s. No doubling is allowed after splitting a hand.
Live Free Bet Blackjack – Side Bets
In Live Free Bet Blackjack, you have the option to make one or more Side Bets with each hand. These must be placed alongside your main bet before any cards are dealt.
The Any Pair side bet will pay out if players are dealt a pair of equally-ranked cards for their initial hand according to the following payout table:
| Bet | Odds |
|---|---|
| Suited pair | 25:1 |
| Any pair | 8:1 |
The theoretical return to player (RTP) for the Any Pair side bet is 95.90%.
The 21+3 side bet will pay out based on the player’s first two cards and the dealer’s upcard forming a three-card poker hand, according to the following payout table:
| Bet | Odds |
|---|---|
| Suited Three-of-a-Kind | 100:1 |
| Straight Flush | 40:1 |
| Three-of-a-Kind | 30:1 |
| Straight | 10:1 |
| Flush | 5:1 |
The theoretical return to player (RTP) for the 21+3 side bet is 96.30%.
The HOT 3 side bet will pay out based on the total of their first two cards and the dealer’s upcard, according to the following payout table:
| Bet | Odds |
|---|---|
| Hand 7-7-7 (three sevens) | 100:1 |
| Total hand value 21, suited | 20:1 |
| Total hand value 21 | 4:1 |
| Total hand value 20, suited | 2:1 |
| Total hand value 19, suited | 1:1 (evens) |
The theoretical return to player (RTP) for the HOT 3 side bet is 94.60%.
The Bust It side bet will pay out if the total value of the dealer’s hand exceeds 21, according to the following payout table:
| Bet | Odds |
|---|---|
| Dealer busts with 8+ cards | 250:1 |
| Dealer busts with 7 cards | 100:1 |
| Dealer busts with 6 cards | 50:1 |
| Dealer busts with 5 cards | 9:1 |
| Dealer busts with 4 cards | 2:1 |
| Dealer busts with 3 cards | 1:1 (evens) |
The theoretical return to player (RTP) for the Bust It side bet is 94.12%.
The theoretical return to player (RTP) for Live Free Bet Blackjack is 98.45%.
How to Play Live Free Bet Blackjack
Live Free Bet Blackjack is available to play 24 hours a day. You can also play Live Free Bet Blackjack, plus other Live Casino games, on your iOS or Android phone and tablet. See here to find out more.
For more detailed information on how to play the game, visit our Live Blackjack Rules page.
See here for more about our regular Blackjack games.