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Perfect Pairs
Introduction
I've come across two variations of a side bet identified as Perfect Pair or Perfect Pairs, which I will categorize into version 1 and version 2.
Version 1
The first variation, known as Perfect Pairs, can be found in casinos located in Australia, Macau, and London. It offers payouts when the player's first two cards form a pair. The details of this can be found in the accompanying table. A 'perfect pair' refers to two matching cards (for instance, two ace of spades), while a 'colored pair' consists of two cards that share the same rank and color (like the ace of spades and the ace of clubs). I am aware of four distinct payout tables, designated as A to D below, which illustrate the odds for each table.
Online casinos utilize live dealer studios for interactive gaming experiences. Evolution Gaming the following pay table.
Pay Table A — 8 decks
Hand | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
---|---|---|---|---|
Perfect pair | 25 | 1456 | 0.016867 | 0.421687 |
Colored pair | 12 | 1664 | 0.019277 | 0.231325 |
Red/black pair | 6 | 3328 | 0.038554 | 0.231325 |
Non-pair | -1 | 79872 | 0.925301 | -0.925301 |
Total | 86320 | 1 | -0.040964 |
Pay Table B — 8 decks
Hand | Pays | Combintions | Probability | Return |
---|---|---|---|---|
Perfect pair | 30 | 1456 | 0.016867 | 0.506024 |
Colored pair | 10 | 1664 | 0.019277 | 0.192771 |
Red/black pair | 5 | 3328 | 0.038554 | 0.192771 |
Non-pair | -1 | 79872 | 0.925301 | -0.925301 |
Total | 86320 | 1 | -0.033735 |
Pay Table C — 8 decks
Hand | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
---|---|---|---|---|
Perfect pair | 25 | 1456 | 0.016867 | 0.421687 |
Colored pair | 12 | 1664 | 0.019277 | 0.231325 |
Red/black pair | 5 | 3328 | 0.038554 | 0.192771 |
Non-pair | -1 | 79872 | 0.925301 | -0.925301 |
Total | 86320 | 1 | -0.079518 |
Pay Table D — 8 decks
Hand | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
---|---|---|---|---|
Perfect pair | 25 | 1456 | 0.016867 | 0.421687 |
Colored pair | 15 | 1664 | 0.019277 | 0.289157 |
Red/black pair | 5 | 3328 | 0.038554 | 0.192771 |
Non-pair | -1 | 79872 | 0.925301 | -0.925301 |
Total | 86320 | 1 | -0.021687 |
The following table presents the expected returns based on the type of payout table, taking into account the number of decks involved.
Perfect Pairs Expected Returns
Decks | Pay Table A | Pay Table B | Pay Table C | Pay Table D |
---|---|---|---|---|
2 | -0.223301 | -0.252427 | -0.262136 | -0.203883 |
4 | -0.101449 | -0.106280 | -0.140097 | -0.082126 |
5 | -0.077220 | -0.077220 | -0.115830 | -0.057915 |
6 | -0.061093 | -0.057878 | -0.099678 | -0.041801 |
8 | -0.040964 | -0.033735 | -0.079518 | -0.021687 |
Version 2
The second variation is referred to as Perfect Pair. It is available at online casinos featuring live dealer technology. Evolution Gaming Despite its singular name, this version pays out for one or two Perfect Pairs, where a Perfect Pair consists of the player's or dealer's first two cards matching in both rank and suit.
Evolution employs eight decks for their blackjack games, so the return table is calculated based on that number. The bottom right cell indicates a house edge of 8.05%.
Version 2 — 8 Decks
Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
---|---|---|---|---|
Two perfect pairs | 200 | 2,101,008 | 0.000285 | 0.056941 |
One perfect pair | 25 | 244,747,776 | 0.033166 | 0.829138 |
Zero perfect pairs | -1 | 7,132,734,336 | 0.966550 | -0.966550 |
Total | 7,379,583,120 | 1.000000 | -0.080470 |
Next, you will find the house edge for 2, 4, 6, and 8 deck scenarios.
Version 2 House Edge
Decks | House Edge |
---|---|
2 | 48.08% |
4 | 21.50% |
6 | 12.54% |
8 | 8.05% |
There’s another iteration of version 2 which offers 25 to 1 for hitting one or two Perfect Pairs. The house edge for this version, assuming eight decks, stands at 13.03%. This side bet is also present in baccarat, where I have found a separate page for it.