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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.