One type of action that you can’t get in a regular casino that you can get online is progressive jackpot blackjack games. Even the best card counters in the world can’t hit a huge payoff in one hand, but some online blackjack games offer this. The added feature of hitting a big payout has made this action very popular, and some jackpots have been impressive to say the least. The change to the game is a minor one – the player just has an additional betting option where they enter their hand into the jackpot for the price of a dollar. The wager goes toward the jackpot and pays out depending on how many aces the player is dealt.
Progressive blackjack games pay out the following table with a one dollar progressive bet and a minimum $2 wager on the hand;
- 4 aces of the same suit wins 100% of the pot
- 4 aces of any suit wins 10% of the pot
- 3 aces same suit wins $2500
- 3 aces any suit $250
- 2 aces same suit $50
- 2 aces any suit $25
Whether the progressive bet is good or not depends on your bankroll. For low rollers the bet can be costly to play every time. If you normally bet $1 on each hand, adding the progressive bet doubles the wager, but the progressive bet is a big longshot. If you play at bigger stakes, then the one dollar progressive bet is a much smaller percentage in increase of your overall bet on the hand. When it only increases your regular bet by 10% or less, it’s a better bet to play.
This feature changes the decision-making process when deciding to hit for another card. It’s wise not to chase too many aces in the hopes of hitting the progressive payouts. Don’t jeopardize soft totals if they’re within basic strategy to win the hand, especially if you’re wagering more than $2 on the hand. Don’t jeopardize losing a smaller progressive payout if you could bust out and lose what you have with one card.