Let’s face it — everyone has a different set of goals when it comes to the perfect casino play. For some people, their ultimate casino game is definitely blackjack and nothing but blackjack. However, when you know that you will want a little bit more from your blackjack game than just the standard play, you will need to look into placing side bets.

Some players are strongly against side bets, because they feel that it’s something that will not let them really get anything done in the long run. For starters, the side bet system is strongly in the house’s favor, giving you less ability to preserve your bankroll. Serious blackjack players tend to avoid playing blackjack if they have to place side bets. Thankfully, side bets aren’t required.

Can you manage side bets in the world of blackjack? Of course you can — it’s just a matter of learning how, and sticking to a set system. The nice part about blackjack is that once you learn as certain strategy or pattern, you don’t really have to change it. No matter what casino you walk into, blackjack is generally always blackjack. This gives you the ability to refine your strategy over time and not worry about whether or not your plans will actually hold up over time.

In a nutshell, there are just a few things that you will need to do in order to make sure that you’re handling side bets in blackjack appropriately.

First, you will want to think about taking the side bet that has the smaller house advantage possible. While it’s true that side bets are notoriously weighted in the house’s favor, there are some variations that aren’t as bad as others. If you don’t see the house advantage percentage listed, you should look for a community where you can ask this question openly.

Is there ever a time where you will actually want to pursue side bets? Certainly. If you’re trying to count cards openly, you can use the side bet system to keep your intentions hidden from other players online, as well as the computer dealer. Some sites employ anti-card counting mechanisms, and changing up your pattern can throw those patterns off. It just depends on the site, as well as what strategy you’re using to card counts in the first place.

Overall, if you’re really set on doing side bets, it’s best to proceed with caution — you don’t want to run out of your bankroll too fast, right?