How to Play Sonya Blackjack at Online Casinos
While most people love playing standard blackjack games, some players want a little something extra in their blackjack. If you’re one of those players, then you should check out Sonya Blackjack. It is the latest blackjack game from Yggdrasil and offers multiple side bets that can help you win big. Let’s take a closer look at this game.
What is Sonya Blackjack
Sonya Blackjack is a new blackjack variant now spread at all Australian online casinos offering Yggdrasil gaming. The game is your standard game of blackjack with a couple of side bets. For the main game, Sonya Blackjack pays 3:2 on blackjack and uses a 6-deck shoe. The dealer must stand on 17 and Insurance is offered at 2:1. This is a single-hand game.
The big draw for this game is the two side bets you can play. First, there are perfect pairs. By making a bet on perfect pairs, you’re betting that your first two cards will be a pair. This side bet plays regardless of the result in the hand. If you make a pair, you will be paid according to the following paytable:
- Standard Pair – 6:1
- Colored Pair (Two of the same color) – 12:1
- Perfect Pair (Pair of the same suit) – 25:1
The other side bet you can make is 21+3. For this bet, you are betting on the hand created by your first two cards and the dealer’s up card. This bet also pays regardless of the outcome of the hand. Here are the hands that pay for this side bet:
- Flush – 5 to 1
- Straight – 10 to 1
- 3 of a Kind – 25 to 1
- Straight Flush – 40 to 1
- Suited Trips – 100 to 1
If you plan to play side bets, you must make your bets before you receive cards. Otherwise, you will only be able to play the standard hand.
Game Strategy
Our default position for most online casino games is that you should avoid side bets. That’s because they have an insane house edge compared to standard blackjack. However, we realize that most people are coming to this game because they want the side bet action.
As such, you have to decide which side bet strategy works for you. Instead of playing both side bets on each hand, it will be more profitable to pick one or the other. That’s because winning one bet will almost guarantee a loss for the other.
If you win the Perfect Pairs side bet, you will realistically only be able to make 3 of a Kind or Suited Trips for the 21+3 bet. The same two hands are the only ones that will win for the Perfect Pairs bet.
As such, you will be better off playing the 21+3 side bet. The overall prize potential is greater and the variance is a bit lower. That’s because you will hit flushes and straights more often than any other hand on the paytable.
From here, you should decide how much you want to risk for your side bets. To reduce variance, you should play a percentage of your main bet as your side bet. For example, if you bet $5 per hand, you may want to bet $1 for your side bet.
If you prefer a high risk / high reward strategy, you could opt to bet 2x your main bet for your side bet. For example, a $5 main bet and a $10 side bet. You’ll only break even when you win the main game and lose the side bet, but when you win the side bet, you’ll win a lot more.