# What is 21+3 in blackjack?

Canonical HTML: [What is 21+3 in blackjack?](https://howtocasino.uk/guides/what-is-21-plus-3-in-blackjack/)

Published: 2026-10-28
Updated: 2026-10-28
Publisher: HowToCasino
Language: en-GB
Topic: Blackjack

## The short answer

21+3 is a blackjack side bet that uses your first two cards and the dealer’s face-up card to form a three-card poker hand. It has a separate stake and paytable; it does not change the target of the main blackjack game to 24.

## Which cards count for 21+3?

Galaxy Gaming describes 21+3 as combining the player’s opening two cards with the dealer’s upcard. The three-card combination is evaluated for the side bet. It is not formed from three cards you choose later in the hand.

| Card | Included in the opening three-card combination? |
| --- | --- |
| Your first card | Yes |
| Your second card | Yes |
| Dealer’s face-up card | Yes |
| Dealer’s face-down card | No |
| A later hit card | Not part of the opening combination described here |

The name joins blackjack’s familiar 21 with a three-card poker side game. You are not trying to make the values add up to 24. Poker-style arrangements such as ranks and suits are assessed according to the particular paytable.

Sources:

- [21+3 product overview](https://www.galaxygaming.com/products/21-3) — Galaxy Gaming. Checked 2026-10-28.

## A simple example of the combination

Suppose your opening cards are the seven and eight of hearts and the dealer’s upcard is the nine of hearts. The three cards form a straight flush. Whether and how that category is paid is determined by the table’s own 21+3 schedule.

The blackjack hand and the three-card combination answer different questions. Your player hand initially contains the seven and eight, while the side game also looks at the dealer’s nine. The dealer’s card does not become a third card in your main blackjack total.

> **This is a rules example**
>
> The example is not a forecast of a hand or a claim that a particular operator offers a particular payout. It demonstrates how the three cards are selected.

## How do 21+3 payouts work?

Do not assume there is one universal 21+3 paytable. The supplier describes configurable products and an Xtreme version, so a payout found in a general article may refer to another schedule. Read the one attached to the table you are considering.

First check the qualifying categories. Then check whether the displayed number describes profit or total return. The following example uses an invented rate solely to explain that notation.

| Example wording on a £2 bet | Profit | Total returned if the bet qualifies |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5:1 profit, with stake returned | £10 | £12 |
| 5× total return, including stake | £8 | £10 |

Those are not interchangeable amounts. The actual help file should make clear how the stake is treated. Do not infer a return from a large multiplier without reading its definition.

Sources:

- [21+3 product overview](https://www.galaxygaming.com/products/21-3) — Galaxy Gaming. Checked 2026-10-28.

## Does 21+3 affect the main blackjack result?

The side wager is evaluated separately from the main hand. You can have a qualifying side-bet combination without winning the main blackjack bet, and a successful blackjack hand without a side-bet prize.

If you put £5 on the main hand and £1 on 21+3, the initial total stake is £6. Compare the combined money returned with all money staked. Our [blackjack side-bet guide](https://howtocasino.uk/guides/what-are-blackjack-side-bets/index.md) works through why one winning wager can still leave an overall loss.

## What should you check before placing 21+3?

1. Confirm the exact side-bet name and which cards it evaluates.
2. Read all qualifying combinations and the payout notation.
3. Check the permitted stake and the combined cost of the round.
4. Look for the relevant return information; do not borrow a house-edge figure from a different paytable.
5. Separate optional-bet conditions from dealer rules such as soft 17.

Understanding the combination does not make it due to appear. The [live-table format](https://howtocasino.uk/guides/what-is-live-casino/index.md) is also separate from the bet’s mathematics; a video stream does not improve the probability of the side wager.

Sources:

- [RTS 3: rules, game descriptions and likelihood of winning](https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/standards/remote-gambling-and-software-technical-standards/rts-3-rules-game-descriptions-and-the-likelihood-of-winning) — Gambling Commission. Checked 2026-10-28.

## Related questions

### Does 21+3 mean I need cards totalling 24?

No. It refers to a three-card poker-style wager alongside blackjack. The three cards are your first two cards and the dealer’s upcard, assessed under the side bet’s paytable.

### Does the dealer’s hidden card count?

Not in the opening combination described for 21+3. The supplier’s definition uses the dealer’s upcard. Check that the table is actually offering this product rather than another similarly named wager.

### Is the 21+3 payout always the same?

No. Products and configurations can use different schedules. A quoted payout or house-edge figure needs a matching paytable, rules and game version to be useful.

## Sources and checks

- [21+3 product overview](https://www.galaxygaming.com/products/21-3) — Galaxy Gaming. Checked 2026-10-28.
- [RTS 3: rules, game descriptions and likelihood of winning](https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/standards/remote-gambling-and-software-technical-standards/rts-3-rules-game-descriptions-and-the-likelihood-of-winning) — Gambling Commission. Checked 2026-10-28.

## Keep exploring

- [What are side bets in blackjack?](https://howtocasino.uk/guides/what-are-blackjack-side-bets/index.md)

- [What is a soft 17 in blackjack?](https://howtocasino.uk/guides/what-is-a-soft-17/index.md)

- [What is a live dealer casino?](https://howtocasino.uk/guides/what-is-live-casino/index.md)

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