This side bet offered in some single-deck games allows you to wager on whether you will be dealt two cards of the same suit. If so, you will be paid 3 to 1; if you are dealt a king and queen of the same suit, you will be paid 10 to 1.

A card counter developed a system for beating this rule a few years ago, which he sold privately for a few months, then took off the market. I examined the system, and also had the theory tested via computer simulation, and it worked! Unfortunately, it was not an easy card counting system, as you had to keep four separate counts of the cards remaining in each suit. Most casinos that offer the Royal Match option restrict the maximum bet, usually to $25. This limitation makes it difficult to make much money with this option, except for camouflage as player advantages do not occur very frequently. Since any Royal Match counting system would prove worthless for all normal playing and betting decisions, it will rarely be worth a player's time or effort to attempt to exploit it. And do not bet on this option, except for camouflage, unless you are using a valid suit-counting system, as the house edge is 3.8%.

Some casinos also offer a multiple-deck version of the Royal Match bet where any first two suited cards pay 2 1/2 to 1, and a suited K-Q pays 25 to 1. This is far worse for the player than the single-deck version—with these multi-deck payouts, the house edge goes up to 6.7%, and no suit-counting system will beat it.

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One of the more popular options (unfortunately not popular enough!) is the over/under bet. This is an optional side bet (actually two separate bets) that your first two cards will total either over or under 13. There is a special area on the table for you to make these bets. Aces always count as 1 for this bet, and a total of 13 always loses. If you win on an over/under bet, you are paid 2 to 1.

This rule is most often offered on 6 and 8-deck games, and it has little value with a traditional card counting system. Using the Hi-Lo Lite, you would need a true edge of +2 1/2 to just break even on the over bet, or -3 on the under. These advantages will not occur very often in shoe games, unless the penetration is quite deep.

Abetter counting system for this option is to count the ten-valued cards as -1 and Aces, 2s, 3s, and 4s as +1. Using this counting system, you would make an over bet at a true edge of+1 1/2 or greater, and an under bet at -2 or lower. This greatly increases the value of the option. If you know the Hi-Lo Lite indices, you may use the Hi-Lo strategy changes with the over/ under count for strategy plays on your blackjack hand. In a 6-deck game, with 75% penetration, you could get close to a 1% advantage by using a 1 to 4 spread with proper over/under bets. With deeper penetration, the value skyrockets.

In some European casinos, there is an over/under variation in which a pair of aces pays a 7 to 1 bonus on under bets. This payout almost doubles the value of the over/under option. Unfortunately, there are very few over/ under games anymore, and the casinos know that card counters attack them.

Most casinos that offer the over/under bet limit the amount that can be bet on this option. In many cases, this bet limitation, in conjunction with generally poor penetration, makes the over/under bet pretty worthless.

By the way, do not place over/under bets without using a card counting system. The house advantage is 6 1/2% on the over bet, and more than 10% on the under, if you're just guessing.

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Let's assume that you have a fixed bankroll, which is not replenishable because you either have no income, or every penny of your income goes to paying bills and supporting your lifestyle, with no regular expendable funds. Unless you've got a bunch of money at your disposal, engaging in a high-risk pursuit like card counting may not be a great idea. You could lose quite a bit, or even see all your cash disappear. But only you can decide how much risk you want to assume with your own money, so let me spell out the facts as best I can so that you're able to decide for yourself.

There is one concept in place in every betting strategy for card counters: bet more when you have the edge, and less when the house has it. However, a number of factors complicate this point. First, you must know how much more to bet when you have the edge, and second, you must raise your bet in a way that does not attract unwanted attention. Third, you have to have a big enough bankroll to withstand the fluctuations.

Players who use the simple Red Seven Count, or for that matter any unbalanced card counting system that does not include a true edge adjustment, must bet more conservatively than players who use an accurate method of estimating their advantage as they play.

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