The Bust It! bet has a very high player participation rate and.adds more excitement to the game than any other side bet because:
A.) It involves the actual game of blackjack.
B.) It’s a bet against the dealer’s hand instead of on the players hand. This leads to a common outcome for all players to root for.
C.) Player is still in game even after breaking
D.) Has a optimal house advantage (see below). This leads to players perceiving a fair return on their money and gives the bet more popularity and longevity.
Optimal house edge
A successful BJ side bet needs a house advantage that is neither too large nor too small. A house edge that is too large leads to continually lower player participation rates due to player’s perception (correctly) of not getting a fair return on their money. A house edge that is too small will fail to compensate for the slowdown of the game and hence not increase the win and hold of the game. The Bust It! bet achieves a fair balance between these two by having a house advantage between 6.8% and 8.1% (depending on # of decks). This house edge keeps popularity with players high while still giving the house a good increase in win and hold.
