A gaming system comprises a primary wagering facility which is usable by a player to place an initial wager on a turn of a game of blackjack, and a secondary wagering facility which automatically places a side wager on the same turn of the game of blackjack. The side wager relates to an outcome which is a function of a number of different playing cards contained in the blackjack hand dealt to the player in turn of the game of blackjack. The side wager is paid at odds of at least 2 to 1 if the first dealt card in the player's hand is of a predetermined rank.