What are Baccarat Bets and Side Bets

Baccarat is a remarkably straightforward game, offering players three primary betting options. These three bets form the core of baccarat strategy and are what most players tend to stick with.

Beyond the main bets, baccarat also features exciting side bets that add an extra layer of thrill for punters. While these side bets can offer massive payouts, they come with a significantly higher house edge, as they are statistically less likely to land.

A solid grasp of both the main baccarat bets and the side bets is crucial for any player aiming to enjoy the game thoroughly and succeed at the tables.

Understanding the Main Baccarat Bets

As mentioned, baccarat gameplay centres around three primary bet types: betting on the Player's hand to win, betting on the Banker's hand to win, or betting on a Tie.

Each of these main bets offers different payouts and house edges. The probability of each occurring varies, so it's vital for punters to be well-informed about these differences.

Betting on the Player

When you bet on the Player, you're essentially backing their hand to achieve a higher score than the Banker's hand. If the Player's hand value is closer to 9, your bet wins.

The Player bet is generally considered the second-best option in baccarat. It's the inverse of the Banker bet, which is the most favoured choice among experienced players.

Betting on the Banker

Betting on the Banker is often considered the most strategic option. It boasts the lowest house edge, typically around 1.06% regardless of the number of decks used. This bet is favoured because, in the natural order of play, the Banker traditionally acts last, giving this hand a statistical edge in winning.

While including the Banker bet in your strategy is wise, remember to factor in the standard 5% commission taken on winning Banker bets.

Betting on a Tie

Betting on a tie presents a mixed bag of advantages and disadvantages. Its main drawback is the low probability of occurring – both the Banker and Player hands must end with an identical score, such as both achieving a 6.

However, precisely because a tie is rare, it typically offers very attractive payouts, which can be beneficial for players looking for a high-risk, high-reward option.

Exploring Baccarat Side Bets

Side bets are additional wagers that can be placed alongside the main bets during a game of baccarat. While there are numerous types of side bets available, we'll focus on the most common and popular ones.

It’s important for players in the UK to know that side bets are generally considered quite risky. Consequently, many players opt to steer clear of them when playingonline baccarat games.

The Pair Bet

A Pair bet predicts whether the first two cards dealt for either the Player or Banker hand (or both) will form a pair. While the payout for a pair bet can be attractive, typically around 11:1, the house edge is substantial, often hovering around 11% or more, depending on the specific UK casino.

All Black/ Red

The all black or red side bet is a wager on whether the hand will contain only black or red cards.

The all-black bet offers a 24:1 payout with a house edge of 6.53%, whereas the all-red bet has a slightly lower payout of 22:1, but the house edge is 14%.

Big/ Small

There are other side bets that can be seen in many online casinos, like Big and Small. The big and small bets are to bet on the total number of cards in play. This bet is strongly dependent on how the player’s hand is played. If, in the end, there are 4 cards on the table, the small bet wins, but if there are 5 or 6 cards, the big bet wins.

Bellagio Match

The Bellagio match is a side bet on whether the hand will get three of a kind. The Bellagio match has a payout of 68:1 for the banker’s hand, and 75:1 for the player’s hand. The house edge varies from 5.27% to 8.57%.

Dragon Bonus

It is about either hand winning with a natural hand with an exact point margin. The higher margin, the bigger payout:

• 9 points - 30:1
• 8 points = 10:1
• 7 points = 6:1
• 6 points = 4:1
• 5 points = 2:1
• 4 points = 1:1
• 3 points or fewer = Loss.

The house edge for the dragon bonus is usually about 2.65% for the player’s hand, but it goes up to 9.37% for the banker’s hand.

Lucky Bonus

Lucky baccarat bonus bets are among the most exciting side options that the game offers. This is a wager for the banker's hand to win while being worth 6 points. The game has a great payout of 18:1, with a house edge of just 2.34%.

Matching Dragon

The Matching dragon is a wager about how many cards of a specific rank the banker and the player will be dealt. The matching dragon side bet has a house edge of $16.99 = %. Here are the payouts for the matching dragon side bets in baccarat:

• 6 cards = 100:1 payout
• 5 cards = 60:1
• 4 cards = 40:1
• 3 cards = 20:1
• 2 cards = 3:1
• 1 card = 1:1
• No cards of a specific rank = Loss

Bets to Avoid

Side Bets alongside Tie Bet are not likely to happen often. So, for every player who is tempted to create a strategy, in which his chances of winning are as high as possible, side bets and tie bets have to be excluded.

Overall, betting on a tie and side bets in Baccarat is something that any player should avoid, in order to keep his chances of being profitable in the long term.

When to place side bets in Baccarat?

The baccarat side bets can work against the player in most cases, as they have a huge house edge, and the high payouts usually don’t cover the losses. But, if the player has a good side bets betting strategy, they can really bring some fascinating profits in the long term. Unfortunately, that requires a huge budget and a lot of patience.

Are Side Bets Worth it?

Even beginners are aware of the fact that most online casinos offer baccarat tables with side bets available, and these bets have to be avoided. The statistical odds of any side bet happening are so low that in the long term, it’s nearly impossible to come into profit.

Conclusion

Baccarat is a game that offers a range of different bets for players to choose from. The straightforward way to approach the game is by sticking to the main banker, player, and Tie bets. On the other hand, if the player is seeking more excitement, there are some baccarat side bets in addition to the main ones.

Side bets have higher payouts but are a lot riskier. So, it’s recommended to stick to the main three. The benefit of knowing both baccarat bets and baccarat side bets will give the player a clear vision of what odds he has to win and increase them.