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Baccarat Side Bets Explained | LeoVegas Blog

Baccarat Side Bets

Summary:

Discover the world of Baccarat Side Bets for an enhanced gaming experience beyond the traditional Player versus Banker dynamic. While baccarat is known for its simplicity, side bets inject excitement into the game.

These supplementary wagers, played alongside the main game, offer diverse options such as Perfect Pair, Dragon Bet, and Super 6. Unlike the main game's outcome, side bets provide additional actions and payouts.

Table of Content:

Players flock to baccarat for its easy learning curve and entertaining plays. But, there may come a time when the simplicity of Player versus Banker becomes a tad monotonous. And that’s where side bets kick in! No longer reserved for blackjack fans, side bets are having their moment at baccarat tables. So it’s high time we cracked open the world of baccarat side betting options. Join us, won’t you?

What are the side bets in baccarat?

Side bets provide action at the baccarat tables beyond the initial, and only, decision of the Player versus Banker outcome in the main game. Side bets are bonus action, played ‘on the side’ and in addition to your main game wager. They are key to adding a little spice to beat baccarat mundaneness and up your wager and a roaring good time to your table play.

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For players just branching out from the main game, Perfect Pair is a simple, easy addition to make and follow as a baccarat side bet. Now, the list of side bets is expansive, but a few others topping the list are the Dragon Bet and Super 6. Don’t worry, we cover these off below, so keep reading!

How are baccarat side bets different from other table games?

Finally, baccarat is getting its moment with side bets! More betting options per hand is always a great way to up the ante of fun and your wager at the table, simultaneously. When making any side bet, on baccarat or other table games like roulette or blackjack, note that the outcome of the main games is not affected. Side bets are simply action on the side, used as a means to increase your investment and engagement in each round!

In all casino table games, side bets usually come with a higher house edge than the main game, and higher payouts of course due to this! This is true straight across the board for table games like blackjack and baccarat. And as always, we recommend that when placing any side bets at our table games, you keep your side action in line with your original wager…and have fun!

All Baccarat Side Bets

If you've played a little blackjack side action before, then a few of these baccarat side bets may seem familiar. And just like side bets in other casino games, some tables will offer them and some may not. While perusing the list of baccarat side bet action, pay attention to the third card factor. Remember that in baccarat, not every hand will see a third card, making many side bets immediately dead in the water. Without further ado, let’s dive into baccarat side bet options.

Bellagio Match

Talk about a payout. To reap the rewards of this 75:1 payout, the Player hand will need to score three matches or as card players like to say, three-of-a-kind. It also applies to the Banker’s hand, but the payouts slightly differ at 68:1. Note the house edge here is 5.27% and 8.57%, respectively.

Super 6

With this one, you’re looking for the Banker hand to total 6. You’re up against the biggest house edge of baccarat side bets, nearing a whopping 30% with a payday of 12:1 if it works out.

3-Card Six

A three-card 6 hand for both the Player and Banker will reward you handsomely at 100:1 and 8:1 if only one hand makes the cut. Notably, house edge sits slightly higher than 13%.

4-5-6

A side bet where 3 bets are available on the total value of each hand. Four pays 3:2, while 5 and 6 pay 2:1.

Royal Match

If you assumed Royal refers to the crowned folks of a card deck, you’re correct. Here, you’re looking for the Player or Banker to grab a King and a Queen in the first two cards. Suited success pays 75:1 and unsuited 30:1. With a friendly house edge of 2.13%, it’s one of the crown jewels of baccarat side bets.

Perfect Pair

Familiar to blackjack players, the perfect pair is the pursuit of Player or Banker grabbing a suited pair in the first two cards. Pull this off to enjoy a 25:1 payout.

Either Pair

No need to be of matching suit here like it's Perfect Pair counterpart, Either Pair simply requires the Player or Banker to catch a pair with their first two cards for a 5:1 payout.

Rabbit Play

Going deeper down the rabbit hole of side action, the Rabbit Play is a pair of side bets offering a 8.07% house edge for the Player and 9.31% for the Banker. Payouts for success fall in the following range, from a serious 500:1 windfall to 7:1 payday.

  • Suited 3-of-a-kind - 500:1
  • Unsuited 3-of-a-kind - 50:1
  • Suited Pair (first two cards) - 15:1
  • Unsuited Pair (first two cards) - 7:1

All Red/Black

Using the most basic characteristic of the cards themselves, you’re simply betting on all cards being red (22:1) or black (24:1).

Lucky 8

Make your Banker or Player choice, then hope luck is on your side with your chosen hand ultimately winning with 8 points. Banker and Player both pay 4:1, but the house edge slides from 16.6% to 13.65% should you bank on the Banker.

Unlucky 8

We agree, a hard sell of a side bet when it comes with an unlucky name but you are essentially hoping for a loss here! Similar to Lucky 8, you’re betting on your chosen hand to lose by 8 rather than win. If a loss by 8 is in the cards, prepare to collect 8:1.

Double 8

You’re doubling down on 8 with this one, aiming for both Player and Banker to end with 8 points to reap the rewards of a 15:1 payday.

Dragon Bet

Now, you’re going to see a lot of ‘dragon’ bets coming down the line here, but let’s start at the top with the main namesake, the Dragon Bet. When a hand is a natural winner or wins by a large margin, you’ll strike a not too shabby payday that can hit 30:1.

Dragon 7

Along with Panda 8, Dragon 7 is a side bet available at EZ Baccarat tables, specifically for the Banker’s hand. If the Banker’s hand lands up being a three-card hand totalling 7, then you’ll be rewarded with a 40:1 payday.

Phoenix

When the Banker wins with a three-card total of seven, the Phoenix is similar to the Dragon 7. The payout is 37 to 1, however.

Dragon Bonus

Ah the Dragon, a symbol of both power and luck. In baccarat, this side bet offers up a glorious 30:1 payday. Here’s a breakdown below of this exciting bet which pays for a natural but also for a certain margin between Player and Banker totals. Stay with us…here goes:

  • Natural win (hand with 8 or 9 point) = 1:1
  • Natural tie (both hands have 8 or 9 points) = push
  • Win by 9 pts = 30:1
  • Win by 8 pts = 10:1
  • Win by 7 pts = 6:1
  • Win by 6 pts = 4:1
  • Win by 5 pts = 2:1
  • Win by 4 pts = 1:1

Panda 8

Two lucky symbols together can’t be wrong! Unlike Dragon 7, this EZ Baccarat side bet takes the Player’s side. Similarly though, you’re aiming to have the Player’s three-card combo hit a count of 8 for a 25:1 payday.

Matching Dragon

A side bet full of action, Matching Dragon is a feast of 13 side bets. The payout is determined by the number of cards of the selected rank that will be in the next hand and features a 16.99% house edge.

  • 6 Cards = 100:1
  • 5 Cards = 60:1
  • 4 Cards = 40:1
  • 3 Cards = 20:1
  • 2 Cards = 3:1
  • 1 Card = 1:1
  • 0 Cards - loss

Golden Frog

This is a collection of four side bets. Let’s work through them together:

  • Any 8 beats any 6 = 25:1
  • Two card 9 beats & Two card 7 beats = 50:1
  • Three card 9 beats 3 card 1 = 150:1

First 2 Banker/Players Cards Same Suit

This baccarat side bet holds pretty true to its name. You’re looking to have either the Player or Banker hand land its first two cards, suited. Payouts may slightly vary table to table, but you’re looking at a 2.87 and 2.86 payday.

Big and Small

Let’s start with the big, which leans towards ‘more’ cards on the table. Big bet wins if there are five cards on the board(at least one set would need a third card for this to occur). The small bet wins if neither Player or Banker has a third card and the total amount of cards on the table rests at 4. It pays 3:2 for four cards and 2:1 for five or six cards with a house edge of 5.27%.

Total Points Odd/Even

As you can likely now recognize, some baccarat side bets are simple and some, not so much. At its core, this side bet sticks to the combined value of the two hands being odd or even. Easy enough, right? Success earns you a payday of around .92:1.

Quik

Not quite like an over/under sports bet, but it is along the same lines only using final hand totals of the Player and Banker rather than the end game score! So, working along those lines, you’re hoping the combined totals of Player and Banker hands workout as follows, for winnings of:

  • 0 = 50:1
  • 18 = 25:1
  • 1,2,3,15,16,17 = 1:1
  • With 4 through 14 being a straight loss.

Baccarat Side Bets FAQ

How to place a side bet in baccarat?

To side bet, you’ve also got to main bet. By that, we mean that you’ve got to already be invested in the game and playing a main bet of Player, Banker or tie.

If this is all new to you, we highly advise chiming in with our How to Play Baccarat Online to get confident with the main game first!

Then, when playing online and depending on your table of choice, you’ll likely have a myriad of side bets to choose from. You’ll often find side bets over to the side of the table, just outside of the main action.

You’ll find side bet action at Grand Baccarat Live, Live Fortune 6 Baccarat, and many more in our LeoVegas Live Casino!

What baccarat side bet has the highest payout?

Baccarat side bet variations are seemingly endless! From our list above, the aptly named Golden Frog can indeed bring riches your way, but it is slightly elusive (as many big side bet paydays are!). Its top side bet of a three-card 9 beating a three-card 1 would leave you a mega 150:1 payday and hopefully a wonderful steak dinner celebration.

What is perfect pair in baccarat?

Perfect pair is a side bet in baccarat that pays if the first two cards of the Player or Banker form a suited pair.

What is big and small in baccarat?

Big and small is a baccarat side bet. The big bet wins if there are five cards on the board(at least one set would need a third card for this to occur). The small bet wins if neither Player nor Banker has a third card and the total amount of cards on the table rests at 4.

What is Super 6 bet in baccarat?

Super 6 is a baccarat side bet placed on the Banker's hand to win with a total of six points. It unusually pays out 12:1.

Are Baccarat side bets worth it?

Similar to blackjack side bets, baccarat side bets can be placed for entertainment. However, they have a higher house edge than usual baccarat bets.

Read more about baccarat in our guides: