Baccarat Side Bets: Odds, Win Condition, Payouts, and More

1. Player Pair

The player pair is one of the easiest side bets to master in baccarat. As the name suggests, you are betting on the outcome of the cards dealt to the “Player” hand.

Specifically, this side bet wins if the first two cards dealt to the Player hand are a pair. Note, only the initial two cards in the deal can satisfy the pair requirement for this bet.

Being dealt pairs is not uncommon, but you will still lose this wager more than you win it if you place it every hand. On the other hand, it is virtually impossible to guess when you will be dealt a pair. So, you are better off placing the wager every round and eating your losses.

The payout for winning the Player Pair wager is 11:1, making it even more rewarding than the tie bet, which usually pays 8:1. However, as is often the case with side wagers, the Player Pair bet has a high house edge.

When making the Player Pair bet, you face a house edge of 10.36%. This creates an expected RTP of 89.64%, which is much lower than the return in the base game. Banker and Player Hand wagers both have an RTP over 98%.

If you still want to try this baccarat side bet for fun, it’s available at Las Atlantis Casino.

2. Banker Pair

The flip side of the Player Pair bet is the Banker Pair wager. Once again, you are betting on the initial hand being a pair. However, for this side wager, you need the Banker to be dealt a pair to start the round.

In the base game, the Banker offers a slightly better return than the Player hand. With the pairs side bets, though, the odds are the same.

You have roughly a 7.47% chance of either hand being dealt a pair. The trick is picking the right hand to wager on in each round. Alternatively, some tables allow you to make both the Player Pair and Banker Pair bets on the same round.

The Banker Pair bet offers an 11:1 payout and has a house edge of 10.36%. You can try the Player and Banker Pair bets today at Las Atlantis Casino.

3. Big and Small

Another set of great side bets in baccarat is the Big and Small wagers. These bets focus on the total number of cards dealt to the Banker and Player hands in the round.

Both hands start with two cards and can have a maximum of three. So, the minimum total number of cards is four, and the maximum is six. Rounds with four total cards are “small,” while rounds with five or six cards are counted as “big” in this side wager.

As illustrated by the table above, a win with the Small wager pays nearly triple that of the Big bet. However, the only way to win the Small side bet is for neither the Banker nor the Player to take a third card.

Additionally, the Big Bet offers a smaller payout, but it also provides a better RTP due to its smaller house edge.

4. Royal Match

Next on my list of baccarat side bets explained is the Royal Match side wager. For this wager, you must choose either the Banker or Player hand. To win, you need the hand you select to be dealt cards of the same suit.

Many offshore casinos offer bonus payouts if the suited cards are a King and Queen.

One of the biggest factors for this wager is the number of decks being used. In short, more decks create a lower house edge and give you additional chances to make a suited royal match.

This bet can pay up to 25:1 and have a house edge as low as 5.64% when eight decks are used. Any jackpots that are tied to this side wager can also lower the house edge. However, in single-deck games, the house edge can reach up to 11.48%.

5. Dragon Bonus

The Dragon Bonus wager is one of the most rewarding baccarat side bets, offering payouts as high as 30:1. However, it can also be challenging for inexperienced players to master due to its variety of outcomes.

Players can place this bet on either the Banker or Player hand. To win, your chosen side must not only win the round, but have a hand worth at least four points. The larger the margin of victory, the bigger the payout.

• • 9-point hand = 30:1 payout
  • 8-point hand = 10:1
  • 7-point hand = 6:1
  • 6-point hand = 4:1
  • 5-point hand = 2:1
  • 4-point hand = 1:1
  • Natural = 1:1

Note, to achieve the highest payouts, you need to win with a hand apart from a natural. Furthermore, as with some other side bets, the number of decks can change the house edge. Typically, the house edge for a Dragon Bonus bet ranges between 9.37% and 9.42%, with tables using additional decks offering a lower edge.

Refer to our Dragon Bonus guide to learn more about this wager. Or you can try it for yourself today at BetOnline.

6. Lucky 8, Unlucky 8, or Double 8

Nine is usually the lucky number in baccarat, but there are several side wagers centered on the number eight as well. Some examples include:

• • Lucky 8: Your chosen hand has a winning total of 8 points
  • Unlucky 8: The hand you pick loses despite having 8 points
  • Double 8: Both the Banker and Player hands have 8 points
  • Suited 3-card 8: Chosen hand has three suited cards totaling 8 points
  • Double suited 3-card 8: Both hands have three-suited cards totaling 8 points

The payouts increase significantly as the likelihood of the outcomes decreases.

• • Lucky 8 = 4:1
  • Unlucky 8 = 8:1
  • Double 8 = 15:1
  • Suited 3-card 8 = 25:1
  • Double suited 3-card 8 = 200:1

This is one of the rare bets that favors the player. Betting on the Banker offers a house edge of 16.60%, while the Player offers an edge of 13.65% in an eight-deck game.

7. Super 6

Rounding out my rankings of the best side bets in baccarat is the Super 6 wager. This bet offers players the shot at winning 12:1 odds.

The Super 6 wager is only available for the Banker hand. To win, the Banker must win and have a score of exactly six points. While this sounds easy, the rules of the game also decrease the payout for Banker hands that win without a total of six points.

Your payout for these hands is cut in half, dropping to 0.5:1. As a result, the house edge of the Super 6 bet is a whopping 29.88%

On the bright side, thanks to its large house edge, Super 6 is widely available. It is especially popular at live dealer casinos. Read our Super 6 baccarat guide to learn more, or sign up at SportsBetting.ag to start enjoying this variation today.