Several decades ago, baccarat was reserved exclusively for the elite, but thankfully, this is no longer the case. The game is now more accessible than ever, and casual players can enjoy it at hundreds of live dealer casinos from the comfort of their homes.
Live dealer baccarat quickly gained traction among online gambling aficionados thanks to its flexible betting limits, decent winning odds, and uncomplicated rules. The only decision baccarat players face in each round is whether to bet on Banker, Player, or Tie.
With little to no strategy involved, the game tends to become repetitive and dull over time. This is where side bets come to players’ rescue, adding more diversity to the equation.
Baccarat boasts a multitude of additional betting options that undoubtedly add more flair to the game, but the more important question is do they offer any value to players? Stick with us as we unravel the answer.
Baccarat Side Bets at a Glance
This article is written on the premise that readers already have a rudimentary understanding of the basic rules and card values in baccarat.
Those unfamiliar with the game’s objective can read more about it in our comprehensive guide to live dealer baccarat.
With that clarification out of the way, here are the main characteristics of side bets in baccarat.
Common Side Bets You Can Find in Baccarat
Baccarat offers an extraordinary variety of additional betting options, so much so that available side wagers vary greatly depending on the variation you play and where you play it. What follows is a smorgasbord of side wagers you can find in the game of baccarat, including those available at online casinos.
Side Bets on Pairs
All Black/All Red
Big and Small
Royal Match
Matching Dragon
Lucky Bonus
Lucky 8 and Unlucky 8
Egalite Bets
Dragon Bonus
Side Bets on Pairs
The category consists of several types of side wagers. Any Pair wins whenever either the Player or the Banker hand contains a pair of cards after the initial deal and pays 5 to 1. Perfect Pair side bets usually pay 25 to 1, provided the Player or Banker hand contains two cards of the same denomination and suit, such as two suited deuces.
These extra wagers are available at some live baccarat tables powered by software suppliers BetConstruct and Playtech. Finally, the Player Pair and Banker Pair propositions pay 11 to 1 when the side you back receives a pair after the initial deal.
All Black/All Red
With this side bet, you wager that the Player hand will consist solely of black-suited cards (spades or clubs) or red-suited cards (diamonds or hearts).
Side wagers on All Red typically pay 22 to 1, whereas those on the All Black proposition offer higher payouts of 24 to 1.
Big and Small
Also known as 4-5-6, this side wager is available in some Atlantic City casinos. Your goal is to predict the combined number of cards dealt to the Banker and Player hands before the round ends.
A winning wager on a total of four cards pays 3 to 2, meaning you receive one and a half times your original bet. Combined totals of five or six cards return 2 to 1.
Royal Match
Royal Match side bets win whenever the opening hand of the Banker or the Player contains two specific court cards, a Queen and a King. The exact payouts for royal matches depend on whether the two court cards are offsuit or suited.
Offsuit matches pay 30 to 1. Because suited matches are less likely, they return higher payouts of 75 to 1.
Matching Dragon
A favorite among baccarat players in Macau, this side wager requires you to predict how many cards of a given denomination will be collectively dealt to the Player and Banker hands. The category is quite broad, and payouts depend on the number of matching cards. Below is the most common paytable you will encounter.
| Number of Identical Cards |
Standard House Odds |
Alternative Paytable |
| 1 |
Even Money |
Even Money |
| 2 |
3 to 1 |
2 to 1 |
| 3 |
20 to 1 |
15 to 1 |
| 4 |
40 to 1 |
30 to 1 |
| 5 |
60 to 1 |
60 to 1 |
| 6 |
100 to 1 |
100 to 1 |
Eg. Banker Hand: J/2/2
Player Hand: Q/J/2
A side bet on a deuce would return a payout of 20 to 1 for the three deuces, whereas one on the Jack would pay 3 to 1 for the two Jacks. A bet on a single Queen would pay at even-money odds. All other Matching Dragon side wagers would result in losses.
Lucky Bonus
The Lucky Bonus side wager wins whenever the Banker hand prevails with a total of six, in which case it pays 18 to 1. To qualify for a Lucky Bonus payout, you must also back the Banker side with a main wager in the same round.
The maximum you can stake on the side bet equals 10% of your main Banker wager. The Super 6 is a variation of the Lucky Bonus that pays 12 to 1 if the Banker wins with a total of six, without requiring a main wager on this outcome.
Lucky 8 and Unlucky 8
When you place a Lucky 8 side bet, you wager that either the Banker or the Player side will win with a hand total of exactly eight. Correctly predicting this outcome typically pays 4 to 1.
Unlucky 8 mirrors Lucky 8, but wins when either the Player or the Banker loses the round with an exact total of eight. Because the result is harder to hit, the payout rises to 8 to 1.
Egalite Bets
The group comprises an extensive array of side wagers placed on specific ties, for example final Banker/Player totals of 7/7 or 8/8. Essentially, this is an extension of the standard tie bet in baccarat, but much more specific.
The house odds are based on how difficult it is to make a correct prediction for each egalite wager, although payouts may vary across casinos. The table below lists the most common payouts for egalite bets.
| Player/Banker Tie |
Standard House Odds |
Likelihood of Winning |
| 9/9 |
80 to 1 |
1.10% |
| 8/8 |
80 to 1 |
1.09% |
| 7/7 |
45 to 1 |
2.03% |
| 6/6 |
45 to 1 |
1.92% |
| 5/5 |
110 to 1 |
0.79% |
| 4/4 |
120 to 1 |
0.72% |
| 3/3 |
200 to 1 |
0.44% |
| 2/2 |
225 to 1 |
0.40% |
| 1/1 |
215 to 1 |
0.41% |
| 0/0 |
150 to 1 |
0.57% |
At some baccarat tables, players can bet on entire egalite groups such as 1–3 (pays 70 to 1) and 6–7 (pays 22 to 1) ties. The payouts are understandably lower because grouped egalites have better winning chances.
Dragon Bonus
This is arguably the most popular and widespread category of side bets in baccarat. It involves wagering on the Player or Banker hand to win, but you must also predict the exact margin between the winning and losing sides.
The wider the margin of victory, the larger the payout for Dragon Bonus side bets. The winning side must either prevail with a natural hand (two-card totals of 9 or 8) or win by at least four points. The most common payouts are as follows:
| Victory Margin in Pts | Standard Odds |
| 3 pts or fewer | Side Bet Loses |
| 4 pts | Even Money |
| 5 pts | 2 to 1 |
| 6 pts | 4 to 1 |
| 7 pts | 6 to 1 |
| 8 pts | 10 to 1 |
| 9 pts | 30 to 1 |
| Natural Winners (8 or 9) | Even Money |
| Natural Tie (8/8 or 9/9) | Push |
Monstrous House Edges in Baccarat Side Bets
Baccarat moves at a relatively leisurely pace, requiring little to no decision-making from players. Essentially, the only choice you make is whether to bet on Player, Banker, or Tie. Because the gameplay can feel a bit stale after a while, side betting options add some variety.
House Edges in the Main Game
House Edges of Common Side Bets
Go for Side Bets with Lower Negative Expectation
House Edges in the Main Game
Some baccarat fans use side bets to diversify their sessions and potentially win big. The problem with these wagers is that they are heavily tilted in the house’s favor and can quickly drain your bankroll if you are not careful.
For context, the main betting propositions on Player and Banker offer some of the best odds you will find in a casino. The house advantage on these wagers is as follows:
- 1.06% for the Player side
- 1.24% for the Banker side
The standard Tie wager in the main game can yield larger payouts of 8 to 1 (sometimes expressed as 9 for 1, which is identical) but this comes at the cost of punishing house edges of 14.36% in eight-deck games and 14.61% in six-deck baccarat.
House Edges of Common Side Bets
All of the side wagers discussed above carry higher house edges, but few force you to surrender more than 14% to the casino. The Super 6 side bet is a notable exception, generating a massive house edge that approaches 30%. Of all casino games, only keno gives the house a greater advantage.
| Baccarat Side Bet | House Edge |
| Perfect Pair | 13.03% for eight-deck games and 17.07% for six-deck baccarat with 25 to 1 payouts |
| Either Pair | 13.71% |
| Player/Banker Pair | 11.14% for Player Pairs and 11.21% for Banker Pairs in six-deck games, 10.36% in eight-deck baccarat |
| All Red/All Black | 14% for All Red, 6.53% for all black |
| Big and Small (4-5-6) | 5.27% for the Small proposition, 4.35% for the Big proposition |
| Royal Match | 2.13% |
| Matching Dragon | 16.99% |
| Lucky Bonus/Super 6 | 2.34% for Lucky Bonus, 29.98% for Super 6 |
| Lucky 8/Unlucky 8 | 13.65% on Player and 16.60% on Banker |
| Egalite Bets | From 6.38% to 12.45% on individual egalite ties; from 6.65% to 10.86% on egalite groups |
| Dragon Bonus | 2.65% for the Player side, 9.37% for the Banker side |
| Panda 8 | 10.18% |
| Dragon 7 | 7.61% |
| Three-Card 6 | 13.37% |
Now, what do these percentages mean in terms of profits, or more accurately, losses? Simply put, the figures above represent the ratio of money lost to the total amount wagered. The higher the house edge, the greater the losses players are likely to incur over time.
For example, those who consistently play Matching Dragon will lose roughly 17 cents for every dollar wagered. By contrast, players who regularly post the Royal Match bet will lose only about 2 cents per dollar.
It is important to note that these figures materialize gradually, because the house edge manifests over the long run. The bottom line: the more you persist with baccarat side bets, the closer you move toward the negative-expectation percentages above.
Go for Side Bets with Lower Negative Expectation
From this perspective, none of these bets are truly advisable because they all put you at a greater disadvantage than the main Player or Banker wagers. If you are determined to play side bets, your best move is to choose options with the lowest house edge. Doing so will help your baccarat bankroll last longer.
We suggest using side bets sparingly and focusing on the following wagers, as they put you at the smallest disadvantage:
- Royal Match (2.13%)
- Dragon Bonus on the Player side (2.65%)
- Lucky Bonus (2.34%)
- Big and Small on the Big proposition (4.35%)
Are Baccarat Side Wagers Beatable?
The short answer is yes, some side bets are theoretically beatable. However, savvy players can overcome baccarat side wagers only when specific conditions are met. Gambling experts note that some side bets are susceptible to card counting, and they often cite the Dragon Bonus wager as a prime example.
Effect of Card Removal in Baccarat
Setbacks Preventing Players from Exploiting Baccarat Side Bets
Effect of Card Removal in Baccarat
This reasoning is based primarily on the effect of card removal in baccarat, meaning some cards have a greater impact on winning odds when they are out of play.
Low-denomination cards such as aces, deuces, and 3s are said to have the highest effect of removal. When a draw contains these cards, starting hands that receive a third card cannot win by a large point margin, which in turn lowers the probability of a Dragon Bonus payout.
Conversely, high-denomination cards like 9, 8, and 7 can produce higher hand totals on the draw, increasing the likelihood of bonus payouts. The 9 and 8 are also more likely to create natural winning hands. Consequently, these high-denomination cards have the most negative effect of removal.
The leisurely pace of play and the use of scoreboards at baccarat tables also benefit advantage players who attempt to exploit side bets such as the Dragon Bonus. These players are advised to target the Player side of the Dragon Bonus wager, because its lower house edge (2.65%) is easier to overcome through counting.
Setbacks Preventing Players from Exploiting Baccarat Side Bets
One major obstacle is that the dealer must provide enough shoe penetration for counting to be effective. The dealer should cut no more than two decks from the end of the shoe; otherwise, counting the Dragon Bonus bet is pointless. Ideally, the cut card should be placed half a deck from the shoe’s end so counters can gain a meaningful edge on this side wager.
Closing Points
To wrap things up, entertainment value is essentially the only benefit baccarat players can expect from side bets. While some are theoretically susceptible to advantage play, the playing conditions at most casinos rarely allow players to beat them in practice. In short, you should either refrain from side betting altogether or occasionally opt for the side wagers that yield the lowest house edge.
