Brick-and-mortar casinos have introduced a broad range of side bets over the last few decades as a way of attracting more customers to their tables. The approach is apparently successful since the same tendency can be observed across many live dealer tables available online.
Online players have a choice from a host of exciting side bets at the live tables powered by software suppliers like Evolution Gaming, Playtech, Ezugi, and Visionary iGaming. One thing side wagers have in common are the higher house edges they yield.
These vary between different side bets, depending on the payout structure. Some side wagers yield a bigger casino advantage than others. Nevertheless, there are plenty of options for you if you can live with that. SuperCasinoSites takes a look at some of the most common side bets you will find in live blackjack, poker, and baccarat.
Live Casino Side Bets in a Nutshell
In a nutshell, side bets are optional wagers that bear no relation to the outcome of the main bets you post on the live table layout. These are typically posted at the very start of the betting round before any cards have been dealt. In card games, side bets normally win whenever the players’ and the dealers’ cards form certain qualifying hands.
With some side bets, like those from the Perfect Pairs category, payouts are awarded whenever the two cards in the player’s starting hand comprise suited, colored or mixed pairs. The longer the odds of forming a specific combination, the bigger the payout for the respective side wager.
These optional wagers are posted in specially designated betting boxes on the live table layout. They are usually settled before the playing round commences although this is not always the case. For example, the optional bets from the Buster category are settled at the end of the round after the live dealer has completed their hand.
Speaking of payouts, most side wagers have minuscule chances of winning, much lower than those of winning in the main game. Discrepancies in the casino odds and the true odds of winning cause a heart-rending peak in the house edges of most side bets.
What is more, the outcome is normally based on chance rather than skill so you better be careful with side bets and post them only occasionally. Side wagers truly are a gold mine from the perspective of live casinos because they increase their take, yielding additional profits.
Live Blackjack Side Bets
| Side Bet |
Perferct Pairs |
21+3 |
Bust It |
Hot 3 |
| Winning Criteria |
First two drawn cards of player/dealer are a pair |
Player’s first two cards and the dealer’s first card form a three-card poker hand |
Player must guess how many cards the dealer will bust with (needs to be more than 3) |
Player’s first two cards and the dealer’s up card must total 19, 20, or 21 |
| Payout |
6 to 1 for a mixed pair
12 to 1 for a colored pair
25 to 1 for a perfect pair |
Range between 5 to 1 and 100 to 1 for different hand rankings |
Even money for 3 cards
2 to 1 for 4 cards
9 to 1 for 5 cards
50 to 1 for 6 cards
100 to 1 for 7 cards
250 to 1 for 8 or more cards |
Even money for a total of 19
2 to 1 for a total of 20
4 to 1 for an unsuited total of 21
20 to 1 for a suited total of 21
100 to 1 for 3 7’s |
| RTP |
95.9% |
96.3% |
93.82% |
94.6% |
Side Bets in Live Dealer Blackjack
Blackjack is one of those casino games whose structure easily yields itself to the introduction of side bets. Many of the live dealer variations available online offer a broad range of options for side bettors, with the most popular side wagers being grouped into two main categories, Perfect Pairs and 21+3 (Rummy). Let’s have a closer look at what they are all about and how they pay.
The Perfect Pairs Group of Side Bets
The 21+3 Group of Side Bets
Other Side Bets in Live Blackjack
The Perfect Pairs Group of Side Bets
These optional wagers win whenever the first two cards of the player or the dealer form a specific pair. The harder it is to obtain a given pair, the higher the payout gets. The player cannot make a Perfect Pairs bet without first placing an initial wager in the main game.
Payouts vary depending on the type of pair you hit. For the purpose of simplicity, we shall use the payoffs awarded at Evolution Gaming live casinos. The Perfect Pairs side bets may offer different prizes in blackjack games powered by other software platforms. The possible combinations include:
- Mixed pairs win whenever you get two offsuit cards of the same rank. Such pairs offer the lowest payout of 6 to 1 since they are the easiest to obtain, especially when playing with eight packs as is the case in most live blackjack variations by Evolution Gaming.
- Colored pairs pay at odds of 12 to 1 whenever the player’s or the dealer’s first two cards are offsuit but of the same color and numerical rank like [2s][2c].
- Perfect pairs offer the highest payout out of all wagers from this category because they are far more difficult to obtain. A “perfect” pair comprises paired cards of the same suit and rank, like two Aces of spades, for example. Most live casinos pay at odds of 25 to 1 for such pairs.
The 21+3 Group of Side Bets
With this category of side bets, the game of blackjack meets poker. Extra high payouts are awarded to players whose first cards and the dealer’s exposed card combine to form different three-card poker hands. Chips are again posted before the round commences.
This is to say you cannot place these side bets on their own. You need to first make a wager in the main blackjack game. Compare the payouts offered by different live-casino software suppliers to ensure you get the best value for your winning 21+3 bets. You receive the following prizes for valid three-card poker hands.
- The Flush pays at odds of 5 to 1 and comprises three cards of the same suit.
- The Straight is formed with three offsuit cards of sequential numerical rank and pays at odds of 10 to 1.
- The offsuit Three of a Kind (offsuit trips) awards a payout of 30 to 1 whenever your first two cards and the dealer’s exposed card are of the same rank but of different suits. One example is any three offsuit Queens like [Qs][Qc][Qh].
- The Straight Flush comes with higher casino odds of 40 to 1. This hand comprises three cards of sequential numerical rank and of the same suit like [Js][Qs][Ks].
- The top payer out of all qualifying three-card poker hands consists of suited Three of a Kind (suited trips). One example is a hand consisting of three Queens of spades. It pays at odds of 100 to 1.
Other Side Bets in Live Blackjack
Apart from Perfect Pairs and 21+3, blackjack offers a proliferation of less common side wagers, such as the Honey Bonus Bet, Lucky 7, Hot 3, Top 3, Bust It, and the Buster Bets. These are less popular albeit extremely entertaining.
Feel free to post them for fun every once in a while but only for nominal amounts and if your online blackjack budget allows it. These side wagers are available at some live blackjack tables powered by Evolution Gaming, BetConstruct, and Playtech.
- The Honey Bonus Bet is less commonly available in online live casinos. It is rather similar to the 21+3 side wagers, the key difference being there is one extra payout awarded for blackjacks consisting of suited cards. This betting option is exclusively available at BetConstruct live casinos. The following hands qualify for additional prizes: Three of a Kind (20 to 1), Straight (10 to 1), Flush (5 to 1), and Suited Blackjack (3 to 1). The house edge for this group of side wagers is 13.51%.
- The Lucky 7 is another exciting side wager exclusively available at the live blackjack tables powered by BetConstruct. Players win with this side wager whenever their hand contains one or more 7s. Whether these are suited or not also matters. You need one of the following hands to earn a payout: at least one 7 (3 to 1), a pair of offsuit 7s (25 to 1), a pair of suited 7s (50 to 1), three offsuit 7s (100 to 1) or three suited 7s (500 to 1).
- The Lucky Lucky side bet is available in RNG-based variations of blackjack but you can also find it at some of the live dealer tables powered by supplier Playtech. To bag a payout, your first two cards and the exposed card of the live dealer must form any of the following combinations: three suited 7s (200 to 1), suited 6/7/8 (100 to 1), three offsuit 7s (50 to 1), offsuit 6/7/8 (25 to 1), suited 21 (15 to 1), and any 19 or 20 (2 to 1).
- The Hot 3 is an enticing side wager you can find in Evolution Gaming’s Infinite Blackjack. This side bet yields extra payouts for certain combinations of cards whose totals add up to 19, 20, or 21. The combination is made up of the player’s first two cards and the dealer’s exposed card. The top payout of 100 to 1 is awarded for three suited 7s. When playing this side bet, you should obviously reconsider some of your splitting decisions.
- The Top 3 comprises another group of side wagers exclusive to Playtech-powered live casinos. You can find them in the live dealer version of All Bets Blackjack. Again, the player’s first two cards and the dealer’s upcard are used to form the qualifying winning combos of three-card poker hands as follows: any offsuit Three of a Kind (90 to 1), Straight Flush (180 to 1), and suited Three of a Kind (270 to 1).
- The Bust It Bet is available in Infinite Blackjack by Evolution Gaming. Unlike the rest of the wagers we covered thus far, Bust It is settled at the end of a gaming round after the dealer has revealed their hole card and completed their hand. The wager pays provided that the dealer breaks their hand with three, four, five, six, seven, eight or more cards. You get even money if the dealer busts with three cards. The top payout of 250 to 1 is awarded whenever the dealer busts with eight or more cards.
- The Buster Bet is almost identical to the Bust It wager, the only difference being it pays in excess of the former whenever the player has a blackjack and the dealer busts with seven (800 to 1) or eight cards (2,000 to 1). The other hands that make payouts include a dealer bust with eight cards without a player blackjack (250 to 1), seven-card dealer bust without player blackjack (50 to 1), six-card dealer bust (18 to 1), five-card dealer bust (4 to 1), and four-card or three-card dealer bust (2 to 1).
Side Bets in Live Casino-Banked Poker
Similarly to blackjack, poker is also capable of supporting a proliferation of side betting options. And by poker, we have in mind the variations where you play against the house’s bank rather than conventional poker where you compete against other players. This allows the poker games to support an almost unlimited number of players. Let’s see what live dealer poker has to offer to side bettors.
The Bonus Side Bet in Live Casino Hold’em Poker
The 5+1 Side Bet in Live Carribean Stud Poker
First 5 Side Bet in Live Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker
Other Side Bets in Live Poker
The Bonus Side Bet in Live Casino Hold’em Poker
Casino Hold’em is a gripping, action-packed live offering provided by Evolution Gaming where the live dealer qualifies with a pair of 4s or better. The Bonus Bet is optional but you cannot post it on its own.
You need to first make an Ante bet to activate the betting spot for this side wager. It is based on your two cards and the flop, i.e. the first three community cards that appear on the board. It wins as long as these five cards form a pair of aces or better. The house edge is 6.26%. Check out the rest of the hands that pay with the bonus bet in the table below:
Bonus Bet Payouts in Casino Hold’em Poker
| Qualifying Hand | Casino Odds for the Bonus Bet |
| Paired aces or better | 7 to 1 |
| Flush | 20 to 1 |
| Full House | 30 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 40 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 50 to 1 |
| Royal Flush | 100 to 1 |
Perhaps more appealing is the Jumbo 7 Jackpot side bet available at some Evolution Gaming-powered casinos that participate in the pools. You post it to play for a massive progressive jackpot that often reaches impressive amounts.
The Jumbo 7 side bet has an even higher house edge of 18.36%. The jackpot is won whenever a player who has posted the jackpot side wager obtains a seven-card Straight Flush with their two cards and the five community cards on the board. This qualifies you for the entire jackpot. Other valid hands can earn you a portion of the pot as well. We feature the full paytable for this progressive side wager below.
Payouts for the Jumbo 7 Progressive Bet in Live Casino Hold’em Poker
| Qualifying Hand | Payout |
| Seven-Card Straight Flush | The entire progressive jackpot |
| Six-Card Straight Flush | $5,000 |
| Five-Card Straight Flush | $250 |
| Four of a Kind | $50 |
| Full House | $5 |
| Flush | $4 |
| Straight | $2 |
The 5+1 Side Bet in Live Carribean Stud Poker
Caribbean Stud is yet another exciting live variation of poker where you play against the house’s bank and get the chance to increase your earnings by posting optional side bets. The game plays with a standard deck of 52 cards as the Jokers are removed.
A round starts with the player posting a bet in the Ante box. Both the dealer and the player receive five cards each but only one of the dealer’s cards is dealt face-up. No community cards are in play. The dealer qualifies with Ace/King or higher.
However, the main thing of interest here is the optional 5+1 Bonus Bet. It yields a payout whenever your five cards and the dealer’s exposed card form a five-card poker hand. You need Three of a Kind or better to pocket an additional payout. The side bet yields a house advantage of 8.56%. Below is the full paytable for the 5+1 Bonus Bet.
5+1 Bonus Bet Paytable in Live Caribbean Stud Poker
| Qualifying Five-Card Poker Hand | Bonus Casino Odds |
| Royal Flush | 1,000 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 200 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 100 to 1 |
| Full House | 20 to 1 |
| Flush | 15 to 1 |
| Straight | 10 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 7 to 1 |
First 5 Side Bet in Live Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker
Live Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker is available exclusively at live casinos that run on the Evolution Gaming platform. As the name suggests, the game borrows its rules heavily from the conventional Texas Hold’em game, the chief difference being you play against the house.
Also, the player is not required to post a bet after the river card as is the case in traditional Texas Hold’em. After the initial deal, the player can either fold or post a bet equal to 2x their ante. Once the flop is dealt, you can either make a turn bet equal to your ante or check. Following the turn, you can make a river bet equal to your ante or check again.
The game offers two exciting side wagers, the first one being the Bonus Bet. It is settled based on your two face-up cards and the dealer’s initial cards. Different payouts are awarded depending on the strength of the hand you form.
Bonus Bet Payouts in Live Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker
| Qualifying Hand | Payout |
| Ace/Ace (Player and Dealer) | 1,000 to 1 |
| Ace/Ace (Player) | 30 to 1 |
| Suited Ace/King | 25 to 1 |
| Suited Ace/Queen or Ace/Jack | 20 to 1 |
| Offsuit Ace/King | 15 to 1 |
| King/King, Queen/Queen, Jack/Jack | 10 to 1 |
| Offsuit Ace/Queen or Ace/Jack | 5 to 1 |
| Paired Tens through Deuces | 3 to 1 |
But this is not all Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker has to offer in terms of side wagers. You can win a share of the huge progressive pot by posting the optional First 5 Jackpot wager. The entire progressive prize is awarded for a Royal Flush. Smaller portions of the jackpot are distributed between those who play the progressive side bet and obtain at least Three of a Kind.
First 5 Jackpot Side Bet Payouts in Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker
| Qualifying Hand | Payout |
| Royal Flush | Wins the entire current jackpot |
| Straight Flush | $2,500 |
| Four of a Kind | $250 |
| Full House | $50 |
| Flush | $25 |
| Straight | $10 |
| Three of a Kind | $3 |
Other Side Bets in Live Poker
Casino-banked poker offers no shortage of rarer side bets you can make occasionally for fun. Most of the wagers we describe below are exclusive to the live poker variations developed by the Evolution Gaming studio. Below are the brief descriptions of each type of side wager along with the name of the poker game that features it.
- The Trips Bonus Bet is on offer in the live variation of Ultimate Texas Hold’em, which Evolution Gaming developed in partnership with the Scientific Games software studio. This side bet adds more variety to your gaming session, giving you the chance to earn extra payouts for five-card poker hands formed with your two cards and three of the cards on the community board. The following hands pay: Three of a Kind (3 to 1), Straight (4 to 1), Flush (7 to 1), Full House (8 to 1), Four of a Kind (30 to 1), Straight Flush (40 to 1), and Royal Flush (50 to 1).
- Players can find the Pair Plus Bonus Bet in Evolution Gaming’s Live Three Card Poker where the live dealers qualify with Queen High or better. Unlike the poker variations we have discussed so far, here both the player and the dealer get three cards rather than five. The dealer’s hand is dealt face-down, of course. Additional payouts are credited for winning Pair Plus side bets: pairs (even-money), Flush (4 to 1), Straight (5 to 1), Three of a Kind (30 to 1), Straight Flush (40 to 1), and Mini Royal Flush of Ace/King/Queen (100 to 1).
- The 6 Card Bonus Bet is another exciting betting option for those who play Live Three Card Poker. The goal here is to achieve one of the five-card poker hands in the bonus paytable by using your own three cards and the three cards of the dealer. You can win the following prizes: Three of a Kind (7 to 1), Straight (10 to 1), Flush (15 to 1), Full House (20 to 1), Four of a Kind (100 to 1), Straight Flush (200 to 1), and Royal Flush (1,000 to 1).
Side Bets Paytables Comparison
We mentioned earlier side bets pay at different casino odds, depending on which platform your live casino of choice uses. Because of this, it is highly recommended to compare what different software providers offer in terms of payouts so you can choose the platform that gives you the most value for your money.
We believe the side-by-side comparison featured in the table below will save you lots of time and effort. The table includes the payouts for the two most popular groups of side wagers – Perfect Pairs and 21+3.
Side Bet Payouts Offered by Different Live Casino Platforms
| Side Bet |
Evolution Gaming |
Ezugi |
NetEnt |
Playtech |
Visionary iGaming |
BetConstruct |
Extreme Live Gaming |
| Perfect Pairs |
25 to 1 |
25 to 1 |
30 to 1 |
25 to 1 |
11 to 1 |
25 to 1 |
25 to 1 |
| Colored Pairs |
12 to 1 |
12 to 1 |
10 to 1 |
12 to 1 |
11 to 1 |
12 to 1 |
12 to 1 |
| Mixed Pairs |
6 to 1 |
6 to 1 |
5 to 1 |
6 to 1 |
11 to 1 |
5 to 1 |
6 to 1 |
| Suited Trips |
100 to 1 |
100 to 1 |
100 to 1 |
100 to 1 |
9 to 1 |
N/A |
100 to 1 |
| Straight Flush |
40 to 1 |
40 to 1 |
40 to 1 |
40 to 1 |
9 to 1 |
N/A |
40 to 1 |
| Offsuit Trips |
30 to 1 |
25 to 1 |
25 to 1 |
30 to 1 |
9 to 1 |
N/A |
30 to 1 |
| Straight |
10 to 1 |
10 to 1 |
10 to 1 |
10 to 1 |
9 to 1 |
N/A |
10 to 1 |
| Flushgr |
5 to 1 |
5 to 1 |
5 to 1 |
5 to 1 |
9 to 1 |
N/A |
5 to 1 |
