Baccarat Side Bets: Tips, Tricks and 6 Bets That Are Worth a Try
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Are you curious about spicing up your gameplay with baccarat side bets and eager to explore new winning strategies? Let our experts introduce you to the 6 most popular side bets, and show you strategies to maximize your winnings. From Lucky Bonus to Dragon 7, explore the top bets and expert tips for a thrilling gaming experience.
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#1. Lucky Bonus
Lucky Bonus, also known as “Super 6,” is a side bet available in some online baccarat variants. This side bet is a wager on the banker hand being a winning 6.
The Super 6 side bet only pays when the winning hand is the banker with a total of six. This side bet pays out 12:1. Although some live casinos offer odds of 18:1 on this side bet.
The advantage of a player hand can reach 2.34%, making it impossible to bet more than 10% of the banker bet on the lucky bonus side bet. The combined house edge of this side bet is 1.1%
#2. Combined Value Bets
Certain online gambling sites with live dealer games allow casino players to make various side bets on the combined value of the outcome of the player and banker hands.
A common type of side bet in this case is whether both hands will return a combined value of above or below 9.5. A successful bet above 9.5 returns a payout of 1.66:1, while a successful bet below 9.5 returns a payout of 2.23:1.
Players can also place a side bet on whether the combined value of the banker and player hands will return an odd or even value. A successful bet on a combined odd value returns a payout of 1.92:1, while a successful bet on a combined even value returns a payout of 1.91:1. This side bet has a house edge of 8.15%
Quik is another popular combined value side bet. This often features payout on the total value of banker and player hand as listed below:
| Total value | Usual payout |
|---|---|
| 0 | 50:1 |
| 1-3 | 1:1 |
| 4-14 | Bet lost |
| 15-17 | 1:1 |
| 18 | 25:1 |
#3. Dragon Bonus
The Dragon Bonus side bet is common on many online casino baccarat variants. It also has different payout structures, which depend on the casino platforms.
This side bet lets baccarat players wager on either the player or banker hand to win by a specific margin; this margin is usually 4+ points. It has a house edge of 2.65% for the player hand and 9.37% for the banker hand.
Dragon Bonus bet allows players to win with a natural 8 or 9 with a margin. For example, if the baccarat player’s hand has a natural 9 and the banker’s initial hand is 3, this will count as a margin of 6 points. The payout table is as follows:
| Victory margin | Usual payout |
|---|---|
| 3 points or less | Bet lost |
| 4 points | 1:1 |
| 5 points | 2:1 |
| 6 points | 4:1 |
| 7 points | 6:1 |
| 8 points | 10:1 |
| 9 points | 30:1 |
Check out Temple Nile Casino and try out this baccarat side bet. This is the best payout site for the Dragon Bonus bet.
#4. Big and Small / 4-5-6
This side bet is based on the total number of cards the banker and player’s hands will finish the baccarat round with. There are three options ( 4, 5, or 6), all with different payout rates.
A small bet wins when the game ends with four cards, with a payout of 3:2 and a house edge of 5.27%. A big bet wins when the game ends with five or six cards, with a payout of 2:1 and a house edge of 4.35%.
#5. Dragon 7
Dragon 7, also known as “Tiger 7,” “Golden 7,” or “The Phoenix”, is a specific outcome wager. The side bet is placed on the banker winning with a perfect 7, this means three-card hands worth 7.
Dragon 7 is most frequently placed by Chinese gamblers but is common in many online baccarat sites. The bet usually has a payout of 40:1 and a house edge of 7.61%. Baccarat players are advised to make Dragon 7 side bet in the following situations:
- K, Q, J, T in either position 2 or 4.
- 7 in either position 5 or 6.
- 6 in either position 1, 3, 5, or 6.
- 5 into either location 5 or 6.
- 4 placing into any location 5 or 6.
- 3 into any location 2, 4, or 5.
- 2 into any location 2, 4, or 5.
- Ace into any location 2 or 4
#6. Bellagio Match
Bellagio match is one of the most popular baccarat side bets. In this side bet type, the wager is on the player or banker getting a hand containing a three-of-a-kind (three same cards of different suits).
For a player’s three-of-a-kind hand, the payout is 75:1 and a house edge of 5.27%, while a banker’s three-of-a-kind payout is 68:1 and a house edge of 8.57%. Getting this side bet is rare in baccarat, especially when you compare it with other side bets. Its low chance of winning is well reflected by its high payout value.
You can check out CasiGO and try out this bet at most of their live baccarat lobbies.
Baccarat Side Bet Tips from Our Pros
Before you bet your money on any baccarat side bet, it is first important to fully know what side bets are available at the baccarat table you will be playing. This information can vary greatly among casino variants on different online gambling sites. Understanding this helps put you in a better position to strategize. It is also highly important to keep your gambling budget in mind because side bets require extra wagers which will require more funds from time to time.
- Avoid tie bets – Pros generally advise new baccarat players to avoid betting on ties due to the high house edge. This same advice also applies to side bets, which, in many cases, have even higher house edges. If you have a small budget, it is generally advisable to stick to side bets with lower house edges.
- Try free baccarat in demo – The best way to get familiar with various side bets is to bet on them after reading how they work. This means that baccarat games with demo modes are of high value and can be really helpful to understanding the side bets. Experimenting without your real money can be a good way to become a baccarat pro, and see how the house edges affect your gameplay.
- Go for banker or player only – A common strategy that can be helpful is to use the player-only or banker-only method. This simple strategy requires you to keep betting on one side or the other until it loses one hand. Once that happens, switch to the other side.
- Use live dealer bonuses – If there isn’t a demo available for the game you want to play, you can redeem a live casino bonus, and use the extra funds to extend your play and try out the side bets with less risk involved. We recommend LeoVegas’ live dealer promos as a good starting point.
Baccarat Side Bets: Are They Really Worth It?
Similar to many other table games with side bets like blackjack, baccarat side bets are completely based on luck and can’t be fully trusted with a sense of strategy. While these bets offer both games a slim chance of winning as suggested by their large payouts and large house edge.
Casino players can boost their gambling experience and have more fun with baccarat side bets while not necessarily boosting their winnings. All side bets should be carefully chosen, and players should ensure that they assess their winning chances as well as they can.
However, players who do not enjoy being limited to one bet per game round will get a better baccarat experience with side bets. When these bets also return successfully, players can enjoy a significant payout that would have been impossible to get with standard bets.