What are Baccarat Bets and Side Bets

The game of Baccarat is remarkably straightforward, offering players three primary betting options. These three bets are the core of the game and are typically what players focus on.

Beyond these main bets, experienced players might also explore Baccarat side bets, which can add an extra layer of thrill. While side bets can offer substantial payouts, it's crucial to remember they come with a higher house edge, as they are statistically less likely to occur.

Understanding both the core Baccarat bets and the supplementary side bets is key for any player in Ireland looking to both enjoy the game and potentially see some success.

What are the Main Baccarat Bets?

As mentioned, the game of baccarat offers three main betting options: bet on the Player's hand to win, bet on the Banker's hand to win, or bet on a Tie.

Each of these main bets comes with different payouts and house edges. The probability of each bet winning varies, so it’s wise for gamblers in Ireland to be informed about these differences.

Betting on the Player

When you bet on the Player, you're essentially backing their hand to score higher than the Banker's hand. If the Player's hand value is closer to 9, it wins.

The Player bet is generally considered the second-best option in Baccarat, as it's the inverse of the Banker bet, which is often the most favoured choice.

Betting on the Banker

Betting on the Banker is often viewed as the most strategic option in Baccarat. It typically boasts the lowest house edge, around 1.06%, regardless of the number of decks used. This hand is generally more likely to win due to the order of play, with the Banker acting last.

Incorporating the Banker bet into your strategy is usually a sound decision for players in Ireland, though it's important to account for the standard 5% commission on winning Banker bets.

Betting on a Tie

Betting on a Tie presents both opportunities and drawbacks. The primary challenge with a Tie bet is its rarity; it requires both the Banker's and Player's hands to have an identical score (e.g., both ending with 7).

However, precisely because Ties are infrequent, they typically offer very attractive payouts, which some players might find worthwhile for a high-risk, high-reward play.

Getting to Grips with Baccarat Side Bets

Side Bets are additional wagers you can place during a game of Baccarat. While there are numerous side bets available, this guide will focus on the most popular and commonly found ones.

It's important for players to know that side bets are generally considered quite risky, which is why many players in Ireland opt to steer clear of them when playing online baccarat games.

The Pair Bet

The Pair bet is a wager on whether the first two cards dealt for either the Player or Banker hand will form a pair. While the payout for a Pair bet can be around 11:1, the house edge can be substantial, sometimes reaching as high as 11%, depending on the specific online casino in Ireland. You can place a Pair Bet on the Banker's hand, the Player's hand, or even on both.

All Black/ Red

The all black or red side bet is a wager on whether the hand will contain only black or red cards.

The all-black bet offers a 24:1 payout with a house edge of 6.53%, whereas the all-red bet has a slightly lower payout of 22:1, but the house edge is 14%.

Big/ Small

There are other side bets that can be seen in many online casinos, like Big and Small. The big and small bets are to bet on the total number of cards in play. This bet is strongly dependent on how the player’s hand is played. If, in the end, there are 4 cards on the table, the small bet wins, but if there are 5 or 6 cards, the big bet wins.

Bellagio Match

The Bellagio match is a side bet on whether the hand will get three of a kind. The Bellagio match has a payout of 68:1 for the banker’s hand, and 75:1 for the player’s hand. The house edge varies from 5.27% to 8.57%.

Dragon Bonus

It is about either hand winning with a natural hand with an exact point margin. The higher margin, the bigger payout:

• 9 points - 30:1
• 8 points = 10:1
• 7 points = 6:1
• 6 points = 4:1
• 5 points = 2:1
• 4 points = 1:1
• 3 points or fewer = Loss.

The house edge for the dragon bonus is usually about 2.65% for the player’s hand, but it goes up to 9.37% for the banker’s hand.

Lucky Bonus

Lucky baccarat bonus bets are among the most exciting side options that the game offers. This is a wager for the banker's hand to win while being worth 6 points. The game has a great payout of 18:1, with a house edge of just 2.34%.

Matching Dragon

The Matching dragon is a wager about how many cards of a specific rank the banker and the player will be dealt. The matching dragon side bet has a house edge of $16.99 = %. Here are the payouts for the matching dragon side bets in baccarat:

• 6 cards = 100:1 payout
• 5 cards = 60:1
• 4 cards = 40:1
• 3 cards = 20:1
• 2 cards = 3:1
• 1 card = 1:1
• No cards of a specific rank = Loss

Bets to Avoid

Side Bets alongside Tie Bet are not likely to happen often. So, for every player who is tempted to create a strategy, in which his chances of winning are as high as possible, side bets and tie bets have to be excluded.

Overall, betting on a tie and side bets in Baccarat is something that any player should avoid, in order to keep his chances of being profitable in the long term.

When to place side bets in Baccarat?

The baccarat side bets can work against the player in most cases, as they have a huge house edge, and the high payouts usually don’t cover the losses. But, if the player has a good side bets betting strategy, they can really bring some fascinating profits in the long term. Unfortunately, that requires a huge budget and a lot of patience.

Are Side Bets Worth it?

Even beginners are aware of the fact that most online casinos offer baccarat tables with side bets available, and these bets have to be avoided. The statistical odds of any side bet happening are so low that in the long term, it’s nearly impossible to come into profit.

Conclusion

Baccarat is a game that offers a range of different bets for players to choose from. The straightforward way to approach the game is by sticking to the main banker, player, and Tie bets. On the other hand, if the player is seeking more excitement, there are some baccarat side bets in addition to the main ones.

Side bets have higher payouts but are a lot riskier. So, it’s recommended to stick to the main three. The benefit of knowing both baccarat bets and baccarat side bets will give the player a clear vision of what odds he has to win and increase them.