What are Baccarat Bets and Side Bets

Baccarat is a game that's incredibly straightforward, mainly because it offers just three betting choices. These three bets are known as the core bets in baccarat, and most players tend to stick with them.

On top of the standard bets, players can opt for baccarat side bets, which add an extra layer of thrill to the game. While side bets can offer massive payouts, it's worth noting that the house edge is also substantial, meaning they don't occur very often.

Understanding both the main baccarat bets and the side bets is crucial for any player in Pakistan who wants to truly enjoy the game and also see some success.

Exploring Baccarat Bet Types in Pakistan

As mentioned, there are three primary bets in the game of baccarat: betting on the player’s hand to win, betting on the banker’s hand to win, or betting on a tie.

Each of these three main bets comes with different payouts and house edges. The probability of each bet occurring also varies, so it’s vital for players to be well-informed about these odds.

Betting on the Player Hand

When you bet on the Player, you're essentially predicting that the player's hand will end up with a higher score than the banker's hand. If the player's hand value is closer to 9, then that hand wins.

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

Betting on the Banker Hand

Betting on the Banker is often seen as the strongest choice, with a house edge usually around 1.06%, regardless of the number of decks used. The Banker bet is highly preferred in baccarat due to the game's flow where the banker acts last, making this hand statistically more likely to win.

It's a smart move for players to incorporate the Banker's bet into their strategy in Pakistan, but remember to factor in the typical 5% commission that is usually applied to winning Banker bets.

Betting on a Tie

Betting on a Tie has its highs and lows. The main challenge with Tie bets is that they are quite rare. For a tie to occur, both the Banker's and Player's hands must have the exact same score, like both getting a total of 6.

However, because Tie outcomes are infrequent, they usually come with very attractive payouts, which can be a tempting option for some players looking for a big win.

What Are Baccarat Side Bets?

Side bets are additional wagers players can make during a game of Baccarat. While there are numerous types of side bets available, we’ll focus on the most popular ones for this guide.

It's important for players in Pakistan to know that side bets are generally considered high-risk. For this reason, many players tend to avoid them when playing online baccarat games.

The Pair Bet

The Pair Bet involves predicting whether the first two cards dealt for either the Player or Banker (or both) will form a pair. The payout for a Pair Bet is typically 11:1, but the house edge can be as high as 11%, depending on the specific online casino in Pakistan.

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.