The Baccarat game is very simple because it gives you three possible betting options. These three bets are considered the main bets in baccarat and are what players usually stick to.
In addition to the main bets, players also have the option to place some Baccarat side bets, which provide players with an extra level of excitement. At the same time, side bets have a huge payout, but the house edge is also huge because the probability of them occurring is small.
Understanding both the main baccarat bets and side bets is essential for any player who wants to both enjoy and succeed at the game.
Types of Baccarat bets
As already mentioned, there are three main types of baccarat bets; betting on the player's hand to win, betting on the banker's hand to win, or on a draw.
Each of the three main bets offers different payouts and a house edge. The probability of each bet is different, so bettors should be well informed about this.
Betting on the player
If a player has placed a bet on the player, it basically means that he has placed a bet that his hand will be better than the banker's. So, if the player's hand value is closer to 9, the player's hand will be the one that wins.
The player's bet is the second best choice in baccarat because it is the opposite of the banker's bet, which is the most preferred.
Banker's bets
Banker's bets are always the best option because the house edge is only 1.06%, regardless of the number of decks played. The banker's bet is the most preferred bet in baccarat due to the order of play in which the banker is always the last to act, this hand has the highest chance of winning.
It is always a good idea for a player to include a banker's bet in his strategy, but the 5% commission must be taken into account.
Tie bets
Tie bets have their advantages and disadvantages. The biggest problem with tie bets is that this option is very unlikely because both the banker's and the player's hands must be equally valued, for example if both players get an equal score of 6.
But due to the fact that a tie is rare, it has very good payouts that some players can take advantage of.
Baccarat Side Bets Explained
Side bets are additional bets that players can place while playing baccarat. There are simply dozens of side bets, but for the purposes of today's guide, we will only focus on the most popular and widespread ones.
It is important for every player to know that side bets are considered very risky, so most players avoid placing them when playing online baccarat.
Pair Bet
The Pair Bet predicts whether two cards dealt together will form a pair. The payout for a pair bet is 11:1, but the house edge is around 11%, depending on the online casino. A pair bet can be placed on the banker's hand, the player's hand, or both.
All black/red
An all black or red bet is a bet on whether the hand will contain only black or red cards.
The all-black bet offers a payout of 24:1 with a house edge of 6.53%, while 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 you can see in many online casinos, such as Big and Small. Large and small bets are based on the total number of cards in play. This bet is highly dependent on how the player's hand is played. If there are finally 4 cards on the board, 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 land a 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 ranges from 5.27% to 8.57%.
dragon bonus
The idea is for either hand to win naturally by an exact point margin. The higher the margin, the larger the payout:
- 9 points - 30:1