What are Baccarat Bets and Side Bets

Baccarat is a super straightforward game in terms of betting, offering three primary options. These three are the core bets, and most players tend to stick with them.

On top of the main bets, baccarat also lets you place side bets, which add an extra thrill for players. While side bets can offer massive payouts, they come with a pretty high house edge because they're less likely to hit.

To really enjoy baccarat and have a shot at winning, it’s essential to get a handle on both the main bets and the side bets.

Understanding Your Baccarat Bet Options in Canada

As we've touched on, baccarat primarily revolves around three main bets: wagering on the Player's hand to win, betting on the Banker's hand to win, or predicting a Tie.game of baccaratIt's good to know these options when playing online in Canada.

Each of these main bets comes with different payouts and house edges. Since the probability of each bet winning varies, it's wise for bettors to be well-informed.

Betting on the Player

When you bet on the Player, you're essentially betting that the Player's hand will end up with a higher score than the Banker's. If the Player's total is closer to 9, that hand wins.

Betting on the Player is a solid choice, though it's generally considered the second-best option compared to the Banker bet, which is often favoured.

Betting on the Banker

Betting on the Banker is frequently the top pick for savvy players. The house edge is exceptionally low, usually around 1.06%, no matter how many decks are used. This bet is popular because the Banker's hand has a slight statistical advantage, often making it the winning hand.

It's a smart move to consider the Banker's bet in your strategy, but remember that most casinos in Canada charge a small commission (typically 5%) on winning Banker bets.

Betting on a Tie

Betting on a Tie has its ups and downs. The biggest hurdle is that ties are quite rare events in baccarat. It requires both the Banker's and Player's hands to have the exact same score, like both landing on a 6.

Because tie outcomes are infrequent, they usually offer very attractive payouts, which can appeal to some players looking for bigger wins.

Exploring Baccarat Side Bets for Canadian Players

Side bets are extra wagers you can place during a baccarat game. There are numerous types of side bets available, but we'll focus on the most common and popular ones for players enjoying baccarat online in Canada.

It's crucial for players to understand that side bets are generally considered high-risk. Because of this, many players opt to steer clear of them when playing online baccarat.online baccarat gamesin Canada.

The Pair Bet

The Pair bet is a wager on whether the first two cards dealt to either the Player or the Banker 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. You can place a Pair Bet on the Banker's hand, the Player's hand, or 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.