What are Baccarat Bets and Side Bets

Baccarat is a super straightforward game to play, mainly because it offers three betting options. These three bets are the core of baccarat and what most players stick to.

Besides the main bets, baccarat players have the option to place side bets, adding an extra layer of thrill for bettors in Nigeria. While side bets can offer massive payouts, they also come with a hefty house edge as they're not as common.

To truly enjoy the game and increase your chances of winning, it's essential for any player in Nigeria to understand both the main baccarat bets and side bets.

Understanding the Different Baccarat Bets in Nigeria

As mentioned, there are three main 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 winning varies, so it's important for Nigerian players to be well-informed.

Placing Your Bet on the Player

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

The Player bet is generally considered the second-best option in baccarat, as it's the alternative to the Banker's bet, which is often the most preferred.

Betting on the Banker: The Smart Choice for Nigerians

Betting on the Banker is often seen as the best option for players in Nigeria, typically boasting a low house edge of around 1.06% regardless of the number of decks used. This hand is frequently favoured because the Banker acts last, increasing its probability of winning.

It's always a smart move to include the Banker's bet in your strategy, but remember to account for the typical 5% commission charged on winnings.

The Thrill of Betting on a Tie

Betting on a Tie has its ups and downs. The main challenge is that ties are quite rare – both the Banker and Player hands need to have the exact same score. For instance, both could end up with a score of 6.

However, because ties don't happen often, they usually come with very attractive payouts, which some players might find appealing for a potential big win.

Exploring Baccarat Side Bets for Nigerian Players

Side bets are additional wagers you can place during a game of Baccarat. While there are many types of side bets available, we'll focus on the most popular ones you might encounter in Nigerian online casinos.

It's crucial for players to know that side bets are generally considered quite risky, which is why many players opt to avoid them when playing online baccarat games.

The Pair Bet: A Side Wager to Consider

The Pair bet is a wager on whether the first two cards dealt in a hand will form a pair. The payout for a Pair Bet is typically around 11:1, but the house edge can climb to about 11%, depending on the 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.