What are Baccarat Bets and Side Bets

Baccarat is a super straightforward game with just three main betting options. These are the core bets players usually stick to, making it easy to get started.

Beyond the main wagers, Baccarat offers side bets for an extra thrill. While these can offer massive payouts, remember that they also come with a significantly higher house edge, as they're less likely to land. Think of them as a bonus for the adventurous Kiwi punter!

Whether you're a seasoned player or just dipping your toes into online casinos in New Zealand, understanding both the main and side bets is key to enjoying Baccarat and hopefully backing a winner.

What Are the Main Baccarat Bets for Kiwis?

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 main bets comes with different payouts and house edges. Knowing the probabilities is crucial for any smart bettor looking to make informed decisions at New Zealand online casinos.

Betting on the Player

When you bet on the Player, you're backing their hand to be higher than the Banker's. If the Player's hand value is closer to nine than the Banker's, your bet wins. Simple as that!

The Player bet is a solid choice, essentially the opposite of the Banker's bet, which is often considered the top pick by many players.

Betting on the Banker

Betting on the Banker is generally considered the best option for most players. It boasts a low house edge, typically around 1.06%, regardless of the number of decks used. The Banker's hand has a slight statistical advantage due to the order of play, making it the most frequently winning hand.

While it's a smart move to include the Banker's bet in your strategy at any New Zealand online casino, keep in mind the small 5% commission that's usually applied to winning Banker bets.

Betting on a Tie

The Tie bet in Baccarat is a bit of a gamble. The biggest hurdle is that ties are quite rare – both the Banker and Player hands need to have the exact same score, like both hitting a six. This makes it a low-probability outcome.

However, precisely because ties don't happen often, they offer some really attractive payouts. For players who like to chase bigger wins, the Tie bet can be an tempting option, though it comes with a higher house edge.

Let's Talk Baccarat Side Bets in NZ

Side bets in Baccarat are additional wagers you can place during a game. There are loads of them out there, but we'll focus on the most popular ones you might find at your favourite New Zealand online casinos.

It's important for any player to know that side bets are generally seen as quite risky, which is why many players, especially those new to online baccarat gambling, tend to steer clear of them. online baccarat games.

Pair Bets: A Side Bet to Consider?

A Pair bet in Baccarat predicts whether the first two cards dealt in a hand will form a pair (e.g., two 7s). The payout for a pair bet is typically around 11:1, but the house edge can be substantial, often around 11%, depending on the specific online casino you're playing at in New Zealand. You can make a Pair Bet on the Banker's hand, the Player's hand, or sometimes even 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.