Baccarat side bets are the optional wagers placed alongside the main Player, Banker, or Tie bet. Their house edges range from about 2.65% on the most player-friendly variant (Dragon Bonus on Player) to nearly 31% on the worst (Tiger Tie). Every common baccarat side bet carries a higher house edge than the main Banker bet at 1.06%. They are entertainment, not strategy. This guide covers the math on every side bet you will encounter in Malaysian-facing casinos and online.
Why Baccarat Has So Many Side Bets
Standard baccarat has only three bets: Player, Banker, Tie. For decades that was the entire game. The proliferation of side bets is a commercial phenomenon of the last 30 years, driven by one simple operator objective: side bets have substantially higher house edges than the main bets, so every ringgit wagered on a side bet generates roughly five to fifteen times the expected revenue of the same ringgit on Banker.
Macau casino operators have been the most active in expanding side bet menus since 2024, with Galaxy Entertainment, Sands China, MGM China, Wynn Macau, Melco, and SJM all rolling out variations on Lucky 6, Small 6 / Big 6 (Tiger), and Lucky 7 across mass-floor tables. Smart-table technology has made the complex payout structures operationally feasible. Industry observers describe this as the “sicbo-isation” of baccarat: turning a simple three-bet game into a sprawling menu of side wagers, similar to the betting variety at a sic bo table. The same expansion is mirrored in online live dealer studios, especially those targeting Asian markets.
For the player, the question is not whether side bets exist (they do, in growing numbers) but whether any of them earn their place in your action. The short answer is no. The long answer takes the rest of this guide.
Pair Bets
Pair bets are the most common baccarat side bet family, available at virtually every live table and most RNG interfaces. The bet wins if the first two cards on the nominated side form a pair (two cards of the same rank, suit irrelevant).
| Pair Bet | Win Condition | Typical Payout | House Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player Pair | Player’s first 2 cards are a pair | 11:1 | 10.36% |
| Banker Pair | Banker’s first 2 cards are a pair | 11:1 | 10.36% |
| Either Pair | Either side gets a pair | 5:1 | ~14% |
| Perfect Pair | Pair of the same suit (e.g., two hearts) | 25:1 | ~17% |
The 10.36% house edge on Player Pair and Banker Pair makes them roughly ten times worse than the main Banker bet per unit wagered. The Perfect Pair variant at 17% is worse still. Either Pair sits between, depending on the specific payout an operator uses.
The appeal of pair bets is the 11:1 hit feeling rewarding when it lands. A pair occurs roughly 7.5% of the time per side; the variance is high. Players who hit a pair on the first hand of a session sometimes treat it as confirmation that the side bet “works.” It does not. Over many sessions, the side bet loses money at 10.36% per ringgit wagered, regardless of when the wins happen to fall.
A few operators offer enhanced pair payouts (12:1 instead of 11:1, occasionally higher). The 12:1 payout reduces the Player Pair house edge to about 2.89% in 8-deck baccarat. Worth taking if you see it; rare in practice.
Dragon Bonus
Dragon Bonus is two separate side bets, one on Player and one on Banker, paying when the nominated side wins by a margin of 4 or more points, or with a natural. The payout structure is tiered:
| Winning Condition | Payout |
|---|---|
| Win by 9 points | 30:1 |
| Win by 8 points | 10:1 |
| Win by 7 points | 6:1 |
| Win by 6 points | 4:1 |
| Win by 5 points | 2:1 |
| Win by 4 points | 1:1 |
| Natural win | 1:1 |
| Natural tie | Push |
House edges (8-deck Punto Banco):
- Dragon Bonus on Player: 2.65%
- Dragon Bonus on Banker: 9.37%
The Player-side Dragon Bonus at 2.65% is one of the least-bad side bets in baccarat. It is still significantly worse than the main Banker bet (1.06%) but is the closest any side bet comes to the main bets in cost. Some recreational players who insist on placing side bets favour Dragon Bonus Player for this reason.
The Banker-side Dragon Bonus at 9.37% is much worse, almost four times the Player-side edge. The asymmetry exists because Banker naturals are more common than Player naturals (due to the third-card drawing rules), so the natural-win payout disproportionately overpays the Banker side. Casinos compensate with the higher house edge.
Dragon Bonus is widely available across Asian-facing operators including Evolution, Pragmatic Play, AE Sexy, and most other live providers. The payout structures are similar across operators with minor variations.
Lucky 6, Super 6, and the 6-Themed Family
Lucky 6 (also called Super 6) pays when the Banker hand wins with a total of 6. The payout structure varies by operator and variant:
| Variant | Payout | House Edge |
|---|---|---|
| Lucky 6 / Super 6 at 12:1 | 12:1 (any Banker 6 win) | 29.98% |
| Lucky 6 / Super 6 at 15:1 | 15:1 (any Banker 6 win) | 13.82% |
| Lucky 6 (Macau current spread) | 12:1 (2-card) / 20:1 (3-card) | ~16.68% |
The Lucky 6 family is one of the worst-priced side bets common in Asian markets. The 29.98% edge on the 12:1 flat variant is genuinely brutal, roughly thirty times the cost of the main Banker bet. Even the more recent 12:1 / 20:1 tiered version still carries 16.68%, fifteen times the Banker edge.
Tiger No Commission Baccarat (originally from Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, now spreading across Macau) splits the Lucky 6 concept into separate two-card and three-card bets:
| Tiger Bet | Win Condition | Payout | House Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Tiger / Small 6 | Banker wins with 2-card total of 6 | 22:1 | 14.33% |
| Big Tiger / Big 6 | Banker wins with 3-card total of 6 | 50:1 | 15.25% |
| Tiger Tie | Banker and Player tie at 6 | varies (35:1 typical) | 30.74% |
| Tiger Pair | Player and Banker first 2 cards form a pair | varies | ~7-9% |
The Tiger bets are spreading because the new payout splits look more attractive to players (the higher per-bet payouts at 22:1 and 50:1 feel like better value), even though the actual house edges sit between 14% and 31%. Industry coverage of the Tiger rollout has explicitly noted these bets are “particularly popular among Malaysian and Singaporean players.” Familiarity does not change the math: all of them lose at multiples of the Banker bet’s rate.
EZ Baccarat Side Bets: Dragon 7 and Panda 8
EZ Baccarat is the no-commission variant covered in our variants guide. It includes two distinctive side bets that complement the base rules:
- Dragon 7: Pays 40:1 when Banker wins with a three-card total of 7. (This is the hand that pushes on the main Banker bet under EZ Baccarat rules, so the side bet is sometimes called the “insurance” against that push.) House edge: 7.61%.
- Panda 8: Pays 25:1 when Player wins with a three-card total of 8. House edge: 10.19%.
Both are worse than the EZ Baccarat main Banker bet (1.02%). The Dragon 7 is the more interesting of the two because it has been the subject of some genuine advantage-play work: counting specific cards in the shoe (8s, 9s, and 7s) can theoretically shift the Dragon 7 edge by larger amounts than counting can shift the main bets. This is covered in our advantage play guide; the practical bottom line is that the technique is hard to execute and not viable for casual play.
Big and Small
Big and Small are side bets based on the total number of cards used in the hand, not on the values or pairs:
| Bet | Win Condition | Payout | House Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | Hand resolves in 4 cards (no third card drawn either side) | 1.5:1 | 5.27% |
| Big | Hand uses 5 or 6 cards (at least one third card drawn) | 0.54:1 | 4.35% |
Big and Small are uncommon outside specific markets but appear occasionally on Pragmatic Live and a few other Asian-facing tables. The 4.35% Big and 5.27% Small house edges make them less terrible than the Lucky 6 / Tiger family, but still substantially worse than the main Banker bet. The relatively low payouts (especially the 0.54:1 on Big) also make them less exciting to play, which is partly why they have not spread as widely as the higher-payout side bets.
Other Side Bets You Might See
The full universe of baccarat side bets is large and growing. A non-exhaustive list of others you may encounter at Asian-facing online operators:
- Lucky 7: Pays on specific 7-totalling outcomes, recently introduced at Sands China properties in Macau. House edges typically 10% to 15% depending on payout structure.
- Super Lucky 7: An enhanced variant of Lucky 7, similar house edge range.
- Royal 9: Pays when a specific natural 9 occurs. Found at some Asian operators. House edge typically above 5%.
- Egalité (tie at specific total): Side bets on the specific total at which a tie occurs (e.g., a tie at 7, a tie at 9). Found mostly in UK and European casinos. House edges are highly variable.
- 3-Card Six: Pays when at least one side wins with a three-card 6. House edge around 13%.
- Dragon, Tiger, Phoenix progressive jackpots: Larger payout side bets sometimes tied to progressive jackpot pools. House edges typically very high (15% to 25%+) before the jackpot contribution is considered.
The pattern across all of these is the same. Operators continue introducing new side bets because side bets generate higher revenue per unit wagered. Players continue placing them because the payouts feel attractive and the variance feels exciting. Neither dynamic changes the math: every common baccarat side bet costs the player meaningfully more per ringgit than the main Banker bet.
The Honest Verdict
Looking at every baccarat side bet covered above against the main Banker bet at 1.06%:
| Bet | House Edge | Expected Loss per RM1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Banker (main bet, reference) | 1.06% | RM10.60 |
| Dragon Bonus (Player side) | 2.65% | RM26.50 |
| Big | 4.35% | RM43.50 |
| Small | 5.27% | RM52.70 |
| Dragon 7 (EZ Baccarat) | 7.61% | RM76.10 |
| Dragon Bonus (Banker side) | 9.37% | RM93.70 |
| Panda 8 (EZ Baccarat) | 10.19% | RM101.90 |
| Player Pair / Banker Pair | 10.36% | RM103.60 |
| Lucky 6 / Super 6 (15:1) | 13.82% | RM138.20 |
| Either Pair | ~14% | RM140 |
| Small Tiger / Small 6 | 14.33% | RM143.30 |
| Big Tiger / Big 6 | 15.25% | RM152.50 |
| Lucky 6 (Macau current) | 16.68% | RM166.80 |
| Perfect Pair | ~17% | RM170 |
| Lucky 6 / Super 6 (12:1 flat) | 29.98% | RM299.80 |
| Tiger Tie | 30.74% | RM307.40 |
The bottom line on baccarat side bets
The best side bet available (Dragon Bonus Player at 2.65%) costs you roughly 2.5 times more per ringgit than betting Banker. The worst (Tiger Tie at 30.74%) costs you 29 times more. There is no version of “correct baccarat play” that includes meaningful side bet exposure. If you want to place small amounts on side bets for entertainment, the math says keep them under 10% of your action; never make them the focus.
Our strategy guide covers what to do instead: bet Banker, manage your bankroll, walk away at your limits. The discipline is boring; the math is not negotiable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is any baccarat side bet a good bet?
No baccarat side bet is mathematically better than the main Banker bet. The least-bad option, Dragon Bonus on the Player side at 2.65% house edge, is still 2.5 times worse than Banker (1.06%). If you enjoy the variance from side bets, the Player-side Dragon Bonus is the least-bad place to put small amounts. None of them belong in serious strategy.
Why do Asian casinos keep adding new baccarat side bets?
Side bets generate substantially higher revenue per ringgit wagered than the main Player, Banker, and Tie bets. Macau and Singapore operators have been the most active in expanding side bet menus since 2024, driven by smart-table technology that makes complex payouts operationally feasible. Industry observers describe the trend as the “sicbo-isation” of baccarat, mirroring the wide variety of bets at a sic bo table. The expansion is commercial, not in the player’s interest.
Can I count cards to beat baccarat side bets?
Card counting against the main bets in baccarat gains approximately 0.01% per hand, mathematically useless. A few side bets (notably the Dragon 7 in EZ Baccarat) have larger card-dependent variance and have been the subject of advantage-play work showing that specific counting techniques can theoretically generate small player edges. The technique is hard to execute, the edge is small, and the variance is brutal. Our advantage play guide covers the details.
Are pair bets a good way to get a quick payout?
Pair bets pay 11:1 (sometimes 12:1) when they hit, but they hit only about 7.5% of the time per side. The 10.36% house edge means that over many sessions, every ringgit wagered on pair bets loses an average of about RM103.60 per RM1,000 wagered. The big-hit feel is real; the long-run cost is too. Treat them as entertainment if at all.
What is the Tiger bet I’m seeing at more online tables?
Tiger refers to the Small Tiger / Big Tiger side bets first deployed at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and now spreading across Macau operators. Small Tiger pays 22:1 on a Banker win with a two-card total of 6 (14.33% house edge). Big Tiger pays 50:1 on a Banker win with a three-card total of 6 (15.25% house edge). The Tiger Tie variant pays on a tie at total 6 with a brutal 30.74% house edge. The Tiger family is popular among Asian players because of the high payouts; the math behind those payouts is uniformly bad for the bettor.
If I want to add some variance, what’s the smallest side bet exposure I should consider?
If you place side bets at all, keep them under 10% of your total per-hand wagering. For example: RM10 on Banker plus RM1 on Dragon Bonus Player. The math is straightforward: a small side bet alongside Banker adds a small high-edge wager to a low-edge base, so the combined expected loss is mostly determined by the larger Banker bet. Larger side bet ratios pull the combined edge closer to the side bet’s higher number. Our strategy guide covers the bankroll discipline that supports this approach.
Baccarat side bets are entertainment surcharges. The math on every one of them is worse than the main Banker bet, and the Asian-market expansion of new side bets is driven by operator economics, not player value. Our bet types and payouts guide covers the main Player, Banker, and Tie bets in detail, and our strategy guide distils the practical takeaway. For the rules behind the math, see the rules guide; for the variant rules that introduce side bets like Dragon 7 and Panda 8, see the variants guide. When you are ready to play for ringgit, our best online baccarat casinos for Malaysia page lists the operators we rate most highly. Back to the baccarat pillar for the full cluster overview.