Baccarat Side Bets

Unless stated otherwise, the following results assume that baccarat is being dealt from an eight-deck shoe with the cut card placed at 14 cards. The standard baccarat burn card and cut card rules are used. Card counting tags are given in the order (A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, T).

3 Giving 8

Pays 200-to-1 if the Banker hand starts with a two-card total of 3 and the Player hand draws a third card of an 8.

House edge: 8.682
Variance: 182.715
Use tags: (1, 1, -3, 1, 1, 1, 1. -8, 1, 1)
Trigger true count: +2
Bet frequency: 23.207%
Average edge: 16.926%
Units won per 100 hands: 3.928
Desirability Index: 6.03

88 89 98 99

Pays 20-to-1 if the final result of the hand is 88, 89, 98 or 99, no matter the number of cards.

House edge: 7.372%
Variance: 18.594
Use tags: (1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, -3, -3, 1)
Trigger true count: +4
Bet frequency: 13.61%
Average edge: 8.91%
Units won per 100 hands: 1.213
Desirability Index: 7.62

9 over 7 (natural 9)

Wins and pays 50-to-1 if the result of the hand is that one hand is either Player natural 9, Banker = 7 or Player = 7, Banker natural 9.

House edge: 8.103%
Use tags: (0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, -5, 1, -5, 1)
Trigger true count: +6
Bet frequency: 14.33%
Average edge: 10.85%
Units won per 100 hands: 1.56

9 over 7 (both sides have 3 cards)

Wins and pays 200-to-1 if the result of the hand is 9-7 (either way) and both Player and Banker have 3 cards.

House edge: 11.887%
Use tags: (1, 0, 0, -1, -2, -1, -2, 1, 0, 1)
Trigger true count: +5
Bet frequency: 7.94%
Average edge: 10.02%
Units won per 100 hands: 0.796

Baccarat Insurance

Many different insurance bets available.
Insuring natural 9, use tags: (-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,12,-1)
Trigger true count: +10.
Bet frequency: 1.495%
Average edge: 8.012%
Units won per 100 hands: 0.120

Bad Beat

Wins and pays 50-to-1 if the result of the hand is a natural 9 beating a natural 8.

House edge: 8.459%
Use tags: 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, -5, -5, 1)
Trigger true count: +6
Bet frequency: 14.31%
Average edge: 10.54%
Units won per 100 hands: 1.51

Big Tiger (pays 50-to-1)

Pays 50-to-1 if the result of the hand is a 3-card winning Banker total of 6.

House edge: 15.253%
Variance: 42.503
Use tags: (0, 0, -1, -1, -1, -2, 1, 2, 2, 0)
Trigger true count: +8
Bet frequency: 3.54%
Average edge: 7.23%
Units won per 100 hands: 0.256
Desirability Index: 2.08

Big Tiger (pays 55-to-1)

Pays 55-to-1 if the result of the hand is a 3-card winning Banker total of 6.

House edge: 6.945%
Variance: 51.252
Use tags: (0, 0, -1, -1, -1, -2, 1, 2, 2, 0)
Trigger true count: +3
Bet frequency: 15.28%
Average edge: 6.66%
Units won per 100 hands: 1.017
Desirability Index: 3.64

Blazing 7’s

Wins if the Player and Banker have a total of 7 using the same number of cards. Pays 50-to-1 if both hands have two cards. Pays 200-to-1 if both hands have three cards.

House edge: 7.780%
Variance: 115.887
Use tags: (1, 0, -1, -1, -1, 0, -6, 2, 2, 1)
Trigger true count: +4
Bet frequency: 19.68%
Average edge: 10.44%
Units won per 100 hands: 2.05
Desirability index: 4.30

Colour Match

Colour Match is based on the first four cards dealt. If these four cards are all the same color (four red or four black) then the player is paid 6-to-1 for his wager.

House edge: 13.764%
Variance: 5.293
Use red/black count (red = +1, black = -1)
Trigger true count: ±12
Bet frequency: 2.075%
Average edge: 23.665%
Units won per 100 hands: 0.491

Cover All

Wins and pays 6-to-1 if any of the following happens: 1) a winning Banker three-card total of 7; 2) a winning Player three-card total of 8; 3) Player or Banker has a three-card total of 9; 4) Player and Banker both have a total of 7 and use the same number of cards.

House edge: 2.966%
Variance: 5.851
Use tags: (1, 0, 0, -1, -1, -1, -2, 0, 0, 1)
Bet frequency: 19.30%
Average edge: 3.56%
Units won per 100 hands: 0.688
Desirability index: 6.47

Dragon Bonus (Player)

The Dragon Bonus wager can be made on either Playr or Banker. It wins if the side wagered on wins by a natural, or else wins by 4 or more points. The pay tables are based on the size of the winning margin. Because of the low win-rate for counting Player and the much higher edge for Banker, only the Player bet is considered.

House edge (Player): 2.652%
House edge (Banker): 9.373%
Variance (Player): 6.119
Use tags: (2, 3, 3, 1, 0, 0, -1, -2, -2, -1)
Trigger true count: +7
Bet frequency: 8.89%
Average edge: 1.70%
Units won per 100 hands: 0.151

Dragon 7

Wins and pays 40-to-1 if the result of the hand is a winning Banker three-card total of 7.

House edge: 7.611%
Variance: 37.026
Use tags: (0, 0, 0, -1, -1, -1, -1, 2, 2, 0)
Trigger true count: +4
Bet frequency: 9.16%
Average edge: 8.03%
Units won per 100 hands: 0.734

Easy Six

Wins and pays 6-to-1 if either the Player or Banker wins on six points, or if a tie occurs on six points.

House edge: 5.041%
Variance: 5.786
Use tags: (0,0,0,0,0,-3,1,1,1,0)
Trigger true count: +2
Bet frequency: 19.053%
Average edge: 5.733%
Units won per 100 hands: 1.092

Fortune 7

See the Dragon 7 side bet.

Heavenly 9

Wins if the Player or Banker has a 3-card total of 9. Pays 10-to-1 if one does. Pays 75-to-1 if both do.

House edge: 9.311%
Variance: 19.340
Use tags: (1, 1, 0, -1, -1, -1, -1, 0, -2, 1)
Trigger true count: +7
Bet frequency: 4.01%
Average edge: 6.70%
Units won per 100 hands: 0.268
Desirability index: 3.05

Lucky 7

Wins if the Player wins with a total of 7. Two-card winning Player 7 pays 7-to-1. Three-card winning Player 7 pays 15-to1.

House edge: 12.861%
Variance: 9.705
Use tags: (0, -1, -1, 0, 0, 0, -4, 3, 3, 0)
Trigger true count: +14
Bet frequency: 2.52%
Average edge: 5.79%
Units won per 100 hands: 0.146
Desirability index: 2.95

Lucky Nines

Wins if there are one or more Nines dealt in the first four cards. The payout is according to the number of Nines dealt and their suits.

House edge: 8.273%
Variance: 51.966
Use tags: (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, -12, 1)
Trigger true count: +4
Bet frequency: 28.138%
Average edge: 25.101%
Units won per 100 hands: 7.063

Lucky Pairs

See the Pairs side bet.

Lucky Win

The wager can be made on either the Player or Banker. It pays when the winning hand totals 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. There are a number of pay tables. This analysis is for “Pay Table #1.”

House edge (Player): 12.07%
Use tags: (-1,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,0,-1)
Trigger true count (Player): +4
Bet frequency (Player): 7.930%
Average edge (Player): 10.277%
Units won per 100 hands: 0.815

House edge (Banker): 10.54%
Use tags: (-1,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,0,-1)
Trigger true count (Banker): +5
Bet frequency (Banker): 5.482%
Average edge (Banker): 10.646%
Units won per 100 hands: 0.584

Monkey

See UR Way Egalite, 0-0 Tie.

Natural 8 (Pays 9-to-1)

Wins and pays 9-to-1 if the result of the hand is a natural (two-card) 8.

Two betting opportunities of equal value (Player & Banker).
House edge: 5.468%
Variance: 8.569
Use Thorp count: (1,1,1,1,1,1,1,-12,1,1)
Trigger count: +8
EV per bet: 7.720%
Bet frequency: 17.068%
Average edge: 7.720%
Units won per 100 hands per side: 1.318
Total units won per 100 hands: 2.636

Natural 9 (Pays 9-to-1)

Wins and pays 9-to-1 if the result of the hand is a natural (two-card) 9.

Two betting opportunities of equal value (Player & Banker).
House edge: 5.097%
Variance: 8.599
Use Thorp count: (1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,-12,1)
Trigger count: +7
Bet frequency: 19.159%
Average edge: 7.203%
Units won per 100 hands per side: 1.380
Total units won per 100 hands: 2.760

Pairs (Lucky Pairs)

Wager can be made on either the Player or Banker (or both) and pays 11-to-1 if the hand is a pair.

House edge: 10.361%
Variance: 9.953
Use specialized “Trigger and Weights” method.
Bet frequency: 1.74%
Average edge: 11.63%
Units won per 100 hands (playing both Banker and Player): 0.405

Panda 8

Wins and pays 25-to-1 if the Player hand is a three-card total of 8.

House edge: 10.188%
Variance: 22.545
Use tags: (1,1,-2,-2,-2,-1,-1,-2,4,1)
Trigger true count: +11
Bet frequency: 4.609%
Average edge: 6.329%
Units won per 100 hands: 0.293

Rabbit

Pays when the Player hand is a winning three-card total of 7. If the Banker total is 0, it pays 75-to-1. If the Banker total is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, it pays 25-to-1.

House edge: 9.370%
Variance: 37.700
Use tags: (1, -1, -1, -1, -1, 0, -1, 2, 2, 0)
Trigger true count: +5
Bet frequency: 7.30%
Average edge: 5.62%
Units won per 100 hands: 0.410

Small Tiger

Wins if Banker has a two-card winning total of 6 and pays 23-to-1. There is a more common version of this that pays 22-to-1 (house edge 14.333%).

House edge: 10.608%
Variance: 20.656
Use tags: (0, 0, 1, 1, 1, -6, 4, 2, 1, -1)
Trigger true count: +12
Bet frequency: 5.96%
Average edge: 8.70%
Units won per 100 hands: 0.518
Desirability index: 4.67

Super Pay Egalite

Five different wagers, Tie bet on various groups of point totals.
Different card counting system for each group.
Different trigger, average edge, bet frequency, units per 100 hands for each bet.
Team of 5 counters can earn 39.79 units per 100 hands. 460 ADVANCED ADVANTAGE PLAY

Tiger

Wins if the Banker has a three-card total of 8. Pays 75-to-1 if the Player total is 0. Pays 25-to-1 if the Player total is 1 to 7.

House edge: 8.270%
Variance: 34.708
Use tags: (1, 1, 0, 0, -1, -1, -1, -1, 2, 0 )
Trigger true count: +5
Bet frequency: 5.489%
Average edge: 7.046%
Units won per 100 hands: 0.387

Total Shot Bonus

Based on the total of the Player hand and Banker hand at the end of the round, which is a total between 0 and 18. The sum is just the ordinary total and is not reduced modulo 10. A total of 17 pays 20-to-1. A total of 18 pays 40-to-1.

House edge: 8.364%
Variance: 27.41
Use tags: (1,1,1,0,0,0,0,-1,-6,1)
Trigger true count = +5
Bet frequency: 14.606%
Average edge: 9.822%
Units won per 100 hands: 1.435

UR Way Egalite

Ten different wagers, Tie bet on each point total.
Different card counting system for each.
Different trigger, average edge, bet frequency, units per 100 hands for each bet.
Team of 3 counters can earn 21.90 units per 100 hands.

Zoo

Combined with Rabbit, Tiger and Monkey is called ZooBac.
Use tags: (2, 0, 0, 0, -1, 0, -1, 1, 3, -1)
Trigger true count: +5
Bet frequency: 9.54%
Average edge: 4.91%
Units won per 100 hands: 0.469