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Side bets are the most expensive squares on a live table, and unusually for this industry, exactly how expensive is public. The numbers are calculated from the paytable and the deck count, both of which are printed in the table rules. Nothing here requires anyone to have tested anything.
The published edges
| Side bet | Where it appears | Typical house edge |
|---|---|---|
| 21+3 | Blackjack | about 3–9%, depending on paytable |
| Perfect Pairs | Blackjack | about 2–11%, deck count is the main variable |
| Lucky Ladies | Blackjack | about 17–24% on common paytables |
| Insurance | Blackjack | about 6–7% for a non-counting player |
| Dragon Bonus | Baccarat | about 2.7% on Player, 9.4% on Banker |
| Perfect Pair | Baccarat | about 11% |
| Either Pair | Baccarat | about 14% |
| Bet Behind | Blackjack | follows the seated player’s decisions — their mistakes become yours |
For comparison: blackjack played with basic strategy sits under one per cent, and baccarat’s banker bet around 1.06%. The circle next to those bets can cost twenty times as much for the same money staked. Figures collected by Wizard of Odds remain the standard public reference, and they are given as ranges here because the paytable genuinely varies.
Why the ranges are wide
The same-named side bet is not one bet. Two things move it:
- The paytable. A studio can pay 25:1 or 30:1 for the same combination, and a single step changes the edge by percentage points.
- The number of decks. Pair-based bets depend heavily on deck count, which is why Perfect Pairs spans such a wide band.
Both are stated in the table rules screen before you place anything. This is the rare case where the expensive detail is not hidden — it is simply skipped by almost everyone who sits down.
The one that is not a side bet at all
Insurance is offered as protection and is a separate wager on the dealer holding a ten in the hole. For a player not counting cards it carries a house edge of around six to seven per cent, which makes it one of the more expensive things on the table despite being framed as the cautious option.
Bet Behind deserves its own note too. It stakes money on a seated player’s hand, which means their playing decisions determine your result — including their mistakes, over which you have no influence at all.
Why they still get played
Because the payouts are large, the outcomes are visually distinctive, and they resolve in the same hand you were already watching. That combination is the point: a side bet sells a rare, memorable result at a price that is easy not to look up. The mechanics behind that appeal are the subject of how casino design shapes behaviour.
None of this makes them a mistake to place knowingly. It makes them an expensive entertainment whose price is published — which is a better position than most bets in the building.
Frequently asked questions
Why are side bets more expensive?
They pay fixed odds for rare outcomes at a level well below the true probability. The main game costs under one per cent; side bets commonly cost several.
What is the edge on Perfect Pairs?
Roughly two to eleven per cent depending on deck count and paytable, both stated in the table rules.
Is 21+3 good value?
It is among the cheaper side bets, commonly three to nine per cent — still several times the main hand.
Does the same bet cost the same everywhere?
No. Paytable and deck count vary between tables and move the edge by percentage points.
Where do I check the numbers?
The table rules screen for the paytable, and independent references for the calculated edge on that paytable.
