Side bets looks fun, But what do they really cost?

[zhephoi]

**Disclosure:** I’m sharing this because I was looking into side bets recently and thought the math was pretty interesting. Feel free to check out the blog i referenced: https://blog.chips.gg/post/side-bets-explained-what-the-extra-wager-costs-you. This isn’t a review or an endorsement of gambling.

One thing I’ve noticed with casino games is that the side bets can look a lot more attractive than the main bet. You see something like **25:1, 50:1, or even higher**, and it’s easy to think, “Why not throw a little on it?”

The catch is that the bigger payout usually comes with a much higher house edge.
Take blackjack. Under good rules, the main game can have a house edge around **0.5%** with basic strategy.

But some common side bets are much more expensive.

For example:

* **21+3:** roughly 6–9% depending on the rules
* **Perfect Pairs:** around 10%+
* **Lucky Ladies:** can get close to 25%
* **Baccarat Tie:** around 14%

That's a pretty big difference.

And the funny thing is, you don't really notice it from one hand. If you put $5 on a side bet and lose, it's just $5. But do that over 100 or 200 hands and the math starts working against you pretty quickly. I think that's the part people sometimes miss. The big payout isn't necessarily the problem. It's the **probability behind that payout**. So whenever I see a side bet now, I basically ask three things:

**What's the payout?
How often does it actually hit?
What's the house edge?**

That third one is probably the most important.


Curious what everyone else does with side bets. Do you usually ignore them, throw a little on occasionally, or actually check the house edge first?

[Darker45]

I love betting on side bets when playing various card games with friends and neighbors. Side bets usually include first three, black pair, couple, highest club. The good thing with side bets in this setup is that it could end in a draw, and there's no house edge.

With blackjack side bets on online casinos, however, the house edge itself is discouraging. I don't waste money on them, perhaps except insurance. I'm not attracted at bigger payouts. It simply means it's hard to win. In other words, it's just throwing money away. Side bets could easily drain your funds much faster than your main bets.

Side bets are just the casino's way of eagerly wanting to empty your wallet.   

[Dave1]

Curious what everyone else does with side bets. Do you usually ignore them, throw a little on occasionally, or actually check the house edge first?

With regards to baccarat:

I will just throw a little bit, minimum bet on pairs both banker and player or the tie. For pairs the payout is 11:1, while the tie is 8:1, there could be some variations though of this side bet. Really hard to time this, and even if there is so called pattern that players are looking, I don't think it's a guarantee.

So it's base on luck although if I recall it, I have like 5 out 6 in the pairs. I don't know, probably my gut feeling says that I should bet on it with just minimum amount to make it more fun and I hit that often.

[Sandra_hakeem]

With blackjack side bets on online casinos, however, the house edge itself is discouraging. I don't waste money on them, perhaps except insurance. I'm not attracted at bigger payouts. It simply means it's hard to win. In other words, it's just throwing money away. Side bets could easily drain your funds much faster than your main bets.

Side bets are just the casino's way of eagerly wanting to empty your wallet.  

Everything is being set up that way for a reason, it's never a mistake. You are the target. It was made so you can chose to fall into what clearly seems to be a trap or move on to something smaller. Some can't ignore that big payout, what exactly are they on it for? Their faith strongly holds a belief that there's always a possibility to win, just like when you decide to wager on bigger odds on virtual games, but how?

Really hard to time this, and even if there is so called pattern that players are looking, I don't think it's a guarantee.

With how fast it can drain your bankroll, is there a pattern to it or is it just another strategy that works in most cases? Neither.

[Alvin_talk]

Curious what everyone else does with side bets. Do you usually ignore them, throw a little on occasionally, or actually check the house edge first?

I only play side bets occasionally so this doesn't have much effect on me. I treat it like a charity to a casinos on the event that I had a big win for the day. In other words, I have already prepared my mind for a potential lose.

Sure, it is true that side bets have higher house edge when compared to main bets but we shouldn't forget that variance might just fall in your favour and you might win on your first try of the day. I think side bets becomes more of a problem if you include it in every game or most games you play for the day. But including side bets ones in a while for entertainment purpose is not a bad idea in my opinion. So long as you  understand the odd and do not expect it to be a profitable strategy, it is perfectly fine to try it out.

[L E G E N D A R Y]

I believe side bets are one of the safest ways people can bet and increase the intensity of the fun, but just like every other form of gambling, it still requires moderation, self control and of course discipline. Because even though side bets may not appear to be much of a big deal, it could still end up being the undoing of some persons who lack discipline.

I like to go on side bets with friends and I really haven’t experienced any serious costs, except for sometimes, some of friends, after they lose, may refuse to honor their own part of the agreement by giving you what won, because most of the times, the outside bets we do may not include making the money readily available at that time, it could just be a quick one that the loser would get to pay the winner later on.