Side bets strategy: house edge and cost in pounds

Are casino side bets worth it? The short answer

A side bet is worth it only if you value the extra excitement more than its extra cost, because in pure money terms almost every side bet loses faster than the main game. Blackjack with good rules and basic strategy can run below 1%; the popular blackjack side bets mostly sit between about 2% and 25%. Baccarat’s Banker bet is 1.06%, while its Tie bet is 14.36% at the usual 8 to 1. The pattern repeats across the casino floor.

That last row is the exception that proves the rule: a side bet can be cheap, but you need to know the paytable to tell. This page sits in our strategy hub and gives you the numbers to judge any side bet yourself. For a shorter answer, see our quick side bet verdict.

How side bets work and where their edge comes from

A side bet is an optional extra wager settled on its own, usually on something about the opening cards: whether your first two cards make a pair, whether your cards and the dealer’s up card form a poker hand, or whether the next coup is a tie. They pay large amounts on rare outcomes, which makes the layout look generous.

The edge comes from paying less than the true odds. Hannum and Cabot’s Casino Math gives a simple formula: if a bet pays x to 1 and the true odds against it are y to 1, the house edge is (y − x) ÷ (y + 1). Big headline payouts don’t mean good value; what matters is how far the payout falls short of the true odds. Our true odds against payouts guide and expected value page explain the method.

Casino side bet odds: house edge compared across games

These figures are standard game maths published by Wizard of Odds for the paytables and deck counts shown. Different versions exist, so treat each row as tied to its paytable.

Wizard of Odds’ pages on Perfect Pairs (opens in a new tab) and 21+3 (opens in a new tab) list every paytable they cover. Our blackjack side bets and baccarat side bets pages go through each bet’s rules.

What side bets cost in pounds per 100 hands

Expected cost = stake × number of hands × house edge. Per 100 hands, the comparison with the main bet is stark.

A £2 Perfect Pairs bet, a fifth of the main stake, costs more on average than the £10 blackjack hand it sits beside. A £2 Tie bet costs nearly three times as much as £10 on Banker. Add both blackjack side bets to every hand and the session’s expected cost goes from £6.20 to £21.80 per 100 hands. The house edge is doing exactly what it says.

How often side bets win: the probability behind the payouts

Counting cards in the shoe shows why side bets lose so often. Take Perfect Pairs with eight decks: 416 cards, 32 of each rank. After your first card, 415 remain. Seven of them are the identical card (a perfect pair), eight are the same rank in the other suit of the same colour (a coloured pair), and 16 are the same rank in the two suits of the other colour (a mixed pair).

Per £1 staked, the average return is (7 × 25 + 8 × 12 + 16 × 6 − 384) ÷ 415 = (175 + 96 + 96 − 384) ÷ 415 = −17 ÷ 415, a 4.10% edge, matching the published figure. Change the paytable to 25/15/5 and the sum becomes −9 ÷ 415, or 2.17%. You’ll lose this bet on more than nine hands in ten.

The baccarat Tie works the same way. With eight decks a tie comes up 9.5156% of the time. At 8 to 1 the expected return is 8 × 0.095156 − 0.904844 = −0.1436, the 14.36% edge. At 9 to 1 it becomes −0.0484, or 4.844%: one extra unit of payout cuts the edge by two-thirds, which is why the paytable matters so much (see the Wizard of Odds baccarat basics (opens in a new tab)).

Best and worst side bets: where the value gap is biggest

The left column lists the lower-edge side bets where you find them, not bets that pay off over time; every one still has a negative expected value. The right column includes some of the worst bets in the casino. Note how the same idea can land on either side: a Dragon Tiger Tie paying 11 to 1, which Evolution pays, has 10.36% with eight decks, against 32.77% at 8 to 1 (Wizard of Odds Dragon Tiger analysis (opens in a new tab)). See our Dragon Tiger guide.

Side bet strategy: reading paytables and deck counts

Because the edge on one side bet name can range from about 2% to over 20%, the help screen is where any sensible side bet strategy starts. Fewer decks can help or hurt depending on the bet: Perfect Pairs is cheaper with eight decks (4.10% on 25/12/6) than six (6.11%), because more identical cards remain in a bigger shoe.

1. Open the game’s help or rules screen before placing any side bet.
2. Find the side bet’s paytable and, if shown, its RTP; the house edge is 100% minus the RTP.
3. Note the number of decks, which changes the edge on pair-based bets.
4. Compare the side bet’s edge with the main bet’s edge at the same table.
5. Decide on a fixed side stake, such as a tenth of your main bet, or skip it.
6. Stick with that decision for the session rather than adding side bets after losses.

UK rules help here: the Commission’s rules on game descriptions and the likelihood of winning (opens in a new tab) require casinos to give you information about your chances, such as the RTP or house edge, before you gamble.

Insurance: the blackjack side bet the dealer offers you

When the dealer shows an ace, blackjack insurance lets you bet up to half your stake that the hole card is a ten-value card, paying 2 to 1. Ignoring your own cards, a full eight-deck shoe has 128 ten-value cards among the 415 left, so the bet returns (2 × 128 − 287) ÷ 415 = −31 ÷ 415, an edge of about 7.47%. With a single deck it is about 5.88%. Basic strategy never takes insurance, and “even money” on a blackjack is the same bet in another form.

Progressive and multiplier side bets

Some tables add a progressive side bet that feeds a growing jackpot. Caribbean Stud’s progressive has an average edge of 26.46% on Wizard of Odds’ figures. As with any progressive, the return is lowest just after the pot resets to its seed and rises as it grows, but the top prize is so rare that it can’t rescue the average for a normal player. Our Caribbean Stud page covers the main game, which itself runs at 5.224%.

Multiplier side bets work on the same principle: a rare big payout funded by frequent losses. The Push 22 side bet in Free Bet Blackjack wins about 7.35% of the time at 11 to 1, for an 11.76% edge. When a side bet advertises a huge multiplier but no RTP, check the help screen before staking.

When a side bet can make sense for you

Side bets aren’t wrong; they’re just expensive entertainment. If the chance of a 25 to 1 perfect pair adds to your evening, it can be a reasonable purchase, provided you know the price and set it in advance.

• Keep side stakes small and fixed, so they can’t become the main cost of your session.
• Choose the lower-edge versions where you have a choice, and skip the worst ones entirely.
• Add the side bet’s expected cost to your session budget before you start.
• Never add or raise side bets to recover losses; that is chasing losses, whatever the bet.

Our live casino strategy page shows how side bets fit with pace and bet choice at live tables.

Casino side bet myths

The first myth is the gambler’s fallacy, the most common mistake at any table.

UK notes: side bets, limits and bonuses

In Great Britain, the £5 and £2 stake limits apply only to online slots, so they don’t cap side bets at blackjack, baccarat or poker tables. Autoplay has been banned for all online casino games, live tables included, since 17 January 2025, so each side bet needs a deliberate choice; a re-bet button that repeats your last bets is allowed, so check what it includes.

If you play with bonus funds, side bets on table and live games are often excluded or count for less towards wagering, and some bonuses can only be wagered on slots. Read the terms and our game weighting guide before staking a bonus at a table.

Where to play table games with side bets

Our partner offers are slot-focused, so they don’t apply to side bets; for blackjack, baccarat or poker tables, look at each casino’s table and live lobby and its terms. All offers are for new customers aged 18+ and terms apply. Casumo gives a 50% bonus up to £100 on a first deposit of £20 or more (opt-in), wagered 10x within 7 days with a £5 maximum bet, and game, play and payment restrictions. 10bet gives a 100% match up to £25 when chosen at sign-up with a first deposit within 7 days, wagered 10x on slots within 3 days, maximum bonus winnings £1,000, Skrill and Neteller excluded.

Coral’s offer, running from 1 October 2026 to 1 February 2027, is bet £10 on slots to get 100 free spins at 10p each on selected games, accepted within 48 hours and valid for 7 days, with no wagering on free spin winnings; some deposit methods are excluded. None of these offers changes the edge of any side bet.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.