Side bets are optional secondary wagers offered alongside the main bet on most live and digital table games. Common side bets include Perfect Pairs and 21+3 on blackjack, Lucky Lucky on baccarat, and various streak/colour bets on roulette.
Side bets almost always carry a higher house edge than the main game (often 5-10% versus blackjack's ~0.5%). They can produce big multiplied wins occasionally but mathematically erode bankroll faster than the underlying game would on its own.
Olivia Grant's live-casino reviews on SpinVerdict track side-bet RTPs separately from main-game RTPs because the difference can be substantial.
Example usage
- 21+3 on blackjack
- Perfect Pairs
- Lightning multiplier on roulette
Related terms
- House edge — The mathematical advantage the casino holds on each game — equivalent to 100% minus RTP.
- Live dealer — Casino games streamed in real-time from a studio with human dealers — blackjack, roulette, baccarat and game shows.
- RTP (Return to Player) — The long-run percentage of stakes a slot pays back to players over millions of spins.