A side bet is an optional extra wager placed alongside your main bet in a table game, paying out on a specific event such as your first two blackjack cards forming a pair. Side bets offer bigger payouts than the main game, but they usually carry a much higher house edge. In casino apps they appear as small extra betting spots around the main one.
A side bet is optional and settled separately from your main hand.
Payouts are larger, but the house edge is usually several times higher.
Common examples: Perfect Pairs and 21+3 in blackjack, Player and Banker Pair in baccarat.
Each game’s help screen shows the paytable and published return for every side bet.
Optional?
Yes, always
Settled
Separately from the main bet
Typical games
Blackjack, baccarat, poker variants
House edge
Usually higher than the main bet
Where in the app
Small extra spots near the main bet area
What a side bet is in a table game
Most table games have a core wager: beating the dealer in blackjack, backing Player or Banker in baccarat. A side bet is a separate wager on something narrower that happens during the same round, such as being dealt a pair, a flush or a particular total. You can play the main game without it, and the side bet wins or loses on its own regardless of how the main hand ends.
Operators and studios like side bets because they add variety and bigger potential payouts. The catch is the maths: most side bets return less on average than the main bet, so they make each round more expensive over time.
Common side bets you’ll see in casino apps
Side bet
Game
Wins when
Notes
Perfect Pairs
Blackjack
Your first two cards are a pair
Mixed, coloured and perfect pairs pay different amounts
21+3
Blackjack
Your two cards plus the dealer’s up card make a poker hand
Flush, straight, three of a kind and better
Insurance
Blackjack
The dealer has blackjack after showing an ace
Pays 2 to 1; offered only when the dealer shows an ace
Player Pair / Banker Pair
Baccarat
That hand’s first two cards are a pair
Commonly pays 11 to 1
Pairs Plus
Three card poker
Your hand is a pair or better
Independent of beating the dealer
Bonus bets
Casino hold’em and similar
Your hand or the board reaches a set rank
Paytables vary by table
Each studio sets its own paytable, so the same side bet can pay differently from one table to the next. See blackjack apps, baccarat apps and three card poker apps for how the main games work.
Side bet house edge: a worked example in pounds
Take the baccarat Player Pair bet with eight decks and an 11 to 1 payout. Whatever the first card is, 31 of the remaining 415 cards match its rank, so the chance of a pair is about 7.5%. A winning £1 bet returns £12 (your stake plus £11), so the average return is about 7.47% × £12, or roughly £0.90 per £1. That’s a house edge of around 10.4%.
Bet
Approximate house edge
Expected cost over 100 hands
Banker (5% commission)
About 1.06%
About £1.06
Player
About 1.24%
About £1.24
Player Pair (11 to 1, eight decks)
About 10.4%
About £10.40
Those are long-run averages, not predictions for one session, but the gap is stark: the side bet costs roughly ten times as much per pound staked. Blackjack insurance is similar: it pays 2 to 1, but the chance of the dealer holding a ten-value card is below one in three, which leaves a house edge of around 7%. Our entries on house edge, banker bet and basic strategy explain the main-game figures.
Where side bets appear in a casino app
Open a blackjack or baccarat table from the table games or live casino tab.
Look for small circles or labelled boxes next to the main betting spot, such as ‘PP’ or ‘21+3’.
Tap the ‘i’ or Help icon and read the side bet section for the paytable and published return.
If you want to place one, select a chip and tap the side bet spot before the timer ends; leave it empty to skip it.
Check the bet total on screen before betting closes, since side bets add to your stake each round.
In portrait mode the side spots can be small, so it’s easy to tap one by mistake. Most apps let you undo before the countdown ends. The guides on how to play blackjack on mobile and live baccarat apps describe the layouts.
UK rules and sensible use of side bets
UK rules don’t ban side bets, but the 2025 game design changes mean casino games other than slots must take at least five seconds per round and can’t autoplay. The £5 and £2 per-spin limits apply to online slots, not table side bets. If a side bet appeals, treat it as part of your entertainment budget and remember it raises the cost of each round. A deposit limit keeps the total in check; no betting pattern can overcome the house edge.
Where to find side bets in UK casino apps
Side bets are most common on live tables; compare the options on our live casino apps and table games apps pages. 18+, terms apply.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a side bet in blackjack?
It’s an optional extra wager placed alongside your main blackjack bet that pays on a specific event, rather than on beating the dealer. The best known are Perfect Pairs, which pays if your first two cards are a pair, and 21+3, which pays if your two cards and the dealer’s up card form a poker hand such as a flush or straight. Insurance is also a side bet. Each settles separately from your hand. Our live blackjack apps page shows where they sit on a mobile table.
Are side bets worth it?
Mathematically, most side bets cost more than the main game because their house edge is higher, often by several times. The baccarat Player Pair bet at 11 to 1, for example, has a house edge of around 10%, compared with about 1% on Banker. Some people enjoy them for the larger payouts, and that’s a personal choice, but they make each round more expensive over time. If you play them, budget accordingly. Our house edge entry explains how to compare bets.
Do I have to place a side bet?
No, side bets are always optional. You can play the main game exactly as normal and leave the side bet spots empty. On a phone, check that you haven’t tapped a side spot by accident, because they sit close to the main betting area, especially in portrait mode. The on-screen total shows everything you’ve staked for the round before betting closes, and most apps have an undo button. Our how to play blackjack on mobile guide walks through a typical layout.
Is blackjack insurance a good bet?
For most players, no. Insurance is a side bet offered when the dealer shows an ace, and it pays 2 to 1 if the dealer has blackjack. Because fewer than one in three of the remaining cards are typically worth ten, the bet carries a house edge of roughly 7% in standard multi-deck games, much higher than the main hand played with good strategy. Basic strategy charts advise declining it. Our basic strategy entry explains how those charts are worked out.
Where can I see the odds for a side bet in an app?
In the game’s help or information screen. Open the table, tap the ‘i’, menu or Help icon, and look for the side bet section, which lists the paytable and, in most games, the theoretical return for each bet. The figures can differ between tables, even for side bets with the same name, because studios use different paytables. Always check the version you’re playing. Our guide on how to read a paytable on mobile shows what to look for.
Do side bets count towards bonus wagering?
Often not, or only at a reduced rate, but it depends on the offer. Many casino bonuses exclude table games or count them at a low percentage, and some name side bets specifically. Free spins can only be used on the slots named in the offer. Read the game contribution table in the bonus terms before you play. Our guide to game weighting in casino apps explains how contribution rates change the amount you need to stake.
Gambling can be addictive. Free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day from the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133. Get support from GamCare or NHS gambling support, or block yourself from all UK-licensed gambling sites with GAMSTOP.
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