Pairs and the Dragon Bonus
Pairs pay 11:1 but cost 10%. Dragon Bonus on Player is the cheapest side bet.
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Side bets are optional bets placed next to your main bet. They pay more, they hit less, and they cost more.
Player Pair / Banker Pair. Wins if that hand's first two cards are the same rank: yes, no (different ranks, even though both count 0). Pays 11 to 1. A pair turns up about once in 13.4 hands per side, so a fair payout would be about 12.4 to 1. At 11 to 1 the edge is 10.36% with 8 decks, and 11.25% with 6. Fewer decks mean fewer cards of each rank, so pairs are rarer.
Dragon Bonus. Pick a side (Player or Banker). It pays if your side wins convincingly:
| Your side… | Pays |
|---|---|
| wins with a natural (8 or 9 on two cards) | 1 to 1 |
| ties with a natural | push |
| wins without a natural by 9 points | 30 to 1 |
| … by 8 | 10 to 1 |
| … by 7 | 6 to 1 |
| … by 6 | 4 to 1 |
| … by 5 | 2 to 1 |
| … by 4 | 1 to 1 |
| anything else (smaller win, loss, other tie) | loses |
On Player the edge is 2.65%, the cheapest side bet in this app. On Banker it's 9.37%, matching the Wizard of Odds analysis. Why the difference? The Banker's drawing rule wins a lot of close hands, and close wins don't pay here. When the Player wins, it wins by a wide margin a bit more often.
| Side bet | Edge | $5 a hand for an hour |
|---|---|---|
| Dragon Bonus, Player | 2.65% | $9.55 |
| Dragon Bonus, Banker | 9.37% | $33.74 |
| Player Pair or Banker Pair | 10.36% | $37.30 |
Show the math: Dragon Bonus on Player, exactly (8 decks)
P(Player wins with a natural) = 74989984/461223945 ≈ 16.259%. P(natural tie) = 1648498/92244789 ≈ 1.787%. P(Player wins without a natural by m), m = 4…9: 3.737%, 3.324%, 2.826%, 1.792%, 0.682%, 0.368%. EV = 1·P(nat win) + Σ payₘ·P(win by m) − P(lose) = −103547854751/3904998652737 ≈ −2.6517%. Pairs: P(pair) = 13 · 32 · 31 / (416 · 415) = 31/415, so EV = 12 × 31/415 − 1 = −43/415 ≈ −10.3614%. With 6 decks: 23/311, EV −35/311 ≈ −11.2540%.
Quiz
Player's first two cards are . Does Player Pair win?
- Yes, both count 0
- No, they're different ranks
Show the answer
B: No, they're different ranks. A pair means the same rank. K and Q are different, even though both are worth 0.
Quiz
Player wins 7 to 2 with three cards each. What does Dragon Bonus on Player pay?
- 1 to 1
- 2 to 1
- 4 to 1
- It loses
Show the answer
B: 2 to 1. A non-natural win by 5 pays 2 to 1.
Quiz
Which side bet has the lowest edge on the default table?
- Player Pair
- Dragon Bonus on Banker
- Dragon Bonus on Player
- Tie
Show the answer
C: Dragon Bonus on Player. Dragon Bonus Player: 2.65%.
Quiz
Banker wins 9 to 8 with two naturals. What does Dragon Bonus on Banker pay?
- 30 to 1
- 1 to 1
- Push
- It loses
Show the answer
B: 1 to 1. A win with a natural pays 1 to 1, whatever the margin.