Casinos embrace new baccarat side bet

A new baccarat side bet option, known as “Small 6/Big 6,” has become prevalent in all of Macau’s concessionaires’ key properties, paying up to 50 times the stake. Macau’s gaming regulator, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ), approved the bet in late April this year.

The “Small 6/Big 6” side bet, a variant of the popular “Lucky Six” found in Macau casinos, pays 22 to 1 if the winning banker hand is composed of two cards with a face value of six. The side bet pays 50 to 1 for a winning banker hand with a face value of six, composed of three cards.

As players become more acquainted with the attractive payouts and strategic opportunities presented by the new “Small 6/Big 6” baccarat side bet, gaming experts believe this move signals a strategic shift by Macau’s casino operators. 

The “Small Tiger” side bet, which pays 22 to 1 for a winning banker hand with a two-card total of six, exhibits a house edge of 14.33%. In contrast, the “Big Tiger” side bet, offers odds of 50 to 1 for a winning banker hand with a three-card total of six, demonstrates a slightly higher house edge of 15.25%.

According to GGRAsia, Macau casino operators Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd and Sands China Ltd were the earliest adopters of this new side bet option. Both companies had already launched the offer at their respective properties by early May, coinciding with the Labor Day holiday period.

In late May, MGM China Holdings Ltd and Wynn Macau Ltd also started offering the Small 6/Big 6 bet option at their respective casino properties’ mass and high-limit gaming areas. Melco Resorts & Entertainment Ltd also has the Small 6/Big 6-side bet option throughout its main floors and the “Qi Long” high-limit baccarat play area. The side bet option is also offered at the main floors and the “Phoenix Pavilion” high-limit baccarat play zones at SJM’s Grand Lisboa and Grand Lisboa Palace.

While the house edge for these new side bets is lower than the 16.68% edge for the traditional “Lucky Six” bet in Macau, the operators are hoping that the additional betting options and attractive payouts will appeal to players, as well as contribute to increased hold rates in Macau’s casinos. Nadia Shaw