Baccarat Dragon Bonus: a side bet on winning by a lot
The Dragon Bonus pays when your chosen side wins by 4 points or more, or wins with a natural. Bigger margins pay more, up to 30 to 1 for a win by 9.
Reviewed Oct 14, 2026
Answer first
90s| Result for your side | Pays |
|---|---|
| Non-natural win by 9 | 30 to 1 |
| Win by 8 | 10 to 1 |
| Win by 7 | 6 to 1 |
| Win by 6 | 4 to 1 |
| Win by 5 | 2 to 1 |
| Win by 4 | 1 to 1 |
| Natural win | 1 to 1 |
| Natural tie | Push |
| Anything else | Loses |
Key numbers
Dragon Bonus in four numbers
In short
Key takeaways
- Bet the Dragon Bonus on Player if you bet it at all; the Banker side costs more than three times as much.
- Most Dragon Bonus side bets lose: wins by 1, 2 or 3 points pay nothing.
- The 30 to 1 win by 9 needs a non-natural 9 against a 0, which is rare.
- The main Banker bet, at 1.24%, is still the best bet on the table.
On the felt
Three Dragon Bonus outcomes
Win by 9 (pays 30 to 1)
Player draws to 9; Banker ends on 0
Natural win (pays 1 to 1)
Player natural 8 beats Banker 6
Win by 2 (loses)
Player 7 beats Banker 5, but the margin is too small
How often each result happens on Player
| Result | Approximate chance |
|---|---|
| Natural win | About 16% |
| Win by 4 to 9 (non-natural) | About 13% |
| Win by 1 to 3 or a loss | About 69% |
| Natural tie (push) | About 2% |
Rough eight-deck figures. Most Dragon Bonus side bets are settled as losses.
Why the Banker side is so expensive
Banker wins more hands, but the Dragon Bonus pays the same table on both sides. Banker wins tend to be closer, so they reach the 4-point margin less often.
That mismatch pushes the Banker side edge to about 9.37%, compared with about 2.65% on Player.
Sequence
Placing a Dragon Bonus side bet
Step 01
Make a main bet if required
Many tables need a Player or Banker bet first.
Step 02
Pick a side
Place chips in the Dragon Bonus circle for Player or Banker.
Step 03
Watch the margin
The dealer compares final totals after the draw.
Step 04
Get paid by the table
Wins are paid by margin; naturals pay even money.
Where you find it
The Dragon Bonus is most common on EZ Baccarat and mini-baccarat tables. It is a separate circle on the layout, next to the Player and Banker spots.
Some casinos use slightly different pay tables. A lower pay on the win by 9 raises the edge.
Floor rules
Dragon Bonus terms
Know before you sit
- Margin
- The point difference between the two final totals.
- Natural
- An 8 or 9 on the first two cards.
- Non-natural
- A total reached after a third card or without an 8 or 9 start.
- EZ Baccarat
- A no-commission version that often offers the Dragon Bonus.
A $10 Dragon Bonus over 100 hands
Bet $10 on the Player Dragon Bonus for 100 hands and you put $1,000 in action. At a 2.65% edge, the expected cost is about $26.
Most of those hands lose the side bet. A handful of wide-margin wins and naturals bring money back, and a rare win by 9 can cover a whole session.
Common mistakes
- Betting the Banker side
- The Banker side carries an edge near 9.37%. Stick to Player, or skip the bet.
- Thinking a win always pays
- A win by 1, 2 or 3 points loses the Dragon Bonus, even when your main bet wins.
- Matching the main bet size
- The side bet costs more per hand than the main bet. Keep it small next to your main action.
- Ignoring the pay table
- Check the placard. A 25 to 1 top pay instead of 30 to 1 makes the bet more expensive.
Keep reading
Related pages
Go play
Where to play in Las Vegas
Tap a resort — each row opens that casino’s White Gambling page (hours, game mix, floor facts). Venues with this game in official counts, sorted high to low.
Open a casino page
Real listings · not adsAfter the 90 seconds
Questions before and after you play
A 90-second guide cannot cover every table moment. Tap a group, then a question — answers are short paragraphs, not one-liners.
01How it pays
What is the Dragon Bonus in baccarat?
A side bet that your chosen side wins by at least 4 points or wins with a natural. Bigger margins pay more.
What does a natural win pay?
Even money. A natural tie pushes, so you get the side bet back. A natural loss loses the side bet like any other loss.
What pays 30 to 1?
A non-natural win by 9 points, such as a three-card 9 against a 0. A natural 9 against a 0 pays only even money.
02Odds
What is the house edge on the Dragon Bonus?
About 2.65% on the Player side and about 9.37% on the Banker side with the common pay table.
Which side should I bet?
Player. It wins by larger margins more often, which suits the pay table. Its edge is about 2.65%, against about 9.37% on Banker.
Is the Dragon Bonus better than the tie bet?
The Player side is far cheaper than the tie, which carries an edge of about 14.4% at 8 to 1.
03At the table
Do I need a main bet?
Usually yes. Check the placard; some tables allow the side bet alone. The placard also lists the minimum and maximum for the side bet.
Is it offered online?
Many live dealer baccarat games include it, sometimes under the name Dragon Bonus or Side Bet.
Does the 5% Banker commission apply?
No. The side bet has its own pay table and no commission. Winning side bets are paid at the posted odds in full.
Sources
- Wizard of Odds — Dragon Bonus Not from a registry (Reference source, not an official registry)The gaming industry’s standard reference for casino-game math, by actuary Michael Shackleford. Not an official registry; our calculators compute these numbers independently. · accessed Oct 14, 2026Rules, odds and house edge
- Wizard of Odds — Baccarat Not from a registry (Reference source, not an official registry)The gaming industry’s standard reference for casino-game math, by actuary Michael Shackleford. Not an official registry; our calculators compute these numbers independently. · accessed Oct 14, 2026Rules, odds and house edge
- Nevada Gaming Control Board · accessed Oct 14, 2026Approved games and gaming revenue reports
- National Council on Problem Gambling — Help and resources Not from a registry (Reference source, not an official registry) · accessed Oct 14, 2026Free, confidential help: call or text 1-800-GAMBLER