LIVE DRAGON TIGER
Dragon Tiger is a variant of Baccarat and is probably one of the simplest casino games to play at a live casino.
Two cards are dealt, one to the Dragon and one to the Tiger position.
You bet on whether the Dragon or Tiger card will be higher.
As with all live casino games there is a choice of where you can play. There's also a choice of software providers, with each having some aspect of their game that's different from the others.
These variations include the Payout structures and the Side Bets on offer. Licensing also becomes a factor, with some countries having restrictions placed on them on where their players can play.
Forearmed is forewarned, so I've done my best to highlight all the differences, making it easier for you to make a decision on where to play.
Neil’s TOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DRAGON TIGER
How to play Live Dragon Tiger
Live Dragon Tiger is normally played with 8 decks and these are shuffled when only one deck is remaining, although this can be different between software providers.
An Ace is counted as low. A King is counted as 13, Queen 12, etc, etc.
Before any cards are dealt the player can place the following bets, but this will be dependent on the game supplier providing them (not all do!).
- Dragon or Tiger - which will have a higher card.
- A Tie - whether the cards will be the same value.
- Dragon or Tiger Big - whether the card will be above 7. If it's a seven the player loses the bet.
- Dragon or Tiger Small - whether the card will be below 7. If it's a seven the player loses the bet.
- Dragon or Tiger Suit - Whether the card will be Heart/Diamond/Spade or Club. If the card is a seven the player loses the bet.
If you have bet on Dragon / Tiger and the result is a tie 50% of your bet is returned to you. The remaining is taken as commission.
Software Options
Evolution Gaming, Playtech, Ezugi, On Air Entertainment, Xpro Gaming, and Pragmatic Play offer Dragon Tiger.
Let's take a quick look at each.
Evolution Dragon Tiger
Evolution probably has the most visually pleasing User Interface of all of the software providers.
Ties are paid at 11:1, while a suited Tie pays 50:1.
There's a nice set of road maps which depict the previous results from the shoe.
Playtech Dragon Tiger
Playtech has a darker-looking player interface than some of its rivals.
The game is streamed from the Manila studio in the Philippines. The dealers speak English and you always get a warm welcome when joining the table.
The Playtech version comes with the most side bets of any supplier, buts has a slightly worse payout for Ties than Evolution Gaming at 10:1.
On Air Blazing Dragon Tiger
Blazing Dragon Tiger offers a different selection of side bets. You can place side-bets on the Colour of the cards and whether the card will be odd or even. They all pay even money 1:1.
The side bets are active for the first 104 games of the dealing shoe, after which they are closed until the next shoe starts.
The playing interface has a good selection of roadmaps if you like using them for spotting trends.
Ezugi Dragon Tiger
A rather more traditional-looking playing interface for Ezugi Dragon Tiger.
The table is located in Ezugi's studios in Costa Rica. The game itself is played with an 8 deck shoe.
Road maps track the history of the shoe. You can choose whether to display them or not.
Tie's pay a measly 8:1 at the Ezugi table and there are no additional side bets.
This is a good choice if you like a traditional game, but bad if you you like to play the Tie bet.
XPG Dragon Tiger
XPG has the most comprehensive version of the game.
As well as normal side bets of Big/Small, Odd/Even, there's a range where you can predict the suit of the winning card. These pay 3:1 rather than even money you'd get on the other side bets.
The eagle-eyed of you will notice that it's 3 -1 rather than 4-1.
That's where the edge for the house comes in.
XPG Dragon Tiger is not available to UK players due to licensing restrictions.
Pragmatic Dragon Tiger
Pragmatic Dragon Tiger, like Evolution Dragon Tiger, pays Ties at 11:1 and 50:1 for suited ties.
They are the only two providers to do this.
With Pragmatic Dragon TIger, side-bets are disabled after 50 hands have been played.
The dealing shoe contains 8 decks of playing cards which are changed when approximately one deck remains.
There is a great selection of Roadmaps to help you spot result trends from the current shoe.
This is one of the better versions of Dragon Tiger and one that is worth playing.
Dragon Tiger Comparison
| Bet Type | Evolution Lightning DT | Evolution Payouts | Pragmatic Payouts | Playtech Payouts | On-Air Payouts | Ezugi Payouts | XPG Payouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dragon / Tiger | 1:1 - 8:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Tie | 6.5:1 - 52:1 | 11:1 | 11:1 | 10:1 | 11:1 | 8:1 | 8:1 |
| Suited Tie | 20:1 - 1280:1 | 50:1 | 50:1 | 50:1 | |||
| Dragon / Tiger Small | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | ||||
| Dragon / Tiger Big | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | ||||
| Dragon / Tiger Odd | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | |||
| Dragon / Tiger Even | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | |||
| Dragon / Tiger Heart | 3:1 | ||||||
| Dragon / Tiger Diamond | 3:1 | ||||||
| Dragon / Tiger Spade | 3:1 | ||||||
| Dragon / Tiger Club | 3:1 | ||||||
| Dragon / Tiger Red | 1:1 | ||||||
| Dragon / Tiger Black | 1:1 |
Dragon Tiger is available at 6 Live Casino Providers (if you exclude the Asian providers like Asia Tech Live).
For European players Playtech, Evolution, On-Air Entertainment, Ezugi, Pragmatic, and XPG have versions, so here's a quick rundown of the differences between them.
Side Bets
If you want a good selection of Side Bets, pick one of the Playtech Casinos or XPG Casinos to play at. Their games have more side bets than anyone else.
The suited side bet is only available at XPG casinos, and the Odd/Even, Black/Red is available at On Air.
Ties
The Evolution, On-Air and Pragmatic versions pay Ties at 11:1, while at Playtech, you get 10:1, and at XPG & Ezugi, you'll only see 8:1.
Playing Interfaces
If you like a slick, modern-looking environment, head to Evolution Casinos. The Playtech one is a bit dark.
Road Maps
All versions come with Roadmaps. In my opinion, the ones from Evolution and Pragmatic are easier to read.
Game rounds are quick wherever you play.
Summary
It's one of the simplest games to get your head around.
You can't go wrong if you play at Evolution, On-Air Entertainment or Playtech Casinos.
Unfortunately, XPG Casinos are more challenging to find, while Ezugi Casinos should be avoided if you play the Tie Bets.