There’s a profound and widely embraced saying in Isaan, “If you don’t have a side bet, don’t bother taping your hands.” The children of Muay Thai grow up hearing this because, for many Thais, Muay Thai is about gambling.
It’s the glue that holds the sport together in poverty-stricken areas such as Isaan. It’s the reason kids in the countryside even get to fight Muay Thai: the majority of the crowd are not spectators but gamblers. Gamblers even help sponsor the shows.
Local promoters take pride in the side bets that accompany their fights, always boasting about their size. They use slogans like “Side bet on every fight!” to attract gamblers to their promotions. The more money wagered, the more successful a promoter is perceived to be. Matching fighters with side bets means that the promoter will gain face, notoriety, and respect. And more respect means more funding.
The true OG of grassroots Muay Thai will always remind you that if there wasn’t a side bet, then it wasn’t a real fight. What does that even mean? From a Western perspective, it’s kind of like pro vs. amateur experience. In the context of Muay Thai, a fight with a side bet signifies a higher level of commitment and skill. It means that the fighters aren’t there for just the paycheck – they’re invested. By this point in your career, you’d be considered a professional; you’re there to work. Without a side bet, you’d still be considered an amateur.
So, what exactly is a side bet and how do people gamble in Muay Thai? It’s a lot to unpack in just a few words, but we’ll do our best to break it down.
When fighters in the countryside begin their careers, they often start off at temple fairs. While gambling is still taking place, side bets are much less common. This is because the gamblers, or the people putting down the money, are not yet confident in the fighters’ abilities. The fighters are still getting their feet wet, still getting the feel for things. They are too unpredictable at this point.
These fights are essential to building skills, gaining experience, and scouting future matchups and even undiscovered talent. The gambling that takes place at these fights happens within the crowd. Everything is above board, with permits obtained beforehand. The gamblers know each other, so there’s no running out on a bet. They trust each other and work well together, and while you may get the odd village-drunk-runaway, it’s rare.
The “Big Legs” of the crowd helps set and control the odds. The “Big Legs” is like the house in Vegas. It’s a gambler who has the most experience and the person putting down the most money. Watching the bets take place is amazing, as the odds can change multiple times per round. Most gamblers, sitting or standing atop their own modified step-ladders, bring along notepads to write down each bet they place. Believe it or not, there is a way to make money regardless of the fight’s outcome. It’s all about timing your bets and creating a security blanket for yourself too. We’ll discuss this more in future pieces, so stay tuned.
Now, the side bet is something completely different. This is more like a winner-takes-all scenario. Side bets can be collected moments before the match or arranged beforehand. For mid-level fights, a team will gather what they can. Usually, the people adding to the side bet are mainly gamblers and family. They put down a wad of cold hard cash at ringside, hoping the opposing team can match it. Sometimes they match it, sometimes they put down less, and sometimes they’ll have nothing at all. The winning team picks up the side bet directly after the fight, and fighters often pose for pictures with the prize money. Depending on the promoter, some fights without a side bet will only be allowed to fight three rounds.
The side bet also ensures that the specific gamblers supporting the fighters get to play. In the countryside, ensuring your bets in the crowd is much harder as people usually have less to play with. Gamblers will often travel with their favorite fighters and help secure them favorable match-ups and bigger paydays too.
As fighters get better, their side bets get bigger – and their purses increase too. With the added exposure they gain from the side bets, they can get scouted to the stadia of Bangkok.
Higher stakes make for more invested crowds because they literally have money on the line. Watch how the crowd reacts to each and every blow when there’s a side bet at stake. This is the essence of Muay Thai.
For the Muay Thai community, gambling is not just a pastime but a tool for creating fairer match-ups. It leads to bigger paydays for the fighters and more exposure. This, along with the hard-working people who earn their keep through Muay Thai, forms the backbone of grassroots Muay Thai.