Casino Games

Going to a casino can be a daunting event if you have no idea how to play the games in front of you. Sure you can still enjoy the company of your friends and a drink or two, but you will have a much better time if you get involved and understand the rules and strategy behind some of the games.

In this section, we include some useful guides to the more popular casino games, such as Baccarat, Blackjack, Caribbean Stud Poker, Craps, Let It Ride, Pai Gow, Roulette, Three-Card Poker, and Video Poker. Here we explain the rules of each game, how to place a bet, as well as covering some of the terminology you might need to know. We also discuss basic strategies you can implement, bets to avoid, and the odds of winning in comparison to the house edge.

For those with inquiring minds that want to know even more, we’ve summed up the history of each game, detailing how it might have started, how it has changed over the years, and future developments likely to occur.

Baccarat

Baccarat is a classic game of chance card game, which compares the hand of the player with that of the banker. Two cards are dealt to each side with the object to bet on the party closest to the number 9 with 10s and face cards valued at 0, aces as 1, and 2-9 at face value. Derivatives of the game include punto banco and chemin de fer, which each come with their own slight variations.

 

Blackjack

Blackjack, also known as '21', is a simple, yet very well-known, casino card game, which has been a popular favourite since the early 18th century. The name of the game is to be the player to reach the number 21 or get as close to it as possible without going over. Using what they call 'Basic Strategy' is mathematically proven to be the best way to play Blackjack, and tells you exactly what to do in any given situation.

 

Caribbean Stud

Caribbean Stud Poker is a variation of poker with rules similar to five-card poker. Unlike other poker games, however, Caribbean Stud is played against the house rather than against other players, so there is no bluffing involved. All cards are dealt downward facing with the exception being the last card of the dealer, which is dealt face up. 

 

Craps

Craps is a dice game in which players put bets on the outcome of roll of a pair of dice. It's the game you'll find in casinos with the loudest crowd – mostly, in part, due to the players involvement of getting to roll the dice. Whilst it might appear relatively daunting what with the 40 different betting options, we've summed it up for you in a way that's easy to understand.

 

Let It Ride

Let It Ride is a card game, which is a variant of poker. Players are able to bet on a five-card poker hand, which is formed by the 3 cards in their hand and the 2 community cards, which are dealt face up in the centre of the table. Let It Ride is relatively new in the casino world having only been created in the 1990s and is popular amongst older players given the slower pace at which it is played.

 

Pai Gow

Pai Gow Poker is an Americanized version of the Chinese gambling game that uses 32 dominoes. In the Americanized version, the game is played using a 52-card deck of cards and a single joker. The game is played on a table for six players, plus the dealer, with each being dealt a hand of 7-cards. After this, a player must make two hands – one with 5 cards and the other with 2 cards with standard poker rules applying.

 

Roulette

Roulette is a French word that means 'little wheel', which is a appropriate given that the game involves spinning a ball along a little wheel. There are slots for numbers which are also assigned a colour – red or black. Players are able to place bets on where they think the ball will land, including whether it will land on red or black, a specific number, or whether the ball will land on an odd or even number. 

 

Three Card Poker

Three-Card Poker is another classic casino poker game, but was only invented in the 1990s, so is still relatively new to the gambling world. The game aptly involves passing out three-cards to each player, as well as the dealer, with bets placed to start and remain in the game. Hands are similar to that of standard poker with a slightly varied ordering with a straight beating a flush and no full houses possible with just three cards.

 

Video Poker

Video Poker is an electronic game based on Five-Card Draw. It is played on a console, similar to a slot machine, and has been around since about the 1970s. It was first created as people found these games to be less daunting than playing on an actual table with a dealer. In the game, 5 virtual cards are dealt to the player and they decide which to keep. The better the hand after the draw, the better the payout.