Whether it’s for recreational purposes or if you’re looking to win big, the casino is a place where you’ll never run out of things to do. Everyone loves a bit of gambling from time to time and the casino is the best place to do it.
Unfortunately, you don’t always get to win. However, many of you will agree that the real fun lies not with actually winning but in the excitement of playing.
If you’re someone who’s wondering what sort of card games you can play in a casino, then you’ve come to the right place. Before you decide to head to Vegas, check out this list of some of the best casino card games.
Most Popular Casino Card Games You Can Play
When thinking of casinos, people usually think of slots. Well, that’s not what we’re going to talk about today. Below are some of the most common card games played in casinos.
Blackjack
This card game is played between the player and the house. The dealer distributes two cards to each of the player in the table and to himself. The dealer will have one card face up and one down.
The aim of the game is to have a hand of cards that add up to 21 (blackjack) without going over.
Face cards are valued at 10, Aces are valued at 1 or 11, and numbered cards are taken at face value. A player can choose to end his or her turn, or they can “hit” to get another card. After all the players have taken their turn, the dealer then reveals his hand.
A player wins if he beats the dealer’s hand without going over 21.
Blackjack is a card game in the casino where a smart and talented player can have an advantage. However, even if you pass on basic blackjack strategies and just rely on good ol’ intuition, this card game still has the lowest house edge in the casino. For the uninitiated, the higher the house edge, the worse the odds are for the players.
Baccarat
Baccarat is an exciting game that is played with three options: Player, Tie, and Banker. With that said, there are only three outcomes: Player win, banker win, and a tie. In Baccarat, the casino card dealer pretty much does all the work.
When all the players have placed their bets, the dealer will deal out 2 cards (which form a hand) – one is the player hand and the other is the banker hand. The hands will then be added up. If the total of the hand is over 10, the 10 will be dropped.
So, for example, 7+8 = 15, removing the 10 it becomes 5. If the hand adds up to a 0, it becomes a baccarat. The higher of the two hands becomes the winner (the hand nearest to a 9) and will win according to the corresponding bets.
Like most card games, Baccarat is very easy to learn but hard to master. This is a good game to start out with when visiting a casino.
Poker
Of course, you can’t talk about casino card games without mentioning Poker – possibly one of the most popular card games. Although it’s mainly a game of luck, poker becomes a game of skill and psychology because betting is involved.
Poker games that are played in the casino have many variations such as: 5-card stud, Texas Hold’em, 5-card draw, Razz, Pineapple, 7-card stud and more. Regardless of the variations, the game is played by forming combinations of cards.
From lowest to highest: high card, pair, two pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush, and royal flush.
There’s a reason why poker is the most popular card game in the world – even having its own televised games and tournaments. There are also poker games that can be played online while in the comforts of your own home.
Whether you’re in for the financial element or to just to have fun, poker is a fun game to sit down to in a casino. However, know that playing poker is not the most financially sound strategy when in a casino. In fact, only 10% of poker players are long-term winners.
Final Thoughts
These three card games are probably the most well-known when it comes to a casino setting. Before you go book a plane to Vegas or visit your local casino, you might want to learn about these three games and how you can maximize your chances of winning.
One more tip: just by playing, you can net casino card game points that you can accumulate and exchange for awesome perks!
If you want to read about tips and tricks that will help you win in casino card games, check out CardGameInfo.
