Casino Games

The games that you will find in casinos are often referred to as casino games.  These casino games can be played not only in brick-and-mortar casinos but in online casinos as well.  There are also casino games that can be played at home with the use of a simple deck of 52 cards.  Casino games are generally divided into three categories.

The Table Games

The table games are the most common casino games.  What differentiates it with the other categories is the fact that it makes use of dealers such as the croupier or the poker dealer.  Table games can also be participated in by a number of players simultaneously.  Here is a list of some of the common table games usually found in casinos:

1.         Poker and its varieties.  Poker, as we all know, is the most popular card game in the world.  This game involves a standard deck of cards composed of 52 cards.  The goal of the poker game is to form the best hand combination so as to win the game.  There are a lot of poker varieties, and Texas Hold’Em and Omaha Hold’Em are the top favorites of poker players.  Other types of poker games are three card poker, Caribbean poker, stud poker, and a whole lot more.  They all vary in rules, but the aim is the same, which is to create the best winning hand.

2.         Roulette.  The roulette is also a kind of table game wherein the player has to rely on luck and hope that the ball lands on the number or color he placed his bet on.  He could also place a bet depending on whether the number is odd or even.  There are two kinds of roulettes, the American and the European roulette.  The only difference between them is that the American roulette has 38 colored and numbered pockets in contrast to the European roulette which has only 37.  The addition of 00 makes the American roulette a bit difficult to be lucky at.

3.         Craps.  This is another type of table game wherein a player has to place a bet on the outcome of a rolled dice.  He can bet against other craps players or he can place a bet against the casino itself.

4.         Blackjack.  This card game is also one of the commonest table games in casinos.  Here, your only goal is to come up with a hand total of 21 and beat the hand value of the dealer; hence, the other name of blackjack is 21.  If your hand value exceeds 21, you lose the game, so you must aim to get a hand value higher than that of the dealer’s but not more than 21 or a value nearer to 21 to be able to win at blackjack.

5.         Baccarat.  In the game of baccarat, you have to place your bet on either the banker or the player.  Here, the player and the banker are dealt two cards first, both face-down, after which the cards are turned face-up.  The croupier will then count the value of the cards, and whoever wagered on the person who has the highest value wins the baccarat game.

The Electronic Gaming Machines

As opposed to the table games, electronic gaming machines do not need any croupier or live dealer during the game.  Furthermore, electronic casino games, unlike table games, can only be played by a single player at a time.  Here are the common electronic casino games usually found in brick-and-mortar or online casinos:

1.         Slot machines.  The slot machines are the most common electronic casino games, and, in fact, this is one of the favorite casino games by many people.  Playing at slot machines involves a lot of luck wherein you have to hope that the winning combination of symbols land on your winning line.  There are three-reels and a single payline slot machine, and this is often referred to as standard or traditional slot machine games.  But then again, there are the more complicated slot games that consist of five reels or more with multiple paylines.  Although this gives you more chances of winning, it cannot be denied that you also have more chances to lose.

2.         Video lottery terminal or commonly called as VLT.  In this type of casino game, you only have to place a wager on what you think is going to be the outcome of a video game.  This is somewhat like a slot machine, but their difference lies in the fact that the VLT is hooked up to one centralized computer system (that of the Lottery Commission, for example) that makes use of a random number generator to determine the result of the bet, unlike a slot machine which can be controlled by different computers..  In fact, the VLT is also considered as a computerized scratch-off lottery ticket.

3.         Video poker.  The only similarity it has with a slot machine is that its appearance looks like a slot machine, but other than that, you have to rely not only on a bit of luck but also on common sense to get the best possible hand that nearly matches one of the winning hands that can be found in its pay schedule.  The player has to place a bet first then press the “DEAL” button, after which he has the option to keep the cards dealt to him or discard one or more of them for new ones.  The machine then evaluates if your formed hand is similar to one of their winning hands.  Your winnings depend upon the payout table.

The Random Numbers

The random number casino games may also be played on a table such as the roulette (as discussed above) or by buying a card or a ticket such as the keno or bingo.

1.         Keno.  This is also a game of chance wherein you will be given a choice of numbers from 1 to 80.  Out of the 80 numbers, 20 of them will be chosen randomly, and your winnings depend on the number of numbers you got similar to the 20 random numbers that were selected.

2.         Bingo.  By far, this is the most popular random number casino game.  In this game of chance, you will be given a card with a 5×5 of 9×9 template containing random numbers.  Now, depending on the pattern asked for, you have to cross out the numbers called by the caller on your card, and when you have crossed out all the numbers called and in the pattern that was asked for, you have to shout “BINGO” to be able to win the game.

These are some of the most popular casino games, be it in brick-and-mortar casinos or online casinos.