Many people don’t realize just how much variety there is when you play at an online casino. Most online casinos offer a choice of gaming options that even the largest live casinos can’t compete with. Since online casinos don’t have to deal with a limited amount of floor space, they can spread every game they have at all times, for as many players who want to play. Plus, limits from a few pennies up to thousands of dollars are available at most casinos, meaning players of all levels are welcome to join in on the fun. There are even some special versions of games that are only available online, as dealing them in a live setting would be difficult or impossible.
At the same time, such a large number of games can be a bit overwhelming and make it hard to figure out where to start. We’ve put together guides to all of the most commonly found games to help you take full advantage of everything your favorite online casino has to offer. Find what you’re looking for below, and click through for more information!
Online Blackjack
Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games of all-time, and is commonly played in casinos around the world. One of the best places to play blackjack is online casinos, which not only universally spread classic blackjack, but also variants like Spanish 21, Super Fun 21, Blackjack Switch, Pontoon, and countless others.
In Blackjack, the goal is usually to make a hand with a score of as close to 21 as possible without going over. A starting hand of 21 is typically an instant winner, and is known as a blackjack – from which the game earns its name. The combination of complex (but manageable) strategy, a low house edge and fast action has made blackjack a casino favorite that almost all gamblers enjoy playing.
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Online Mahjong
Traditional Mahjong or ‘Mahjongg’, as it’s commonly called, is similar to the western card game ‘rummy’ in many ways, although most claim that it is more complex, involved, and fun! Mahjong originated in China and is normally played by four players though you can also play with three. In many parts of China you can see young and old gentlemen playing Mahjong on plastic tables in the streets, sometimes they start early morning and keep playing into the middle of the night.
There are different rule sets (Hong Kong, Taiwan, Shenzen, Sichuan, Riichi, Classic and MCR), and you can play Mahjong as a standard game for cash, in a Mahjong tournaments or just for fun. Online Mahjong is slated as becoming the online poker of Asia, with Asian betting site Bodog88 currently the market leader.
Online Craps
Though the dozens of different bets on the craps table can be a tad intimidating to new gamblers, Craps is actually a simple game in which the best strategies can be mastered and understood in just a few minutes! In fact, craps offers one of the few bets in a casino that carries absolutely no house edge, making it an attractive proposition even if you don’t know what’s going on while you bet.
But you don’t need to keep it simple. There are countless different bets and betting strategies, all of which can give you action at different times. This makes craps great for action junkies; if you want, you can be winning or losing money on every single roll of the dice.
Online craps works more or less the same way as live craps, only with simulated dice. You may not get to be the shooter and toss the dice down the table, but every bet on the table is there, making online craps true to the live version.
Roulette
Roulette is one of the oldest Western casino games. A pure game of chance, players watch a ball spin around a wheel and try to predict where that ball will land. With the chance for big payouts on every spin, roulette is loved by those who want to make a big score at the casino.
Online roulette works the same way, with most casinos even using immersive graphics and sound to authentically simulate the feel of a real world casino. Just like in real life, internet roulette comes in two major forms: American Roulette and European Roulette.
Online Baccarat For Real Money
Originally developed in France, Baccarat is now most popular in Asia, as well as in high-limit rooms around the world. Given the reputation it has as a cerebral game for those with plenty of money to spend, it can be easy to assume that baccarat is too hard for the common gambler to get into, but this isn’t the case at all; the rules are actually quite simple, and a relatively low house edge means that it’s the best chance of winning in the casino (unless you can accurately count cards at blackjack).
Online baccarat is spread at almost every online casino, since it is a good way to get high-limit players to join in on the fun. But unlike in live casinos, where baccarat is often only found at higher stakes, low-limit online baccarat is quite common, meaning it’s a great way to try it out for the first time.
Three Card Poker
Of the new table games that have tried to make a mark in casinos, none have been more successful than Three Card Poker. It’s extremely simple to play, and with huge payouts possible for getting a big hand, it has jackpot potential that makes it very attractive for novice and experienced players alike.
Three Card Poker may sometimes be called Tri Card Poker or other names, due to legal reasons. However, all of them are identical, and play in the same way as the live casino version.
Caribbean Stud Poker
In Caribbean Stud Poker, players compete against the dealer to make the best five-card poker hand. Alone, that might sound like a fairly simple and boring game, but there are two important aspects that make the game quite popular. First of all, there is some strategy involved, as players much choose whether to risk more money to challenge the dealer, or fold their hands and forfeit their initial bet.
But the real draw is the progressive jackpot, which often reaches into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Typically, the full amount of the jackpot can only be won by making a royal flush. With the possibility of winning a life changing amount of money for just one dollar, who can resist taking a shot at the jackpot?
Let it Ride
Among some gamblers, Let it Ride has a shaky reputation. It’s probably because of the fact that in most hands (about 75%), the player will lose. However, when the player does win, they tend to win big, with huge jackpot amounts possible when the player makes a large hand. The game gets its name from the fact that players begin with three bets on the table, and then have two chances to either take back one of their bets or “let it ride,” depending on the strength of their hand.
Online Let it Ride sometimes uses a different name or slightly different sets of rules in order to skirt around some trademark issues (by changing the name of the game they can avoid having to pay licensing fees). However, even with these changes, the odds and strategies remain the same. If you’ve played Let it Ride in a casino then the online version will work in the exact same way.
Other Online Poker Games
With the recent popularity of poker reaching unprecedented heights, it’s no surprise that many casino table games with a poker theme have been developed in recent years. Typically, these feature aspects of a popular form of poker, with rule changes made to turn the game into a contest between the player and the dealer.
Online casinos have developed many of these, so you’re likely to find any number of online poker games at your favorite site. Some of the most popular variants include (but are certainly not limited to) Casino Hold’em (also known as Texas Holdem Bonus), Caribbean Hold’em), Four Card Poker, and Caribbean Draw Poker.
Pai Gow Poker
Pai Gow Poker is a game usually confined to the Asian gaming sections of most live casinos. That’s a shame, because it isn’t really that difficult to understand, and it’s a lot of fun! Players are given seven cards, and must divide them into two hands: a five-card hand and a two-card hand. In order to win, the player must beat both of the dealer hands; however, winning on just one of the two hands results in a push. This makes pushes very common, making it a great choice for players who want their money to last for a while and like being able to use strategy during their play.
Online Pai Gow poker works in much the same way, only with a few additional perks for the player: namely, the fact that most casinos will help you set your hands using the “house way,” which is the same method the casino forces the dealer to use when making their hands. This simplifies the process by giving even novice players a way to play very close to playing optimal strategy, simply by clicking on a button!
Pai Gow Dominoes/Tiles
In contrast to pai gow poker, the original game of Pai Gow actually is a very difficult game to understand if you’ve never seen it played before. Possibly the oldest casino game still commonly played around the world, pai gow requires players to take four tiles and arrange them into two hands. If either the player or the dealer can win both hands, they win the bit; if each side wins once, the result is a push.
Given the arcane way in which tiles are scored, new players are often scared away from pai gow before they even give it a chance. However, most online pai gow sites contain an option to set your tiles by the ‘house way,’ meaning that you won’t even need to understand the rules at all in order to play! Of course, it’s a lot more fun when you do know what’s going on, and we’re proud to provide a full guide to playing pai gow online.
Casino War
If you ever played the simple card game of war as a child, you already know all there is to know about Casino War. The object of the game is quite simple: just get a higher card than the dealer, and win the money! If you tie, the two sides will go to war, and the rules may get slightly more complex (but only slightly).
Considering it’s simplicity, casino war is perfect for people who are new to casino gambling but want to give a table game a try. Online casino war is the same way; if you’re worried about playing more complex games that require you to utilize strategy in order to get the best odds possible, casino war is a great (and easy) alternative.
Red Dog
Also known as acey-deucey, Red Dog is one of the easiest games in the casino to play, but is also surprisingly fun. In Red Dog, the dealer flips over two cards, after which players can choose to bet more money if they believe the next card will fall between the ranks of the first two. There’s very little strategy, but that doesn’t make it any less exciting when the dealer flips over three-of-a-kind for a big payout to all the players! Red Dog Poker is available at many casino sites, and like casino war, it’s great for players who are new to gambling and are intimidated by more complex options.
Online Keno
If you’ve ever participated in a lottery, you pretty much know how Keno works. Players choose numbers ranging from 1-80, and hope that their numbers match those drawn at random. The more numbers the players match, the more money they make!
Online keno has several advantages over live keno. With lower overhead, online casinos can afford to give better payouts than their live counterparts. Also, while live keno draws are usually offered every five minutes or so, online keno operates at your own pace, allowing you to play whenever and however you like.
Online Slots
Slot machines are the bread and butter of any casino, live or online. These machines are simple to play and incredibly addictive, with plenty of sights, sounds and – especially online – video to entertain you and keep you coming back for more. Progressive jackpots are also a huge draw for fans of slot machines, as just a few coins can earn you thousands of dollars instantly! Slots found online take this even a step further, with several progressive jackpots spreading out over networks of different online casinos, meaning that progressive jackpots can routinely reach millions of dollars. And for those who love video and regular slots, playing 3D slots is a new trend that your going to love! It’s almost as exciting as mixing an XBOX 360 game with a video poker machine!
Video Poker
They’re often confused for slot machines, but Video Poker is a very different game that appeals to a different kind of player. While slots are generally marketed towards casual gamblers, video poker is also enjoyed by serious and professional gamblers as well. With proper strategy, most video poker machines offer tiny house edges; in fact, some machines even offer the player a slight edge over the casino.
Some of the variants you’ll find in online casinos include Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild video poker, among many others.
