If you are a newcomer and not sure where to start, we are here to help you with that. Some table games are quite unique, however, some of them are just updated versions of older casino games. Nevertheless, there is a good reason they made it to this list. After reading this article, you may be able to understand why. Let’s jump straight into it.
Blackjack
Blackjack is one of the most popular casino table games out there. However, ever since the MIT team started cleaning house with their famous card counting strategies, the popularity of this game skyrocketed. Many like to call it “twenty-one”. What is interesting about this game is that you don’t compete against other players, but, instead, play primarily versus the dealer. Your goal should be to beat the dealer’s hand. The perfect score would be to get 21 points on the first two cards or to beat the dealer’s hand without going over 21 in the final score. You could follow another simple strategy as well — allow him to draw until he exceeds 21 points. Also, it is important to note that this game usually has one of the lowest house edge when compared to other casino games. If the average blackjack version doesn’t suit you, try hopping on to another version since your average land-based casino most likely carries multiple variants of this popular game.
Baccarat
This is yet another incredibly popular game, with fairly simple gameplay. Most casinos offer all versions of this game: Baccarat Chemin, Punto Banco, and Baccarat Banque. Now, opposed to Baccarat Punto Banco—where everything is left to your own luck—Baccarat Banque and Baccarat Chemin require more skilled players. While playing Baccarat Punto Banco, the gambler needs to choose between backing the player’s hand, the banker’s hand, or a tie. The best hand consists of two or three cards, and they should add up closest to nine. Please note that the Aces are valued as one and the picture cards as zero. Baccarat is a game with a lot of rules that change from one casino floor to another. Every venue will have its own terms that need to be met before the third card is drawn. After all, if the game is good enough to become an all-time favorite for James Bond, it should be good enough for a casual casino goer.
Craps
Now, mastering craps takes some effort. This worldly known dice game used to be widely played on the streets before its grand entrance to modern casinos. Basically, players wager their money against their opponents or against the bank. If they are going against each other, it is referred to as street craps or rolling the dice. One of the players throws the dice and in case the shooter rolls either 7 or 11—on the first roll—they win that bet. If the player shoots 2, 3, or 12, on the first roll, they will lose their wager, but not the dice. If a person rolls 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number then becomes their “point” and they will need to roll until they get a 7 and lose both their money and their dice. There are a lot of bets that you need to learn to make sure that you’re increasing your chances of winning; all you need is a pair of dice to be able to play the game. But, keep in mind that this game is one of the rarest games in which you can remove the house advantage entirely by playing it smart.
Poker
Last but not least, we have the most famous category of all casino games — Poker games. You can find your pick of poker tables in pretty much every single traditional or online casino you visit. This card game comes in several variations, including Texas Hold’em, Caribbean Stud, Five-Card Draw, and many others. Unfortunately, we can’t explain all of the variations of poker in an article that is as short as this one, but there are some common elements for all of the variations. The most important one is that Poker is a game of skill. It’s not about having the best hand, it’s about learning to recognize when someone else is in the lead and folding, or learning to pressure others through psychology.
Summary
Casino players usually have two ways of choosing their favorite table game: either they are after their luck or they are looking to develop strategies. It depends on which type of player you wish to be. If you are more oriented for luck-based games we suggest going for Baccarat and Craps, however, if you are more of a strategic player — play Blackjack and you can’t go wrong. Have fun exploring these awesome games!