Casino card game is your chance to explore new exciting casino entertainments, train your analytical skill set, exercise your brain, and - of course - hit some juicy winnings along the way. Welcome to the fascinating world of casino card games. If you’re looking for a nice distraction from noisy slots, this article is the answer to your prayers! Let’s get started!
Types of casino card games
Gambling card games form a diverse and vast universe of gaming entertainments that cover a wide spectrum of games, such as:
- Blackjack;
- Baccarat;
- Video Poker;
- Texas Hold’em;
- Draw Poker;
- Stud Poker;
- and a bunch of others.
Let’s examine the top popular card casino games among punters and try to find out what makes them so loved by gambling communities.
Blackjack
While some gamblers claim that blackjack is hard to master, we can’t agree with this statement. There is absolutely nothing complicated about classic blackjack or its multiple variations. The goal of this casino card game is to beat the dealer’s hand by getting the closest to 21 without exceeding this limit. If you go over 21, you lose - or “bust”, in blackjack terminology.
Blackjack has as many as two strong points that attract players like a magnet. First, there is the optimal blackjack strategy that pushes down the casino advantage all the way to a comfortable 0.5%. The winning strategy is a series of charts that tell you which move you should make next. The main thing is that you stick with the optimal strategy throughout the game, without falling into temptation to experiment and test your “creativity”. Second, if you look closely, you can dig up blackjack games with progressive jackpots. Yes, you heard that right! Slots are not the only gambling games that offer massive cash prizes!
While classic blackjack is the most popular casino card game among punters, there is an entire list of casino card games that originate from blackjack:
- Pontoon;
- Atlantic City Blackjack;
- Single Deck Blackjack;
- Blackjack Switch;
- Super Fund 21;
- and so on.
How about trying them all out? Once you’ve got the gist of classic blackjack, you’ll be able to pick up its variations with no effort!
Baccarat
Unlike blackjack, baccarat is a guessing game at its core. Before the game starts, players make their bets. You have three betting options to choose from. You can wager on the Player, the Banker (this is what the dealer is called in blackjack) or the Tie. Some of the most exciting baccarat variations include Punto Banco and Baccarat Chemin de Fer.
One of the best things about baccarat is that it has a player-friendly house edge of slightly over 1%. The only tip we can give for playing this casino card game is to keep betting on the Banker. The statistics say that the dealer wins in more than 50% of all baccarat games. As for the Tie bet, we recommend keeping your distance from this treacherous betting option. The thing is that a tie occurs once a blue moon, making your winning chances disappointingly slim. While this bet pays extremely well, you risk gambling away your entire bankroll before you see your Tie bet win!
Video poker
Video poker is, hands down, a unique gambling card game. Why? Because it’s a breathtaking fusion between poker and slot machines. Playing video poker is a one-of-a-kind experience. Let’s take a look at how this casino card game works. A video poker machine looks a lot like a regular slot machine. You’re automatically dealt five open cards. Your objective is to form the best poker hand by keeping and/or discarding your cards. Video poker uses the same hands as traditional poker: Straight, Flush, Straight Flush, Three of a Kind, and Pair.
Emerged in the 1990s, this casino card game has never stopped growing its fan base. Just like slots, some video poker machines come equipped with jaw-dropping progressive jackpots. If you’re lucky, you have all chances to hit a life-changing money prize that will turn your life around 180 degrees!
Online casinos offer a plethora of compelling video poker variations. Along with Jacks or Better - the most well-known video poker game, you can also try out the following gambling card games:
- Jokers Wild;
- Aces & Eights;
- Pick’em Poker;
- Deuces Wild;
- and others.
Texas Hold’em
Texas Hold’em, originally called simply “Hold’em”, first started in Robstown, Texas in the early 1900’s and then was brought to Las Vegas in 1963 to only a few select casinos. Within a few years, the popularity of the game expanded, and additional casinos began to host the game. One reason it may have become more popular is that players bet four times, versus only twice in Draw Poker, making Hold’em a “thinking man’s game” and attracting new players.
Today, Texas Hold'em is the most popular poker variant played in casinos in the United States. Hold 'em's simplicity and popularity has inspired a wide variety of strategy books which provide recommendations for proper play. Popularity of the game surged in the 2000s due to exposure on TV, on the Internet, and in popular literature. During this time, Hold 'em replaced all other forms of poker as the most common game in U.S. casinos. The no-limit betting form is used in the widely televised main event of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and the World Poker Tour (WPT).
Draw Poker
Draw Poker or 5-card Draw is one of the oldest forms of poker and was by far the best known internationally until the sudden rise in popularity of Texas Hold’em was popularized at the end of the 20th century. This basic game, with no restrictions on the cards needed to open or win, is sometimes known as California Draw or Guts, though Guts is also the name of another poker-like game. Because of this freedom it offers considerable scope for bluffing, especially if played for high stakes.
Seven-card Stud Poker
Finally, let’s take a look at 7-card Stud Poker which is a super popular poker variation that guarantees you big winnings if you know how to play it right. Statements claiming that few people can master poker due to its complexity are nothing but a myth. In fact, poker is a logical, straightforward game that requires strategic thinking and discipline. Plus, it takes a good knowledge of psychology to “read” your opponents’ behavior. Learning how to play this amazing gambling card game is a source of unmatched enjoyment! Seeing how pieces of a puzzle are starting to come together is a very fulfilling experience.
Now let’s go back to Seven-card Stud Poker. The goal of this gambling card game is to collect the strongest hand that would beat the hands of other players and that of the dealer. The game starts with players making Play bets. Players can also make an Ante bet - although it’s completely optional. In each round, the players are dealt seven cards. Four cards are dealt face up, while the remaining three cards remain closed. Note that the dealer’s cards all remain face down. Then the players who have made the Ante Bet must either fold or raise. Finally, the dealer reveals their cards, and the hands are compared.
FAQ on gambling card games
- How do I win at a casino card game?
- Each casino card game has its winning secrets and tricks. In blackjack, it’s the optimal strategy and card counting. If you’re ambitious to win at poker, you need to apply the winning strategy as well. When it comes to baccarat, though, your best weapon is a good intuition. If you can guess which hand will win (or will there be a tie?), you’ll get a coveted payout. For better or worse, no smart strategy can help you when playing baccarat! There is also one piece of advice that fits all gambling card games. Before playing any gambling card game for real money, you need to get a good grasp of the casino card game rules. In fact, it’s true for all gambling games, not just those played with cards. If you start placing real money wagers without fully understanding the rules for casino card games or the optimal strategy, you risk wasting your bankroll down the drain. It’s the price that overly confident players have to pay for the illusion of being all-knowing.
- How do I play gambling card games for free?
- There is nothing easier than that! You need to pick a legal, reliable online casino that has a good suite of games, choose your favorite casino card game, and start playing with virtual credits! The beautiful thing is that you can’t run out of virtual credits. Keep improving your skills at poker or baccarat until you become a true pro that knows the game in and out! Online casinos don’t require registration for accessing free demo mode. Although the casino signup process only takes a few simple steps, you don’t need to do even that! Free casino card games are available to players instantly, upon visiting the casino site.
- Can I play my favorite casino card game with live dealers?
- Absolutely. Live gambling is the staple of today’s egaming industry. Each major online casino is committed to building a strong live gambling portfolio with live baccarat, live blackjack, and live poker. In addition to these three iconic casino card games, igaming platforms also offer live roulette. When playing in live mode, you’re playing a game broadcast to you from a renowned offline casino or special studio. A live casino card game is managed by a professional dealer that manages the game and makes you feel comfortable. Live gambling offers a stunningly realistic, authentic experience that imitates gambling at land-based casinos in every possible way. Created by tech giants like Evolution Gaming, Extreme Live Gaming, Playtech and others, live gambling card games add a new layer of excitement to the play process. We can’t recommend live gambling enough!
