We know the names; we’ve watched how the games are ‘played’ on television. But when faced with the prospect of actually being able to play the games in real life or online, some of us freeze up because reality hits us square in the face. We don’t know anything about the many games offered at brick and mortar and online casinos. While the rules and strategies of each of these casino games differ and are more complex, this guide will give the brief basics of each game.
Blackjack
Blackjack is based on the card game Twenty-One where the object of the game is get a combined total of cards that are equal to or less than the number 21. When playing at an online casino, you want to make sure that you also stay within the number range and beat the dealer as well. If you go over 21 of if the dealer’s hand is better than yours, you’ve gone bust. Suits in this game do not matter. All of the cards are counted at their face value except the face cards which are counted as ten points. The Ace can be counted as a 1 or an 11 depending on the other cards in your hand. In a true casino setting – online or otherwise – you would be playing with a maximum of six people and the dealer. Your only opponent is the dealer. Wagering depends on the casino’s individual rules and the options – standing, hitting, splitting, doubling down, and surrendering – may or may not be available depending on the rules.
Baccarat
This game is fairly easy to learn and is unique in that the play is so simple. The strategy on the other hand takes a bit more practice to develop. The basic object of the game is to see who of the possible fourteen players at the table can come closest to the value of nine based on their dealt cards. At an online casino, you wager on whether a particular player or the dealer will come the closest. The game play comes down to the dealer and the wagered player and the other players basically wait to see who wins and if they collect any money. Cards are numbered in a specific way since the top number in the game is 9. The ten and the face cards all equal 10. An Ace equals 1. If the cards that are dealt equal more than 9 – say a Queen and a 2 equally 12 – the tens digit is dropped and the total becomes a two.
Roulette
Roulette is another game that is easy to learn and it is more a game of luck and chance that anything else. Basically, players place their wagers on the table attached to the wheel that has corresponding numbers as wheel as additional spaces, the croupier spins the wheel with the ball, and as the wheel slows down, the ball will drop into one of the slots that indicates the winning number. The wheel is divided into 37 or 38 slots depending on where you are playing – European Roulette has an extra zero (0) and American Roulette has two extra slots (0 and 00). The more advanced wagering rules of roulette differ from casino to casino so it is best to request the rules from the croupier or staff or read up on them at the online casino you are playing at before wagering.
Slot Machines
The advantage of playing slot machines at an online casino is the absence of noise that these machines make at brick and mortar casinos. Slot machines come in a variety of sixes, types, themes, and money denominations. The basic premise on all of them is the same: match the symbols in a specific pattern as instructed.