Game Guides

Many people who make their way onto a casino floor may wonder about the exclusive, roped-off area where excited players are gathered around a table. More often than not, this is baccarat – a card game based solely on chance, steeped deeply in European history and, though it may look complicated, is actually one of the simplest casino games around.

Bingo is one of the oldest games around and a gambling pastime that manages to draw literally millions of players from all around the world. People are drawn to the simplicity of the game – the need to complete specific patterns on a grid of numbers - as well as the social side of the game.

Blackjack is a card game that brings together the elements of skill, chance and entertainment in a perfect blend. The game is traditionally played against the dealer at a live or online casino, although multiplayer blackjack is fast becoming a firm favorite in the industry today. It can safely be said that blackjack is one of the most favored card and table games in the business, thanks to low odds and the excitement involved.

Craps is a dice game played at traditional as well as online casinos. Gamblers may recognize the game simply by the rowdy and energetic activity around a craps table. While craps may initially seem to be a highly complex game because of the sometimes incomprehensible terms and words used by the more experienced players, the fact is that this is one of the simpler games to learn and understand at casinos.

Fruit machines are traditionally found in British pubs and are a close cousin to the regular US slots. While fruit machines started out at land-based casinos and drinking holes, they are now found on the floor on some of the most exclusive casinos in the world, as well as at online casinos where they are growing enormously in popularity. The major difference between regular slots and fruit machines is that success at the latter relies on an element of skill, while to win at slots does not.

Keno is a lottery type game that is extremely popular at land based and online casinos. In some places, it is played in a special Keno lounge and attracts players who are looking for a welcome rest from the excitement of skill games. Keno is a game of chance with a relatively high house edge and yet continues to attract millions of players each year.

Pai Gow Poker is based on the ancient Chinese domino game called Pai Gow, played against the dealer using a 53 deck of cards (the extra card being the Joker). Pai Gow Poker is one of the more favored games at land-based and online casinos because of its moderate pace. The game offers an excellent blend of skill, luck and entertainment and is played by millions of people each year.

Roulette is one of the gambling industry’s most popular games and the roulette wheel is representative of everything that makes gambling so exciting. The game is extremely simple, having players place their bets on a specially designated roulette table to predict which slot the ball will fall into once the roulette wheel stops spinning. Based on luck alone, roulette is wildly popular at online as well as land-based casinos across the world.

Sic Bo is another popular gaming pastime that has its roots in the Ancient Far East. Sic Bo – which means ‘Dice Pair’ in Chinese - is played with three dice across a special table. The game is extremely simple and requires players to predict on the outcome of the thrown dice and wager on these predictions. There are many different betting options and players need to familiarize themselves with them before attempting to play Sic Bo for real money.

While slots are the newest arrivals to the online gambling industry compared to older games such as blackjack and roulette, it can safely be said that they are the most popular both online and offline. Players are attracted to the colorful, clanging machines that call for a few coins and a lot of luck. Players can literally spend hours in front of slot machines, in an attempt to line up their images and win anything from a couple of dollars to millions in progressive jackpots.

While everybody is familiar with the game of poker, it can safely be said that Texas Hold ‘em is the most popular variant of the game around. This is a five-card community game that has players going through four rounds of betting, with the best hand eventually winning the pot. Texas Hold ‘em enjoys extensive exposure through media sports channels, the World Series of Poker and others. It is also the most popular form of poker played at internet poker rooms, with players drawn to the excellent blend of skill, luck and excitement.

It is easy to understand the great appeal of video poker at land based and online casinos. Its inventors took two of the best games in the entire industry – poker and slots - and combined them to create video poker. The game thus blends the luck required in slots with the skill required in poker into one harmonious gambling pastime. Over the years, many different variants of video poker have been developed, although the basic premise of the game remains the same.